ABSA Bank *****

I have been interested to see and hear all the hype in the media over the past few days and weeks about ABSA’s new re-branding of itself and the launch of a new ABSA which, we are promised, will be something to be proud of. I am in no doubt that vast amounts of money has been spent in creating the new logo and marketing campaign.

I also received an email yesterday, telling me that it is -

A New Dawn, A New ABSA and a New Era in Banking as well as the new logo that reflects “ABSA’s commitment to you, our customers.”

Well, my recent experience with ABSA has been the polar opposite of everything that has been claimed above. I challenge the management of ABSA to deny that the utter disregard, disrespect and lack of professionalism in dealing with my ***** case is a one off, unusual occurrence. I have read numerous letters of complaint, and articles on the Internet where other ABSA customers have been on the receiving end of similar treatment from ABSA. It is very clear that ABSA actually does NOT care about their customers, and that there is no commitment whatsoever in looking after their customers – possibly because they have so many, and that losing some due to this disgraceful treatment has no importance for them. A very poor start I would say to this new dawn, new ABSA and new Era that ABSA is shouting from the rooftops!

Unfortunately, it seems that all the money spents on the new image will come to naught, as the people at ABSA simply dish up more of the same disrespect, non existent service, and lack of excellence.

I had funds ****** from two of my ABSA bank accounts, after being forced by ABSA to install their new ABSA banking App on my cellphone. I was assured by the ABSA lady who installed the App for me that my money was now safe, as the App ensured that my accounts “could not be hacked”. Examining the chain of events that unfolded on the day in question, I have a strong suspicion that my accounts were accessed by hacking into my cellphone App.

I reported the theft mere hours after it occurred, and followed to the letter the instructions given to me by the ABSA ***** Hotline, which included reporting the theft to the local SAPS, who I might add were most perplexed at being asked to open a case of theft when I could not provide an address where the theft occurred! (Cyberspace?!)

Since that day, three long months ago, and after numerous emails, phone calls, personal visits to my local ABSA branch etc. I still do not know what the outcome of ABSA’s “investigation” is and have received no refund of the ****** funds.

I have tried telephoning various ABSA “help” numbers, and have been shunted from pillar to post – with no-one at ABSA committing themselves to assisting, following up and actually getting a result. The weeks and months go by with hardly any communication from ABSA at all – and what little there has been has been vague and of no substance whatsoever. I have read on various different online platforms (Ask Peter, Google, Facebook etc) that mine is one of thousands of ***** cases that have occurred with ABSA clients and that in most cases, ABSA has simply refused to take responsibility and has simply ignored the situation – possibly hoping it would disappear! I have a suspicion that the claims are so numerous that it would cost ABSA a small fortune to pay them out. Perhaps many of the ***** cases are inside jobs? How is it possible that SO many clients have had their accounts raided?

I can honestly say that I have NEVER received such shocking service from any company – anywhere, and ABSA just doesn’t seem to care about their disgraceful reputation.

Where is the Respect/Integrity/Service/Excellence and Stewardship that ABSA refers to in the slogan attached to the signature of one of their Specialist ***** Prevention and Defence Execution Department’s personnel? These are clearly just words that no-one at ABSA pays lip service to! What a sad reflection on a bank that is, at this very moment, professing to taking “Another step towards becoming a banking group that Africa can be proud of”. I think NOT.