[Hampshire] On-line Banking (Not entirely O.T.)

Hi, all!

I thought my recent experiences with Lloyds TSB might be of interest.....

Last Tuesday, Lloyds changed their on-line banking system. The most
noticeable change is that statements now appear upside-down, with the latest
transaction at the top. For those of us who were brought up to perform
arithmetic starting at the top of the page and working down this seems very
odd. For people like me, who monitor their finances on a spreadsheet, it's a
nuisance. Now I have to compare an entry at the top of one list with an
entry at the bottom of the other and work through the two records in
different directions.

Worse was to come: For years, I have downloaded a CSV file and used a few
simple Perl routines to conduct various analyses. Now, I was under the
impression that the CSV file is a standard format for transferring data
between spreadsheets. The Lloyds CSV files are now also upside-down, so a
straightforward transfer is no longer possible and additional (manual) work
is needed.

I was getting quite cross by this stage, so I tried to telephone the bank to
let them have the benefit of my opinion on the unnecessary problems they had
created. After struggling through their horrendous telephone security system
and (inevitably) waiting in a queue, I spoke to someone who declared herself
unaware of any changes and promptly dumped the connection.

Anger rising, I tried again. This time, the lady admitted that she had no
idea what I was talking about, but gave me a number 'for people having
problems with the new system'. Aha!

On 'phoning this number and finding myself talking to someone who clearly
*did* understand what I was talking about, I was blithely informed that
there was no problem, since I could buy a piece of software which would turn
the CSV files back the right way up. Through clenched teeth, I asked why
customers should suddenly find it necessary to do this and, incidentally,
which operating system would this piece of proprietary software
require......?

I gave up after that, but a few days later I received a note stating 'I'm
pleased to send you the information we talked about.' The enclosure was a
booklet about banking by telephone.

Chris.