Unicredit Bank in Ukraine - Please get things sorted out.

I recently changed banks. But I have lived in Kyiv long enough to know that before making the change I would do plenty of homework. I did the usual of checking with my friends and those who had close contact with the new bank. Questions like: Which is the best branch to open an account? How many staff can speak in English if required? Do they have good on-line and internet banking systems? and many other questions.

So, Unicredit Bank was selected and I quickly opened various accounts with them. I was impressed by how far things have changed inside and in dealing with staff in banks that operate in Ukraine. 

Unicredit group have obviously done a great job in training people in customer care. I was impressed with how they took care of me as a new customer. My new bank cards were issued within a few days and I was supplied with various passwords and codes for internet banking and other activities. Great.

A few days later I decided to activate my internet banking account and went to the Unicredit Bank web site.

Not having the bank as a bookmark on my browser I googled the word 'unicreditbank'

(Try it if you are using Google Ukraine or 'unicreditbank in ukraine' if outside).

It will come up as the first hit.  http://en.unicredit.com.ua/

So, I will now activate my internet account using the passwords etc. After several attempts I assume I must be stupid and not doing it correctly. I eventually give in and call the customer service help line. The operator tells me that I must first go to an ATM and obtain my special codes. No, I inform her that I already have them from the bank. She tells me this is impossible and I should go back to the bank.

I call my contact person at the bank and she tells me that all is OK...just try again. So I try again many times with out success. I call the on-line call centre for help. When the operator asks for my card number, she politely tells me I'm calling the WRONG bank. She claims...''this is Ukrsotsbank' you need to call Unicredit Bank.  I protest. ''But I'm in your web site now.....its says 'Unicredit Bank' on the web site, how can it be wrong?''. She explains that I need to insert the word 'bank' into the URL. This I do and now discover a new web site: http://en.unicreditbank.com.ua/

Ah....so this is MY Unicredit Bank. How can this be? Surely most people make the same mistake?

Later my contact at the bank tells me ''Sorry, most of our customers have the same problem''.

WHAT?

So WHEN will this misunderstanding be corrected.?

Because I have lived here for some time I'm already aware of the long standing intention to merge Ukrsotsbank within the rest of Unicredit group but it is obvious they are taking a VERY long time to bring this about.

So...be careful. You might think you are dealing with Unicredit Bank but really talking to Ukrsots Bank.

What is this doing to damage the brand and image of Unicredit Bank in Ukraine?