'A joke': Some TD customers say e-transfers still down a week later

Some TD Canada Trust customers are still having problems with e-transfer payments several days after the bank announced the issue has been resolved.

Starting Oct. 29, many TD customers couldn't send or receive electronic payments. The bank said the problem wasn't widespread and on Thursday announced the culprit — glitches with a recent platform upgrade — had been fixed.

But on Tuesday, nine days after the problem started, Monika Arpasi said she still has about $3,000 sitting in cyberspace because of e-transfers she can't deposit.

• TD says e-transfer problem fixed
• TD customer money stuck 'in limbo' due to e-transfer problems

"I'm very frustrated," said Arpasi who lives in Stouffville, Ont. and runs Tiny Bubbles Childcare. She first noticed a problem one week ago when she couldn't deposit electronic payments sent by parents who use her daycare.

Arpasi says her husband called TD numerous times to complain and was assured the problem would be fixed by Monday. So when she still couldn't access her cash Monday, Arpasi was floored.

"I don't even know what to say anymore, I'm just speechless," she said. "I just had to laugh, like, come on, this is a joke now."

Arpasi says she's never received an adequate explanation why, for her, the e-transfer payment problem persists.

"They said on Monday, on the 6th, it will be resolved, all the problems, but it's still nothing."

'Have they been hacked?'

CBC News also spoke with TD customer Charlotte Mills, who lives in Victoria, B.C. As of Monday night, she still couldn't make e-transfer payments from her personal account.

Mills was first alerted to the problem last week when she tried to pay bills — including her rent — with electronic payments.

"I'm completely blocked," said Mills. "I can't even select a recipient. I can't do anything, and it's very strange."

To get answers, Mills visited a TD bank, called the customer care line and reached out to TD via social media. She too believes she has never received a satisfying explanation what's happening with her account.

"None of them are giving me consistent information," said Mills. "I feel really disappointed. I just wonder what is really going on. Have they been hacked? Do I have to worry about this?"

CBC News reached out to TD both on Friday and Monday to get an update.

On Friday, the bank said that "a handful of customers" were still having problems even though it has fixed the glitches in its system.

"We sincerely apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this has caused for our customers," said spokesperson Meghan Thomas in an email.

On Monday, she told us that issues related to the payments platform upgrade have been resolved.

Meanwhile customers still experiencing problems who reached out to TD on social media got a different response.

"We are working hard to fully restore the system and process a backlog of transfers," the bank told one customer on Twitter.

Mills reached out to TD on Facebook and was told that the bank is still experiencing intermittent difficulties with its online banking and that technicians are working on fixing it as soon as possible.

She says she also tried calling TD again Monday evening but couldn't get through because the bank was having technical difficulties. "I just have to laugh," she said.
 

There's a better way they could have dealt with this.- Charlotte Mills

Mills believes TD should have reached out to affected customers instead of leaving them scrambling for answers on their own.

"There's a better way they could have dealt with this," she said.

Arpasi agrees. "There is nothing to let us know what's happening," she said. "They're just hiding behind closed doors."

Last week, when the e-transfer problem was more widespread, CBC News heard from other affected TD customers who also complained about a lack of information from the bank.

We have repeatedly asked TD for comment about this complaint, but have not received a response.

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