Bank of New Zealand Reviews 

The worst bank! After being a customer for more than 15 years I was treated like a number. They suspended my account, closed it and referred to a debt collect agency for the sake of $100 over limit that I didn’t even know about (no longer in Nz so don’t use the account regularly). They sent me emails that unfortunately I missed and were never opened until I was told about such emails while on the phone with their customer service. My mother had been unwell and I had more pressing issues to deal with at the time. No one ever tried to call me to at least say the account was being closed and referred to a DCA. The letter they supposedly sent has never arrived to this day either. I will take my business somewhere else when I return to NZ.

I am so dissapointed of this bank , I am not a customer of bnz but I am waiting for a payment from bnz to my Kiwibank account . Payment has been made Saturday at 6:20pm Saturday and it’s already Sunday 12pm the payment still not showing on the account were not talking about hundred of dollars here it’s a thousand , to this kind of experience I won’t recommend this bank to myself neither my family and friends. Let’s say their system is down or there’s maintenance but come on 24 hours after payment has been made and still not receiving it is to much. I Am sorry BNZ but you gotta fix it.

C Grant cannot use a phone or communicate effectively with an overseas client. She sends me an 0800 number on all her communications to use while i am located in Australia - it is known to her - I cannot ever call her in Australia from this 0800 number as it does not work. I have told her this but she doesn't provide a direct line. This Is a vindictive employee is my experience- she deliberately ignores facts - she Does not return international phone calls I have made - C Grant does not respond to emails that I have that show they have a read receipt 🧾- the email has been opened by C Grant and read by C Grant. My experience is she Rewrites facts to her agenda ( perhaps to get a bonus) . I Used the 0800 number while physically in NZ - I had the same experience as the last trust pilot report dated 28 April where Poor and No service is noted by another BNZ customer = No Service. The BNZ has a very low score and problems with contact date back yesterday to 2022 from Trustpilot reviews. ****The BNZ I have known and loved for 40 years does not exist is my experience with C Grants behaviours.
***** Other BNZ staff I dealt with in Auckland could use a cell phone - could respond to me & care about people.
***I asked for this person C Grant who can never be found to be removed from my file due to her excessive and unkind ways and the fact they make me ill from their bullying. I also copied parties above her - to a week of waiting with no response by others to take her off my file

Staff need more training and language barrier has become an issue at times.

A terrible bank to try and get hold of - whether that be by phone, or the banking app. They ALWAYS "experience more calls than expected", and the "please continue to hold" voice is grating, as it replays about every 30 seconds!!! If you have a floating mortgage rate, be prepared to wait a long time for this to drop, and after they finally decide to lower it, it won't go into force for a couple of weeks.

After losing my smartphone, Denise at the Silverdale branch helped me secure my accounts ect and laid my fears to rest. When I purchased a new phone Denise got everything back up and running making my drama dissappear.
A very patient and lovely lady, very calm and collected. The Silverdale staff are amazing. AA+. Thank you so much 💓

Great Bank . Have promptly sorted out online frauds when reported. The banks outlets are wonderful and simply love the atmosphere whenever I go. Will be always with BNZ.

Had a business account for years with BNZ, they offered no help when trying to mortgage a house. Safe to say i moved on from these guys

Most stupid bank in New Zealand. Been banking with them for more than 3 years now. Now they are asking m e to provide a list of information for anti-money laundering purpose. Trust me --- IRD and Immigration woldn't ask for this much. so the hell with it. just chose to shut down the account.

Lousy experience. Limits for debit card were never explained, hence booking flight tickets above a certain amount an impossibility.

Received a call from BNZ Fraud Office, to say 13 suspicious transactions have taken place using my new Visa card!!!!! First of the 13 transactions kicked off 6:56am 5 March, Last transaction 1:56pm 5 March. BNZ called me at 2:30pm 5 March, only 34 minutes following the last transaction. At 3:41pm I screenshot and printed the list of transactions, to which all bar one were still PENDING!!!!! I clicked onto one of the Pending Payments, and under Payment Type, EFTPOS, it reads..."The organisation you've paid hasn't processed this payment yet or has put a temporary hold on the amount. This usually clears within 2-3 business days. To query this transaction while it's PENDING, please contact us on 0800275269". You would think only 34 minutes following the last transaction, they would be able to block them! Umm we will see if we can get some of your money back!!!!!! Then I called them back .....First of all, be prepared for a loooong wait. When you eventually do connect with a humanoid, good luck in trying to speak to an English speaking one. The (hard to understand) humanoid kept going silent on me, and twice I had to ask "Are you still there?" I hung up because things weren't sitting right with me. I then received 2 emails, one from BNZ_MerchantDT commencing with Dear Mrs........ followed by the 2nd one from BNZDT commencing with Hi, and closing with Regards James ??? The email was sent externally. Can't phone the Napier Branch or be transferred through because they no longer have a phone....you have to physically go into the branch if you want to make an appointment with the Manager. This is absolutely DISGRACEFUL!!!!! Banks are the caretakers of our money, they are forcing us to use bank cards which are not 100% safe. 20 years of my custom will be coming to an end with BNZ.....I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!!

