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3Commonwealth Bank

Commonwealth Bank

3Commonwealth Bank
1.6

4,143 reviews

Positive vs Negative
12%88%
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Transparency ?
1.7
Customer Service
1.6
Brand Manager for Commonwealth Bank? Claim your listing.

 AI reviews summary 

Recent feedback for Commonwealth Bank indicates a sharp divide between positive in-branch interactions and systemic failures in digital services, security protocols, and phone support. While specific staff members are frequently praised for their professionalism and empathy, recurring issues with account freezes and inaccessible customer support are causing significant consumer distress.

Pros
  • Exceptional Individual Staff: Many users highlight specific branch employees across Australia (e.g., in Salisbury, Ingle Farm, and Erina) for going "above and beyond," providing compassionate support during difficult times, and resolving complex issues.
  • Efficient In-Branch Problem Solving: When accessible, in-person service is often described as professional and attentive, frequently resolving problems that automated systems or call centres could not.
  • User-Friendly App Interface: A segment of users finds the mobile app easy to use for basic tasks, such as opening new accounts or managing simple daily transactions.
  • Effective Fraud Detection (In Specific Cases): Some customers report positive outcomes where the bank successfully identified and reversed fraudulent transactions within a short timeframe.
Cons
  • Aggressive Security and Account Freezes: A major recurring complaint involves the bank freezing accounts without notice for "suspicious activity," often involving legitimate transfers (e.g., car sales, crypto, or self-transfers), leaving customers stranded without funds for days.
  • Inaccessible Customer Support: Users report "endless" hold times on phone lines (often exceeding an hour) and describe the AI chatbot, Ceba, as "useless" and "hopeless" for resolving anything beyond basic queries.
  • Cumbersome Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): The mandatory requirement to use the mobile app to approve desktop logins is frequently described as "bloated" and "nightmarish," especially for business users who must authenticate dozens of times daily.
  • Poor Deceased Estate and Power of Attorney Handling: Multiple reviewers report distressing experiences when dealing with estates, citing conflicting information, long delays in releasing funeral funds, and a lack of empathy from administrative departments.
Verdict

Commonwealth Bank provides strong face-to-face service through dedicated branch staff, making it a viable option for those who prefer in-person banking. However, consumers should be wary of highly restrictive automated security measures that can lead to sudden account lockouts and a digital support infrastructure that is currently failing to provide timely human intervention.

1 Fernando C.  · They closed my dispute case even though I sent them all the necessary documentation.
1 Sam  · One of the worst bank ever. Be careful. They said something and do something else. Please
1 Hope  · Batemans Bay branch - 1 teller, long queues, very long waiting time
5 Dontwantone  · The only bank that has given me the chance to change my life thank you
5 Mali  · Tracy and her colleagues at Adelaide city King Williams branch provided us great support. They all are very polite and respectful.
1 Nicholas W.  · Garbage customer service. Woeful communication. Took away my line of credit with no good reason. The worst, most putrid bank in Australia
Brendan
Brendan6 posts
  Commonwealth Bank

I wish there was a ZERO stars option for Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA). Or even better - minus-Five (red) stars for these creepy crooks. *** WARNING - do NOT use CBA. BOYCOTT CBA and take your business elsewhere *** My problems with CBA are on-going month after month. CBA do not even try to fix the underlying problem and let it happen again… Read more

and again - despite it costing me over $5000 this last month to my new business and stock-market activities.

I went on-line and found-out that these problems [often caused by CBA's faulty software] have been going on for approximately five (5) years. That is right - YEARS!! So, it's not like this is something that happened once or twice, and CBA are fixing it. No! It is a case where CBA just don't even consider the losses to customers due to their faulty software and broken management to be a problem that needs fixing.

So what are these problems? Well, they are so many I can't cover them all in this short review. I will use what are called "representative examples" below:

Representative Example #1 - I had a VERY high-profit stock-trade and business to organize, so I had the $3000 starter money in my CBA standard account. This money was "cleared" and free to transfer for some time and just sitting ready in the CBA account.

