What’s the worst anti pattern you have seen?

LinkedIn post below but wanted to hear your experiences with anti patterns. If you don’t want to visit LI the text was this.

What is the definition of an anti pattern? I think I’ve just found it.

My wife is locked out of her financial app. App advises go to the website to reset the password. Sounds reasonable.

Go to website and follow instructions to reset password. First step says you will need the app.

Just a big well done all around

So please share yours. Thanks

Ady Stokes on LinkedIn: What is the definition of an anti pattern? I think I’ve just found it…?

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I’m offshore a lot of the time, so no access to post at my home address for months at a time so I have loads of examples particularly from banks.

At one point one of my accounts was locked for 8 months and I have one currently locked.

Recent case is good example.

Adding a bank account online to receive a payment. Voice call OTP number, the system hangs up after about 3 seconds on non-uk numbers. After a couple of attempts it locks your account.

I called, explained and was first told to use the online system I was locked out of. Then told I could get an email, I double checked this asking very specifically if they were sure I could get an email and they confirmed.

No email, checked again, - they sent out a form to my home address as only way to reactivate account so locked out again until I got those details.

I complained about the call hangup, so they checked the recordings of my recent calls with them. They actually then called me to apologise and sent me a small cheque. This was a really good step and surprised me a bit, again the cheque went to my home address so it will sit there for another month or so.

The call hangup bug though was never addressed and I dare not test it again due to that lock account risk and my multiple months to get their letter.

Being abroad for more than a week or two seems a massive edge case for many banks at the moment, they blame governments rules.

Now they also advised me to install the app that will not install on non-uk phone numbers so round we went.

Now with the anti pattern, you can give them your address abroad but as soon as you do that you get locked out of many other options as most things must be on UK address. This option seems to be stepping stone to them closing accounts so one to be avoided.

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