Absa ***** and ActionLine Couldn't Care Less When Your Money Is ******

Absa ***** has been giving me the run around from 22 September, pawing me off from one person to the next, without getting back to me or informing me of the status of my ***** case.

On 22/9 three amounts of R3572 were deducted by Google Ads Sao Paulo at approximately 20h30. I phone the ***** line and speak to Sylvester who stops the card and issues a new card. He issues reference no **********8.

On 23/9 I get an SMS from Absa stating "Dear M Penwarden, we detected a suspicious transaction on your Absa card ending in 1023 on 23/9/22 at 05h16 at DL* Google Ads 526 for R3587.26." I phone before 06h00, telling the agent the same vendor had deducted more money from a card that isn't mine. He tells me it is the new card that had been issued at 21h00 the previous night. The card's not activated, right? How does that happen? The money still goes off and clears from my account on 26 September, the Monday, as R3600,35. That's not the same amount because of currency fluctuation between the Friday the transaction was made and the Monday it cleared. The agent stops the card ending in 1023 and issues a new one. He gives me reference no **********5 and another number: AVPP120126.

On 27/9, the deductions for ref **********8 are refunded (R10761). I get an email from Brigid Motuba to say she is the investigator and that case ASZA-2**********4 is now closed. So, now I am still waiting for ref **********5 to be resolved. That's the money that went off on 23/9 and cleared on 26/9.

I follow up on 30/9. The agent tells me it can take up to 15 working days. No problem. I wait.

I follow up on 18/10, after the 15 days had passed. The agent tells me she can't see what is going on but will escalate the issue and a manager will phone me. I am still waiting.

I phone on 19/10, and Piitsetso tells me the case is closed for the three Google transactions. I tell her, yes, but I am waiting for the refund for the fourth transaction and that the three transactions were for case ASZA-2**********4 (ref **********8) and I am calling about Ref **********5/AVPP120126. She will escalate the issue and someone will phone me. Still waiting.

I phone on 21/10/22 and speak to Bonisiwe Ndlovu. We go through my statement together. She admits that she sees the disputed amount sitting on my account and that it is a different case/date/amount from the "three Google transactions" for which the first case was closed. She tries to phone the investigator, Brigid, who worked with the first case, but she is not available. Brigid will get back to me. Yeah, right.

On 25/10 UberEats deducts two amounts of R349,99 and R155,90 from Johannesburg and Parktown North outlets from my cheque account -- a debit account that I have never used for online shopping. I have only ever used a credit card. It is suspect that UberEats is one of only four vendors to which I uploaded my new, third, credit card. I have reason to believe that this ***** is perpetrated from inside Absa, as first money is deducted from a newly issued, non-active card and then suddenly from an account that has never been used online, that has no online footprint. Someone has access to my online profile.

So, I report this ***** too. I speak to Thandeka at 18h00 and she stops the card and gives me reference number **********7. This case has also still not been resolved.

On Thursday, 27/10, I go to the Brackenfell branch of the bank and ask to see a consultant because nobody in your ***** department seems to want to solve the problem and my online profile is being compromised. The consultant tells me, sorry, we can't do anything for you. We do only new business. Go and sit in line and get your new card and then lay a complaint on the ActionLine against the Absa ***** department. I think to myself that you might only do new business but you are sure as hell chasing old business away. I have banked with Absa for 27 years. So, I lay a complaint on 28/10 against Absa *****.

I speak to Tumiso who tells me that this mess has been going on for more than a month, which is too long, and that ActionLine complaints are resolved within 3-5 working days.

It is now 7 working days and I am still waiting. I have spent hours sitting in lines to get new cards. I have spent about R500 calling after you to follow up. What more do you want me to do? I want my money back. It is no fault of mine that money was deducted from a card that had just been issued and now you seemingly can't figure out how that happened. But it did. The deduction sits on my account. I am paying financing costs because you don't want to fix this mess. Please go and listen to all the recordings and sort this mess out. You are really doing your worst -- and at the same time your best to chase away a loyal client.