I transferred it from CBA account to the relevant stock and business account at the optimum time, giving 2 hours in advance before 'deal/settlement time'. - But my $3000 just deducted from my CBA account and did NOT appear in my target business account. I had to stay up all night and wait for the money but it never cleared. It did not clear the next business day and it took me literally from Friday to the following Tuesday to get it sorted out [despite being on the phone to CBA all day, attending the CBA Branch twice in person].

I LOST THE BUSINESS DEAL and the Share-buy opportunity, on this occasion costing me over $800. On another occasion, I lost $3000.

And it has happened to me over and over again, about 5+ times in the last month.

Anyway, while on the phone all day with CBA, I was finally told (regarding my missing $3000): "We found what happened, it was floating around the system somewhere". I replied "Can you be more specific where "somewhere" is?" and he said "No, I can't, actually. We don't know where". See?

And understand they still could NOT find it and suggest ed I just wait until it shows up again as it was "lost in the system".

And all the CBA staff were rude, abusive, and unhelpful and had a passive-aggressive provocative attitude.

One of the staff, a creepy male in a cardigan, kept trying to violate my personal space and stick his hand suddenly into my personal space and other staff (including a female manager) were rude, condescending, provocative and disrespectful towards me. And when you get annoyed and tell them off about missing money and rude response from staff, they unfairly play the victim and stir you up in passive-aggressive games in order to generate and excuse not to deal with a problem that they think they can't solve.

Their staff are hostile, passive-aggressive, abusive, rude, disrespectful, unhelpful. Go in-branch and they tell me to go ring the phone number and get help from them. What amazing service (NOT!).

----- I am in the process of closing CBA accounts and moving because CBA are crooks and just incompetent pigs and bullies. Yet It's hard to move from CBA as their software doesn't work properly and I can't close my CBA accounts.

In the last month, I've lost about $6, 000 [50% of my total] due to CBA incompetence - most of these losses caused by money missing when I need it for urgent business - on another occasion I was down $3000 due to a CBA software failure.

Often, I transfer money from my main everyday CBA account to my stock-broker to buy good shares as they were dead-cheap [and the ONLY opportunity to get them at that price] ... and CBA take hours (sometimes 8+ hours and even over a whole day) to transfer the money because their software is down or malfunctioning and the money goes from the CBA account and is "floating around somewhere in the system" and NOT transferred ....

... and the time I get the money transferred [usually takes under 60 seconds] the stock-price went right up and no good. The staff on the phone are rude, and the in-branch staff are abusive, condescending, disrespectful and unconcerned. They act like Nazis, they think they are Gods and are 'above' the customers.

For instance: I was in the CBA branch and they had my bank account up, and I asked for my bank balance to see if the money had cleared yet and they told me that the bank literally CANNOT give me my account balance and were unable to do so. CBA can't transfer money, can't find money, can't withdraw money, can't check my account balance even when I am standing there and they have my account up on the computer in-branch. CBA were found guilty earlier this year for stealing money from accounts by the High Court of Australia ... and now CBA are "allegedly" stealing money from little toddlers Dolomite accounts according to media sources. CBA are dogs, backwater, broken, petty little people on stilts - CBA is broken. CBA used to be better, how it is the worse bank in Australia (probably the world).

COMMSEC is even WORSE: CBA software is often 'down' for 12+ hours once a week or more. Want to sell shares that are dropping ??? ... you will have to wait 12-24 hours and then you stuffed. Want to buy a share right now that is going 380% [which happened to me] - CBA can't get it going and I lost that profit ($1200 - over $4000 = almost $3000 profit list). And CBA charge $20+ for brokerage and software is trashanyway and all other brokers (like MooMoo - excellent service) charge $0.99c - why pay CBA scum 10-20x the cost when they do a worse job.

It has been again and again that CBA staff (phone, and in Branch) are badly trained, incompetent, can't do any basic banking function, make customers wait for up to 1-2 hours or more (CBA record with me was 3 1/2 days all day).

CBA has been found guilty in the High Court of Australia of stealing money from customers.

Now reliable media sources inform me that CBA is pinching money from toddlers Dolomite accounts. What a low act. CBA are immoral, greasy and disgusting people who have ZERO respect for customers.

