Akbank Miscalculated My Cashback and Made Customer Service Impossible to Reach
Working with Akbank has become incredibly frustrating. The main—perhaps the only—reason I continue banking with Akbank is the special campaigns they offer me. However, I encounter issues with almost all of them, and unfortunately, reaching a representative to resolve these problems takes minutes, sometimes even hours. Recently, I was enrolled in a campaign called “Exclusive for Gaming Enthusiasts.” According to this campaign, I should receive a cashback of 50% on my gaming platform purchases, up to a maximum refund of ₺500. I’ve been using this campaign for a few months now, but nearly every month, the cashback amount I receive is incorrect. Last month was no exception. For my gaming platform purchases made in January 2025, I should have received a 50% refund. However, at first, I received no cashback at all. I tried reaching customer service through the mobile app multiple times, but despite several attempts, I was unable to get through. I then called the bank, but navigating through the phone menu to reach the correct department was a nightmare. When I finally managed to connect with an operator, they couldn’t assist me and simply recorded my complaint. Later that day, a refund was credited to my card, but the amount had no correlation with my actual spending. Even the SMS notification I received was incorrect—it mentioned something about Chip Para, which was completely irrelevant. I manually calculated my January 2025 gaming platform purchases, divided the amounts, tried different combinations, but I still couldn’t match the figure the bank refunded me. Now, I hesitate to even request a review, as I dread having to call the bank again, waiting endlessly on the phone, only to speak with someone who doesn’t understand the issue. Communicating with a bank shouldn’t be this difficult. For days, I’ve been trying to connect to customer service through the app at various times, yet I never get through. Even if I assume there’s a queue during peak hours, I’ve tried at completely random hours—practically 24/7—but it seems like there’s an invisible queue that never moves. I am absolutely certain that this issue will not be resolved, but at this point, I believe this is the best way to get Akbank’s attention. I am extremely frustrated with this process and urgently request an explanation and a correction.
I just received an email from Akbank regarding the issue. I had already mentioned it in my complaint. Nothing different happened. Akbank copied the campaign explanation from their website and sent it to me via email. They said your fee will be deposited in February. So, they didn't even read my complaint. Am I surprised? Of course not. I just wanted to try my luck.
There has been another development. I'll share it here since I won't get anything out of it. Regarding my most recent request about the non-loading of my campaign refund, the bank determined that I did not meet the campaign conditions. It took them quite a long time to get back to me. If such a result were true, it would be immediately apparent and they would respond quickly, I think. The funny part is, the campaign was active when I made the expenditure, but by the time the refund was to be made, the campaign was removed and the amount that was supposed to be paid to me was canceled. This is a very strange situation because as a result of such a practice, we should not trust any campaign. For a campaign that requires higher spending, how can we make expenditures trusting the bank? The bank can cancel the campaign whenever it wants, rendering the money you spent worthless and not making the refund. This is entirely left to chance and the mercy of the bank. It's really like a joke.
