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winstoncartersnr W

1 reviews | Active since Mar 2012

17 Feb 2020, 22:15

ABSA and private banking causing me to pay my bong off TWICE, 40YEAR BOND

In 2014 I asked my private banker Mrs Ruby Pienaar advise on purchase of a property regarding office space with colleagues of mine for a medical practice. I had asked her to help me get a bond in 2013 already which she told me what I required but in 2014 told me that their One Account would be ideal as most of her Dr clients have that. I the told her that I had a 4 year period left on my bond as she wanted to use this as equity for the financing as well as an investment property that I had for retirement purposes as I am self employed. She said that should not be a problem and that it would run over that 4 year period. I was very specific about that as I did not want to jeopardise my properties as my age and being a single parent , have been very good with my finances. I agreed to her suggestion based on the term being over a 4 year period only to find out later that this never happened. I was 6 months after signing the agreement that changed my 4 bond and my investment property into a 20 year term. I was only made aware of this after my accountant look through my account details which Mrs Ruby Pienaar never could as I requested meetings with her but never happened. On one occasion I told her that I had to sell my investment property to get cash flow, to which she hinted to buying for daughter. My finances were a mess and I maxed out credit cards and loans on policies to keep my business and finances a float. Mrs Pienaar never got back to me until I was assigned a new private banker, Mr ANDREW EGBERT, who was helpful but not getting me out of the mess. My cousin and a close friend gave me advice to write to ABSA complaints department and my cousin got Mrs Pienaar's attention eventually as she also works for ABSA. Mrs Pienaar then phoned me and asked if I'm taking ABSA on and I said yes. I asked her there and then why she didn't tell me that the term of the structured loan was over 20 years? her response which I so clearly remember was ''didn't the lawyers tell you?'' I said no and she said ok let set up a meeting, and am still waiting up to today to see Mrs Ruby Pienaar. Instead her white bosses came out Mr Paul Counihan, Mr Bruce Berruti and Mr Andrew Egbert. Mr Berruti who was not even prepared indirectly accused me of lying when I told him that I had sold my investment property and paid the monies into my structured loans, since he had no documents with him or Mr Egbert to see this. I told them that I had signed my agreement based on Mrs Pienaar advice and that we would keep the term to 4 years. They then tried telling me that if the term had been 4 years that I would have had a higher premium which I said yes I know that, and I would then have refused the product. I told them that I had been very careful with my account as I was a single parent and was already in my late 40s so there was no way for me to re-bond my properties, yes business but not my property. I asked where Mrs Pienaar was and at all the meetings we had it was either she was busy , to which she agreed or as Mr Counihan said, then it would be a matter of you say this and she says that. My new private banker advised me that the package is usually given to clients that have paid up properties to release money for further investments. I am totally disgusted by the service and still trying to pursue this further. How can I now sit with a property that I am paying of for a second time. All I did was to follow my bankers advice which turned out wrong and the white bosses at ABSA who could not bring Mrs Ruby Pienaar to any of the meetings, why I guess cause they wanted to protect their interest, and now I have to alone pay the penalty for listening to her.... Where is the ethics behind that. Also what banker would do that to her client, knowing very well that your client had 4 years left on a bond and you take that client back into a 20 year term. Also ABSA STATES that I got my statements every month, yes I did but it does not indicate the term on the statements. The bank also states that the account term was stated clearly, yes you could choose your own term, and I chose 4 years, so why was it extended to 20 years. I am 52 and have to start from scratch, I'm not stupid. This had a personal repercussion on my family life as well but the banks don't care, my daughter failed matric since she saw the stresses I was going through and stressed her out as well. Mrs Ruby Pienaar also did not payment history on the account which again would have indicated the term that would then have been stipulated, no monthly repayment schedule was given or accrued interest over the term. Mrs Ruby Pienaar, Mr Counihan and Mr Bruce Berruti have set me back and this is my bank, that is suppose to look after my finances by another 20 years. They have locked me in debt forever and I will have to wait for my children to try and help me out of this while I try and get help, but the banks know we as the public don't have money to take them to court cause they can drag this on forever. I need help against these heartless bankers.

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Replies (1)
Absa
Absa's reply18 Feb 2020, 15:43
Official
Dear Winston
 
Thank you for bringing this unfortunate matter/incident to my attention and please accept my sincere apology . I will review and provide you with my specific contact details as well as your unique complaint reference number, and an expected timeframe for further feedback/resolution via email or making contact with you telephonically within the next hour . 
 
 
Kind regards,
Rezona Louw 
Group Customer Care