Words cannot describe how bad CBA are, and they should lose their banking license.

EVERYBODY!!! Close CBA account and boycott them.

Keith Wood
Keith Wood
  Branches

My name is Elizabeth Wood of Camden New South Wales, and I just like to pass along my thanks to the CBA branch at Camden for their outstanding service. Early 2026, I needed to withdraw cash to pay a contractor, only to discover that my CBA card had expired, and because we had recently changed addresses and forgot to update it, of course I didn’t… Read more

have the new card. The teller that served me name was Star, she was so helpful and polite, and between herself and what I believe was a bank manager, I’m sorry I don’t remember a name, she had blonde hair, they were so helpful and understanding, and once I went through all the security checks, and got me the cash I needed, arranged my new card to be sent to my new address, they turned a stressful situation for myself into a wonderful experience. Thank you to all the staff at the Commonwealth Bank at Camden, you’re all superstars. Elizabeth Wood Camden NSW

Shannon H.
Shannon H.WA2 posts
  Online

I have been a loyal customer with commonwealth bank since high school (im 42 now), have had almost all my house loans, and personal loans with commonwealth. I recently spoke to the mortgage people about refinancing my loan as my fixed rate was up. My loan is approx 500k, my house valuation around $1.35m. I make 230k+ per year gross. No bad credit… Read more

history. YET the bank was unable to offer new fixed rate terms that were competitive with other offers and banks. The lowest they offered fir 3 year was 6.2% (after their so called special discount). They were not even willing to negotiate. Its an absolute disgrace that the bank is willing to lose me as a customer and the 100s of thousands of dollars in interest my loan would make the bank over full loan term for the sake of .2% interest rate more. I will never ever again use commonwealth for loans, and will be advising others around me of my experience.

Reviews with attachments

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honey.is.nonbinary
honey.is.nonbinary
  Verified Online

Not transgender friendly , or teretz syndrome friendly, said i would get a warrning , and didnt give it and still they terminated my banking with them , inc power of attorney abilitys

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Kris M.
Kris M.2 posts
  Online

[Content Removed] service Tried 3 days in a row but everytime it takes over 1 hr and no guy picking up the call. Just tired of this [Content Removed] Bank with [Content Removed] attitude . Their CEO braggs all [Content Removed] Show details

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Kree
KreeQLD7 posts
  Online

I am extremely disappointed and honestly shocked by how I was treated. On 18 February 2026, I received an email informing me that all my bank accounts were being closed due to a “commercial decision” and that no reason would be provided. I was immediately locked out of my accounts and unable to access my own money. No notice. No warning. No… Read more

explanation.

I could not log in. I could not transfer funds. I could not use money that legally belongs to me. This created immediate financial hardship and significant stress.

The email stated that a cheque would be sent for the remaining balance, but it did not explain clearly whether I could withdraw funds at a branch or how long I would be left without access to my own money.

When I called for clarification, the first staff member transferred me and the line disconnected due to “outside business hours.” The next morning, I called again at 9:45am. The male staff member who answered did not introduce himself and spoke to me in a dismissive, condescending tone.

When I explained that I had been locked out of my accounts and could not access my funds, he repeatedly asked, “So how can I help?” as though the situation was somehow my fault. He then told me that account closure and accessing funds were “different issues.”

He eventually said I could go into a branch to withdraw my money but wasn’t even sure what the withdrawal limit would be. This completely contradicted the email, which said a cheque would be sent. When I pointed this out, he responded, “That’s why you’re calling now.”

The most disturbing comment was when he said, “We do this 100 a day and unfortunately you’re one of those.” That statement was deeply offensive and made me feel as though I was being treated like a criminal.

All funds in my accounts are from legitimate wages and transfers from my partner. I have no debts, no suspicious activity, nothing improper.

If the bank chooses not to continue a relationship with me, that is their decision. But locking customers out without clear communication, causing financial hardship, and treating them with disrespect is unacceptable.

Customers deserve transparency, dignity, and basic professionalism.

