Dear Claudienne,

With regards to my problem, it started with an online transfer from my NCB account to the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB). On December 31, 2017 I used NCB’s online banking platform to make a payment of $20,000 towards my SLB loan. The transaction was deemed successful, with the generated transaction number 20309274.

Subsequent to the completed transaction, I contacted the SLB requesting confirmation of payment and evidence of such by a loan statement. When the loan statement was provided the payment was not seen on it.

I waited and made a subsequent payment using NCB’s online banking platform again. This transaction was deemed a success as well. The difference is that the next loan statement I got from SLB had the subsequent loan payment but did not have the December 31, 2017 payment.

In August 2018 I decided to visit the nearest NCB branch to me. The account was at an NCB branch which, at the time, was located on St James Street but has since relocated to Bay West Shopping Centre in St James.

On visiting the branch and speaking with a customer care representative, I was informed that the payment was indeed removed from my account but that the payee had not received said payment. I was then placed on a telephone call with NCB’s customer care centre. I was informed by the customer care agent that I had to open a case so that there could be an investigation into the matter.

My query was assigned a case number CAS154076p1s0x8.

At first when the case was opened, I had asked that the $20,000 be sent towards my SLB loan. When I did a follow-up to the case, I told them to send the money back to my account and another number was assigned to the case, CAS166525q0f0b5.

Since 2018 I have been following up with NCB regarding the case. I have spoken to several customer care agents who all give the same generic response that I will be given a “call back” or that “the investigation department is unavailable”, or that they’re “unable to contact anyone in the investigation department”. On one follow-up I was even told that the case was closed.

Since I had not been informed of the findings of the investigation, I requested that the case be reopened.

In 2019 I took out a personal loan and paid the balance of my SLB loan in full. The last loan statement I received prior to paying my loan in full in 2019 still did not reflect the $20,000 payment that was taken from my NCB account in 2017.

I was even in communication with the loan officers at SLB and asked them to check with the accounts department to find out if NCB had sent the money. I was informed that NCB had not sent the money to the SLB.

I paid off the SLB but up to now NCB has not put the $20,000 back in my account.

At this point I am very frustrated as I have been in this back and forth with NCB for such a long time with seemingly no resolution in sight.

Your help to resolve this matter will be appreciated.

TM

Dear TM

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with NCB and notes that the bank has notified the column that they have contacted you and resolved the matter.

You have also informed the column that NCB has put the $20,000 in your account.

We wish you all the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 876-936-9436 or cel 876-484-1349 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-421/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail:edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.