First Active is in at least one reader's bad books for poor customer service practices. The company, which floated last year, sent letters to some shareholders in late October regarding annual loyalty bonuses.

A reader Ms L from Cork says of this correspondence: "I was informed that enclosed was a share certificate/statement of shareholding as appropriate in respect of your first loyalty bonus. As there was nothing enclosed in relation to the loyalty bonus to which the letter referred", she called First Active.

The bank informed her that she was not entitled to a bonus although she was sent the letter. After a conversation with the head of operations clarifying this position, Ms L wrote to First Active pointing out that they had "a large number" of people in the same position.

"We were to understand, therefore, that a lot of people got the exact same letter as we had done telling them about loyalty shares but never in fact informing them that they were not receiving loyalty shares," she wrote.

First Active said customers were ineligible for shares because they did not return forms as requested in a 1998 letter by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29th, 1998.

Ms L points out that it was impossible for her to return the letter by the proposed deadline as she did not receive it until after the deadline as she was in the US and it was forwarded from Cork. She believes many other people are in the same position since First Active gave "a ridiculously short time frame" for the return of the forms.

First Active has accepted that a number of shareholders who did not qualify for bonus shares received letters advising them that they did. This was due to an administrative error, the bank said.