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John
JohnVIC3 posts
  Verified Commonwealth Bank

As a CommBank Yello Plus customer in Melbourne (benefits extended to June 2026), I was excited about the exclusive Amber Electric offer: up to $150 welcome credit over 12 months for Plus tier (promoted heavily on commbank.com.au and amber.com.au/cba-yello, valid until 30 June 2026). Despite meeting all criteria (15+ outbound transactions, $500+… Read more

eligible balance for 15 days), the Amber offer simply never showed up in the "Offers" section of the CBA Yello hub. The app showed "No new offers yet. Check back later" for weeks, even after my transactions and balance updated (finally showing 15/15 after a delay). Steps I took:

Reinstalled the app (as advised by 132221 support on Feb 10). Called CommBank twice on Feb 10: Both times told "nothing wrong on your end" – just wait or reinstall (no fix). Submitted a formal complaint (CF-15151868681C) on Feb 12 via the app. Received confirmation it's under review, with a manager to be assigned in 2-3 working days (up to 7 in busy periods). As of mid-Feb 2026, it's still open with no updates, no assignment visible, and no resolution. Meanwhile, other offers appeared (e.g., Uber One, Origin Energy specials, travel credits), but Amber remained missing despite the partnership being active and promoted.

This has wasted significant time and prevented me from claiming a meaningful energy discount for my solar + battery setup. The "data may take up to 48 hours to update" excuse doesn't hold when delays stretch weeks, support provides no real troubleshooting/escalation, and the complaint process feels unresponsive. CommBank Yello promises "exclusive benefits" and "personalised offers," but in practice, it's unreliable and frustrating. If key partner offers like Amber don't appear for eligible customers, what's the point? Poor execution all around – avoid relying on Yello for anything important.

John
John   

This morning (February 19, 2026), the Amber offer finally appeared in my CommBank Yello 'Offers' section .

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DV C.
DV C.
  Verified Online

I have been with Commonwealth for 8 years and I have decided to never bank with them again. I sold my car and as soon as I receive the fund from my buyer and my buyer took my car with him, Commonwealth decided to freeze my account ($0 shown on my account as my fund got frozen) with their reason being the fund is investigated for scam related fund… Read more

or ilegally obtained fund. How am I as a normal civillian able to run a credit check on my buyer and know exactly where his money is coming from? And then they also told me I am also getting investigated for scam or fraud. I got an email saying my fund maybe seized if its a scam related fund. So I am will be left with no car and no money. How is this not a criminal act from a bank? They told me they will need 3 days and my account will stay frozen. Am I supposed to just live in the streets cause I will not be able to pay my rent and food because Commonwealth decided to investigate matters beyond my control? They expect me to force my buyer to contact their bank, but their bank (St George) can only say that the funds are already with Commonwealth and its a Commonwealth issue as the fund is already out of my buyer’s account.

As a Commonwealth customer, I realized that commonwealth will not protect you as their only customer.

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Natalie
Natalie
  Commonwealth Bank

I signed up for a 5 month net bank saver high interest account. Be warned after 1 month they will change the variable component, even though their conditions online say it won't change until after the introductory period of 5 months. And then to add further insult, they don't then give you the new *introductory rate* available online, they will… Read more

