Yinka Ojo, an Oyo State-based civil servant, has narrated how First Bank PLC refused to refund her N454,186 after an unsuccessful flight ticket purchase.

Ojo told FIJ she had paid the amount to Wakanow, a travel agency, for an air ticket via Paystack, an online payment gateway. She stated that the transaction was pending for days before she got an alert that it was successful.

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“I attempted to pay for an air ticket with Wakanow in July. The payment was made with Paystack acting as payment merchant. However, I couldn’t process the transaction,” the civil servant said.

“On July 4, I was sent a debit showing that the payment had been approved. The payment had been on ‘pending’ status until that time. But when I contacted Wakanow, the travel company, they said they were yet to receive the money.

“I assume that Wakanow got a notification of the incoming payment but it bounced back, as the money didn’t get to their end.”

Ojo said she contacted First Bank but was informed that her N454,186 was hanging between Paystack and Wakanow. Upon inquiry, she discovered that the money, though no longer in her account, was still with First Bank.

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“When I contacted Paystack, they disclosed that they indeed received the N454,186 but it was reversed because of a dispense error. They stated that First Bank was now in custody of the money,” she told FIJ.

“I visited several First Bank branches to complain, but just only one branch in Lagos confirmed that it was indeed a dispense error. The official, who attended to me, sent messages to their headquarters and I was assured I would get a refund in three days.

“An official from another branch, who also investigated the issue, reaffirmed that it was a dispense error and reassured me that I would get a refund in three days.”

Ojo told FIJ that the promises from First Bank to refund her money had not been fulfilled.

“None of their promises have been fulfilled. I am yet to get a refund of my air ticket from First Bank, and their inactions nearly cost me my trip,” she said.

“All I keep getting from them are messages that my complaint will be resolved within the shortest time possible.”

When FIJ contacted First Bank over the issue, they asked for the customer’s details. Since then, nothing has been heard.