I honestly have had only a great experience. When I moved to NZ on a working holiday visa, I could use the temporary adresses I was staying at (with written consent). This was a lifesaver, as every other bank would not let me set up an account without a fixed address, and then I wouldn't be able to get a job or pay anything in NZ dollars.

Once O moved back to my home country, I realised I hadn't updated my address of phone number, and my net guard had expired. I feared I would be completely locked out. Yet the kind lady on the other line was unbelieveably helpful and only needed evidence that I knew some specific transactions from the account and my personal details. I had access back within 5 minutes. They are also sending me a new netguard free of charge. Not to mention the bank account is enitrely free anyway!!!

Honestly wish this was still my main bank...

My term deposit matured on 22 Feb, a Saturday. Up until then my internet banking was saying the funds would be in my 00 account around 8 am on 22 Feb. When I logged on in the morning, internet banking said my deposit had matured and would be paid out within 2 business days. What are business days these days when bills can be paid and funds received every day, including weekends? On Sunday, internet banking has still not credited the funds to my 00 account and is saying I cannot access those funds. Why not? Who has the money? The BNZ? And who is receiving interest on those funds? I think I can be pretty certain that interest, when I eventually get it, will be paid to the 22nd and not a day longer. If you take this one instance and multiply it by a nation of people who have funds maturing over a weekend but not being credited with their funds on due date, you must be talking millions of dollars of interest going somewhere. There is also a flow-on effect here. As my funds were due on 22 Feb but not credited to my account, I cannot pay bills that I wanted to pay, including a credit card balance which is currently costing 20.95% pa. Here's the thing, if a bank can't pay out funds which are due over a weekend or public holiday, they need not to accept a term deposit for that date. The maturity date should be the previous business day or the one following, with the interest calculated accordingly. Very disappointing. Unethical.

Fantastic bank. They made refinancing to them so smoothly.

They can't even send a workable link to me we're in they require extremely sensitive information about a person I paid in thailand. The amount was so small as well and the person has no idea what is going on due to language barriers. Very embarrassing to say the least. I'm actually wondering if this is not lawful due to the privacy act.

But wait here is the follow up》》 I supplied a detailed reply but guess what? Now they want an absolute library of information (likely after reading my complain) in regards to assets, proof of income, assets, land owner ship, crypto, etc etc. With full documentation as proof. This is over an account that is so small it must be someone's wrath and basically want to have my account closed which they will anyways I'd say as I'm not your normal run of the mill customer with a particular label attached! If this is the start of cbdc and the control of people well good luck with this bank.

Worst bank ever!! Won't even let me use my cards even though they have identified me in every way possible. Waste of time!! Do not bank with them!

Banked with them for quite some time. Had an overdraft that we agreed I'd pay off over time, I was faithful to the payments but they decided out of nowhere with no notice to completely shut down my account, after calling 3 times and asking to speak to a manager they shut me down and said no I can't to a manager because there's not one on site. They gave me no answers until I contacted an ombudsman who filed a complaint on my behalf. Will be letting the people I put onto them to leave aswel. Absolutely shocking experience, money over people maybe they should invest in the American middle east war they'd make money and still have the joy of screwing people over.

After being a customer for many years I had to go in for a simple card replacement. It took an excessive amount of time for staff to carry out a simple task. They also photocopied my Identification without my consent. Later-on I started getting statements and being charged for the unwanted printed statements, All the staff are ethnic minorities that work for bottom dollar and were ill resourced and untrained. I Was absolutely apaulled and shocked at the abismal service... God only knows how this terrible to deal with bank stays afloat. I have most of my banking with another banking provider and I am looking at closing my business with this poor performing sap on the New Zealand economy

I have been with the BNZ fo over 30 + years and I have never owed them any money that I haven't paid back what's been borrowed as required so I AM VERY LOW RISK
They only made 762 Million Dollars last financial year so they are really struggling.
We have a cost of living crisis as well as a recession where interest rates have more than doubled and infact tripled in some cases.
And yet as a loyal BNZ customer for many years ...when you ask them for a little help they are most UNHELPFUL.
In my case I have an investment property paying Principal and interest repayments and my payments have more than doubled and so it is a struggle to meet repayments.
I asked if I could go to an interest only arrangement for a period of time to help ease the burden of repayment.
I recieved a very stone cold, impersonal, uninterested response from the woman taking the call saying she was more worried about losing her job than helping me.
PROFITS OVER PEOPLES WELL BEING which won't harm their profits at all..
NO DOUBT MOST BANKS ARE THE SAME but I shall be looking to bank elsewhere in future.
Thanks for nothing BNZ

Not good at all. I had all my correct ID and whatever I needed for application but they still declined my application for a new bank account. Weird because I used this method to sign up with ASB and ANZ, they approved it all simple and efficient with them but BNZ no way, sort it out 🤣 glad you declined because the other 2 banks are way better 🤣