put you on much less. An internal review from the manager, who is condescending AF, will give you no results. Escalating to the Complaints Team also gives no results. Oh by the way no email about the change of rate You have to dig into your account information and it's hidden away (takes about 5 clicks to find the info). Unethical conduct, no customer service and no concept of customer retention. Note the sentence attached, sentence 3, *At the end of the introductory rate period the Net bank Saver standard variable rate applicable at that time will apply*, is false. They will adjust it as soon as they feel like it. To give you all a further update, yesterday I went to close my account. I arrived into the digital queue at 12:36pm and was 8th in queue. By 1:22pm we had a message to say we were near the front of the queue and to return to the branch. We walked back to the branch arriving at 1:27pm. By 2pm, we still had not been served. Finally we were called 45 minutes later. I was rude, frustrated, and the staff member serving me, whilst trying to remain professional could see I was clearly upset, and basically told me she was refusing me service. I explained to her I had the flu, and had wasted almost three hours by now at the bank and should be home. She still refused to serve me for my 'attitude'. I wonder how she would feel if the bank changed her interest rate and made her lose over $4k in 4 months without telling her? I heard an elderly man in the next office, also getting irate and was sadly asked to leave. The bank and staff have no conflict resolution skills, other than asking you to leave. I had to back down and 'apologise' so I could move MY money and I didn't swear or call her names, I simply told her how disgusted I was in the bank and how unethical it was. She threatened to make me come back tomorrow and wait again (wow!) finally she agreed to close the account. It then was sent to another staff member to come and verify. I asked about the waivering of the $30 tfr fee for all the hassles, delay and misleading information, and was told, that she would lose her job to waiver the fee. I enquired with the 2IC who came into the review my transaction, but lucky [Name Removed] (the oh so savvy bank manager had told her he had already denied me this request, way to go [Name Removed], for one of your highest saving branch customers, aren't you just a gem saving your branch $30 whilst losing my money, and also nowhere to be seen helping your staff, or trying to salvage your customers walking out the door, you hid in your office all day). In summary it took 4 staff, and almost 3 hours to close the account. i exited the CBA Orion branch at 3:26pm, sick, tired and disgusted with their threats (to make me come back another day!)The saddest part, not one person said 'how can we fix this'? To add insult, an email 'summary' came through from Primus at the Customer Complaints Team. He refused to even put me on the current Net Saver Introductory Rate of 4.45% because that was for 'privileged new customers'. Let me warn everyone stay away from CBA. After 1 month you will no longer receive the rate guaranteed, or be a new or 'privileged' customer. When I asked Primus how he would remedy this situation to retain my business, he simply said my case was closed. No attempt to keep me as a customer. Today, the most satisfying part of my day, was transferring all my funds to St George, who not only offer a better rate than CBA, but exceptional customer service at their Orion Branch . Do yourself a favour and take your hard earned money elsewhere. CBA, and & CBA Orion do not appreciate your custom. No wonder people are getting asked to leave the bank, when you treat them so poorly.

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Becks
BecksQLD5 posts
  Online

If there was a negative star review, it would be most certainly be -5 STARS Review of Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) – A Caution for Small to Medium Businesses Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) promotes its CAN campaign to attract small and medium-sized business clients. However, in practice, it appears that CBA has become increasingly… Read more

disconnected from the needs of these businesses.

One major concern is their practice of holding payments for up to 24 hours. During this time, CBA reportedly leverages these funds on foreign exchange markets, effectively "gambling" with client money while payees wait unnecessarily. To put this in perspective, imagine CBA holding transfers amounting to hundreds of millions for a full day— the interest alone on such sums could surpass what many individuals earn in a lifetime. This practice raises significant concerns about the prioritization of customer service versus bank profit.

Moreover, despite their substantial profits, CBA’s online banking platform and website experience frequent outages, causing frustration and disruption for users.

For small to medium businesses seeking reliable banking services, I recommend considering alternatives such as St George Bank (an affiliate of Westpac). Their service is more consistent, online banking is dependable, and you can speak to real customer service representatives rather than dealing with automated systems like CBA’s AI assistant, Ceba, which many find lacking.

In conclusion, while CBA remains a dominant and wealthy institution, their service model for small to medium businesses leaves much to be desired. I urge business owners to carefully consider their options — sometimes even small actions, like switching banks, can send a strong message.

Caveat Emptor.

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JSTE
JSTEVIC79 posts
  Online

I had so much trouble ordering a $26 meal from Menulog tonight. I’ve been ordering with Menulog for years. The bank has put a protection of scammers alert on Menulog making it impossible to order a simple meal from your credit card. I kept trying and trying to eventually locked out of my own credit card. Thanks to this bank no food for me tonight.… Read more

37 years of loyalty this is how they treat you. I made calls of 2 hours on the phone and struck some workers who I refer to as idi*ts. Waste of my time.

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Jeannette d
Jeannette d37 posts
  Branches

The staff are great, however the Commonwealth Bank is useless, stand in line to see a teller for 35 minutes is ridiculous,whoever thought up how you set up a branch needs their head read, Tellers constantly have to leave their station to talk to sidelines staff and clients. You make billions hire some staff and streamline customer relationships Show details

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Just A.
Just A.
  Online

I’m sick and tired of your maintenance. No one should ever be stuck gaining access to their money. This is [Content Removed]. I lost $210 this morning as I couldn’t get to work! Who is reimbursing my loss? I’ll be contacting long legal services. This happens too often. Emergencies happen to people too bad a person may have to die because no one… Read more

can gain their funds if this don’t stop we will start petitioning. Now I best be reimbursed for my loss. This is disgusting

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Alan W.
Alan W.VIC23 posts
  Online

What can I say. Nothing positive. They go from bad to worse. After 18 years of rubbish from this bank which is a laughable word for what they are. We are moving to a new banking institution who have dine everything we asked for within a week we as Cba could do at all. Honestly what an absolute waste of time they are. CAN what a load of rubbish. I cant speak any more lower of them with out being rude. Show details

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Ave M.
Ave M.NSW25 posts
  Online

CBA is locking customers out of online banking. It was never a requirement to have a smart phone to access your bank account online. You either had a security token or sms net code. With SMS code you only had to get a code for adding or making a payment to a new payee. It all has changed overnight. Now every time you try to logon to CBA online you… Read more

get a rude message to authorise the logon via the CBA smart app. Several minutes later after locating the phone, unlocking, entering the CBA smart appp pass code and several steps to find the authorisation notification, and several follow up confirmation steps you are now allowed to do your online banking. What evil spirits have possesed CBA to implement this by brute force. Are you out of your freaking minds? We already have multi factor authentication in place. Stop using MFA to excuse what is a blatant attempt to force everyone onto smart phones and the CBA app. This is a very bad decision that is only going to frustrate & allienate most of your customers.

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Manojkumar
ManojkumarWA4 posts
  Online

Couldn't rate 0 hence rated 1-star Commonwealth travel service named as Hopper using car reservation 191431407373654. I booked a sedan vehicle for after hour pick up. At the time of booking $50 (after hr pick-up non refundable) additional charge and $3000 bond (refundable) were not listed which wad made aware at the time of signingthe rental… Read more

agreement. In addition, I booked for Corrola sedan however received hatchback which can hardly fit family of 4 luggage in a boot. 2x kids had to put the back-pack on their lap however hatchback plastic cover had to be placed on their feet to allow space in a boot. Hopper representative considers hatchback equivalent to sedan even though I raised concerns 1 day prior to my travel to NZ (at the time of signinga rentalagreement). Hopper representative, named Celest, advised me to cancel my booking and rebook for big size vehicle for greater than 5 times of initial booking amount without providingcompensation. Definitely not recommended to go through car booking using CBA service for hopper as I had suffered a lot during my entire stay and want others not to go through this situation again.

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Andrew Black
Andrew BlackVIC10 posts
  Commonwealth Bank

Each time i need to phone CBA i am placed on a good 15/20 minute hold and this adds up very fast when you've spoken to 2/3 different departments because they keep transferring you to the wrong area. 1 hour so far being on hold and and the chat messaging team are unable to help, they say please call the telephone team and that they're speaking… Read more

with the team in regards to the lengthy wait time i've been waiting for.

The reason for this phone call is because a merchant provided me with a refund then CBA went in and reversed it so now i'm out of pocket and they are making it VERY difficult to get some help to reverse what they've incorrectly done.

After the last few times calling and waiting for hours on hold I am considering changing banks.

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solfan
solfan68 posts
  Online

I called the 132221 to check out a travel insurance query, after going through their automated self select menu 3times, after a period of time I spoke to a human.Having explained the query I was transferred to the “right department “. Further time elapsed, and another human returned to consciousness and couldn’t help with the question, but… Read more

directed my call to a specialist when the time reached 48mins I truly believed as it was a dull cold wet day they had all returned to their natural state of hibernation. Undeterred I then called 1800805705 to lodge a complaint, after listening to the nauseating patronising message about how important customers are, my call disturbed yet another human from hibernation. After I explained the query, ( following a third round of interrogation as who who I am, bank details, post code, and why do I think I have the right to call them) the conversation was interjected by several minutes whilst the discombobulated human, clearly troubled by being woken from her hibernation, sort guidance.

Eventually the solution, the human proudly made a groundbreaking announcement, I would have to call the underwriter direct.

When I asked when I could expect a response to the complaint regarding the FORTY EIGHT minutes I had been on the ‘phone, prior to the FIFTEEN MINUTES from the current call, the human, now fully recovered from her hibernation, proudly responded I had been provided with the information for me to resolve the query, call the underwriter direct, as for the 48min wait being passed around the cave from from one human to another, well Conbank ( their new corporate name that reflects their service and attitude to customers) don’t respond to complaints about long wait times and humans seeing how many times they can transfer a call before the customer hangs up.

As for me, I have been a reluctant customer of Conbank for 25 years, no longer, I am closing my 5 accounts and moving to a bank that shows some respect from the hand that feeds them TODAY.

Latest follow-ups

Doug k
Doug k3 posts
  Branches

I went to CBA Caloundra today for advise on opening an account with specific criteria. Well got the best customer service I’ve had from any company in many years, absolutely fabulous experience ,the lady that helped me was Rachel

 Follow-up  · As a new customer I could not ask for better service from CBA Caloundra

Natsully
NatsullyQLD24 posts
  Online

PayID is a joke – PayID delayed for unknown reasons and then no one is available by phone because it's a STATE public holiday, not a NATIONAL public holiday. What a joke! Surely you can have some of your offshore service team or other-state service team answer the phone when you need help? Now I'm out hundreds of dollars and can't confirm my flight booking. Show details

 Follow-up  · To answer your questions: Did the payment arrive? - No, I had to pay by credit card and cancel the PayId and then wait for teh money to be returned How was the flight? - The flight was fine Was the issue resolved? - Nope. I got no service or support

Martin
MartinVIC52 posts
  Commonwealth Bank

Deceased service – Other banks make dealing with a deceased estate much less painful. Not the Commonwealth! Apparently they have heard about this Internet thingy and email, but they haven't yet worked out how to use it. Their website says.... "When someone passes… Read more

away, there are countless things to be done and tough decisions to make – all of which can feel overwhelming and confusing.

We can help you with banking arrangements by explaining what’s required and supporting you through each stage, from completing paperwork and stopping account activity, to handling the release of money from the estate"

But then they go out of their way to add to the stress by insisting you have to go to a branch (not the local one; they closed that years ago) or you can post documents by snail mail. (I wonder if carrier pidgeon is also accepted)

Don't wait till a loved one passes, switch them to another bank (Westpac was much easier and very helpful)

 Follow-up  · 1. Phone support is practically none existent. You can call them, but they don't help. It's always "You need to go to a branch......if you can find one!" or "send it by snail-mail" 2. Their alternative solutions are just more antiquated and cumbersome processes. You can send documents to a dedicated email address, but they sometimes just ignore them for no reason. 3. CBA don't allow online access to deceased estate accounts.

Martin
Martin   

Update: Went to a branch with the Grant of Probate and all other required documents. Unlike other… Read more (+3 replies)

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Positive reviews

Panagiotis K.
Panagiotis K.
  Branches

I've been a customer of commonwealth bank for years and I'm always impressed with the service as soon as walk through the door unlike some of the other banks out there. I truly hope you keep up that good service

Deb H
Deb HNSW
  Branches

Thank you so much to Ashleigh Taylor from Erina Fair branch, not only your efficiency, but also your genuine care, in assisting my 85year old mother during her cancer journey.

John O.
John O.
  Branches

Dear Commonwealth Bank, I wish to formally acknowledge and commend two outstanding employees from the Dandenong Plaza branch in Victoria, namely Joel Botros and his Manager Goran Stojkovski, for their exceptional customer service and professionalism. In my view, both gentlemen went above and beyond their duties to assist my partner and myself… Read more

during what had become a stressful and frustrating banking issue. If Commonwealth Bank has a reward and recognition program for employees who truly represent the values of excellent customer care, then I strongly believe Joel and Goran are deserving candidates.

From the moment upon arrival we were invited into Joel’s office, we were met with professionalism, courtesy, and excellent manners. Joel’s presentation and respectful approach immediately impacted my impression of his abilities, giving us confidence. As self-funded retirees, we were attempting to establish a secure transfer pathway between Commonwealth Bank and Bankwest due to a more favourable interest rate being offered elsewhere. Unfortunately, we had experienced ongoing transfer issues for over a week.

Joel took the time to understand our concerns, politely discussing the options available and even exploring whether CBA could match the rate we had been offered. Although this was not possible, Joel listened carefully to our predicament regarding a substantial transfer and our concern about losing interest while funds remained in transit.

Importantly, Joel sought guidance from his manager, Goran, who personally came to speak with us. Goran listened attentively, understood our frustrations, and worked with Joel to implement a practical solution that addressed our concerns immediately. The transfer was actioned there and then, providing us with reassurance and confidence.

Later that evening, the funds were received successfully, and Goran even arranged to follow up with me the next day to ensure everything had gone smoothly. That level of service is exceptional and increasingly rare.

CBA should be proud of these two staff members. Their calm, level-headed, and common-sense approach turned around what had been a stressful and disappointing experience. They demonstrated genuine care, professionalism, and a sincere commitment to customer satisfaction.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Goran and Joel. You were both amazing and resolved issues that had caused us considerable frustration. I sincerely hope your efforts are recognised in some meaningful way by Commonwealth Bank.

Kind regards,

John Orchard and Jillian Summerfield.

Negative reviews

speak up
speak upVIC6 posts
  Branches

My family recently experienced the loss of our father, and dealing with his banking arrangements should not have added to our distress. We attended the Commonwealth Bank branch in Cranbourne seeking assistance with accessing information and funds needed to help cover funeral expenses. Instead of receiving clear guidance and compassionate support,… Read more

we were given conflicting information, faced unexpected delays, and were told there would be significant fees associated with closing accounts. This was both frustrating and upsetting during an already painful time.

The day we buried our father, we were still struggling to resolve issues relating to his accounts. Rather than making the process easier for a grieving family, the experience left us feeling stressed, confused, and unsupported.

What disappointed us most was the lack of empathy shown throughout the process. When families are dealing with the death of a loved one, they need clear communication, accurate information, and compassion. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.

I would not recommend this branch based on how our family was treated during one of the most difficult periods of our lives. Commonwealth Bank should review its procedures and ensure staff are properly trained to support bereaved families with professionalism, accuracy, and respect.

Sa Carda
Sa Carda6 posts
  Online

At the beginning of the year I could click on statements and download a csv file format. Now that has gone. Just a pic of the statement is available. But the new feature in the app of little company logos appeared. Remove the helpful and replace with useless. Not sure if all banks have done this, but Which Bank? Show details

Richard
RichardWA6 posts
  Branches

What an absolute disgrace of a bank, I tried to deposit cash into my daughter's bank account & they said I couldn't do it because I was not their customer. & That wS after waiting 45 mins in a line while they had only 1 teller open! These scum banks are a disgrace not to mention corrupt Show details

Recent reviews

kaalaiyanv89
kaalaiyanv89NSW2 posts
  Online

Worst bank ever, Applied for a personal loan to payback my notated lease. Applied for 35,000 loan on 2 year term. They conditionally approved and rejected it afterwards. Encourgared to apply for alternate loan amount of 30k instead with guarantee of loan approval. Again rejected without providing valid reason. Despite being High income earner. … Read more

Doing hard checks twice on my credit impacted my score badly. Dropping me from excellent to good. Really disappointed with cheating tactics by the bank. Now I can't refinance my home loan easily. If they know you dont have home loan with them, they do silly things. So immature. I will just extend my notated lease, as I can't risk applying loan from another bank. Being a Comm bank customer for 11 years, they don't give a sh** about their long term customers. Time to move to another bank

Casey M.
Casey M.NSW19 posts
  Branches

My family have had major issues the Commonwealth Bank with their accounts being scammed, ordering new cards & the bank you can't trust taking no responsibility for lost funds.

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