ABSA ***** + Viagogo site - BEWARE

<p>13/12/2016 – Bought Justin Bieber tickets on Viagogo site. Realised 30 minutes later that it is a ********** site and called Absa *****. – see email to disputes below for details. Screenshots of call log available.</p> <p>14/12/2016 – Spent hours in the bank. Stopping the Debit Card, issuing a new card.</p> <p>15/12/2016 - SMS on cellphone showing a cash withdrawal from my account to the amount of R3 516.00 in Geneva, Switzerland</p> <p>16/12/2016 12:09 AM – email To: Absa Card Disputes ********** <p>To Whom it may Concern</p> <p> 1) On the 13th of Dec 2016 I bought tickets for Justin Bieber’s concert in Cape Town in May 2017 on the VIAGOGO website.</p> <p>2) After doing some research I discovered that there are various dissatisfied customers and decided to call ABSA ***** hotline to cancel the mentioned transaction. This was done 30min after I did the transaction.</p> <p>3) After being told by ABSA ***** that I must call the Card Division, which told me they cannot cancel the transaction, calling the ***** Division again, and speaking to various agents at ABSA, I went to the ABSA Branch in Musgrave, Durban the following morning (14th Dec 2016).</p> <p>4) Here Me Lynette Butler (Branch Manager) and Me Shohana Singh helped me and after checking that the transaction has not yet been processed, removed the transaction from the uncleared transaction list. They also gave me a statement and printout showing that the money was not yet deducted from my account and for that reason they could remove/stop the transaction.</p> <p>5) As an added precaution I asked them to cancel my existing Debit Card and issue me with a new one. After this I felt that we have done everything to stop this transaction from going through.</p> <p>6) On the 15th Dec 2016 I received a SMS on my cellphone showing a cash withdrawal from my account to the amount of R3 516.00 in Geneva, Switzerland. I immediately called ABSA ***** Hotline and were told that I must go to an ABSA Branch to have the transaction reversed. After telling the agent that this is a ********** transaction, because the transaction went through on a card that has been blocked and cancelled, plus that the transaction was removed as well, I was again told that all that I must do is go to an ABSA branch and have the transaction reversed. I told him that the next day, the 16th Dec 2016 is a public holiday and again I was told that I must go to an ABSA branch on the following day, the 17th Dec 2016. It felt as if I was talking to an answering machine, telling me the same thing over and over again.</p> <p>7) That brought me to writing this e-mail.</p> <p>8) Please answer the following questions,</p> <p>a) What am I to do more than I have not already done about this issue?</p> <p>b) How can ABSA allow a transaction to go through on a cancelled/stopped card?</p> <p>c) What is the use for ABSA to have a ***** Hotline if they only redirect me to an ABSA Branch?</p> <p>d) On a previous occasion ABSA ***** called me regarding a suspect transaction and asked me whether I approve it or not, but this time, after me calling them numerous times before the transaction were processed, they were of no help whatsoever, why and how is this possible?</p> <p>e) I insist that the amount of R3 516.00 be paid back into my account, plus the R50.00 transaction fee asap, because as a customer of ABSA for 30 years to date I have done everything in my power to stop this transaction and were let down by ABSA Bank’s security.</p> <p> </p> <p>This reminds me of another complain I lodged telephonically, when I deposited R50 000.00 cash into my account inside the branch and were charged a R950.00 transaction fee. Again nobody advised me on the costs and have I not looked at my statement I would not have known this, plus your agent were supposed to come back to me regarding this and never did. I am still waiting on a reply from ABSA.</p> <p> </p> <p>Attached you will find screen shots from “www.sitejabber.com” regarding Viagogo.com’s ********** transactions. It does not say much about ABSA’s ***** Division or security to allow any transactions with Viagogo.com if the internet is flooded with complaints about Viagogo.</p> <p> </p> <p>Please reply as this matter is of great concern. Regards</p> <p> </p> <p>17/12/2016 – Went to Absa Tygervalley branch to report the matter again. Stood another hour in the bank.</p> <p> </p> <p>17/12/2016 2:05pm - FB Messenger</p> <p>We bought tickets from the Viagogo site, but realized it was a ********** site when the amount charged showed on sms notification. We immediately phoned the bank, got shunted around and after speaking to 11 different consultants at the ***** helpline and other divisions, we went to the bank and stopped the transaction and cancelled the card. Had to pay for a new card. Three days later the amount went through as a cash withdrawal from Switzerland. They did not have our account number, only the number on the card. How is it possible to do a cash withdrawal from a cancelled card? Who supp**** them with our account number? Why is Absa not protecting their clients of 30 years? It turns out after doing some digging that this Viagogo site has conned the British citizens alone out of 50 million pounds. Surely Absa should be aware since numerous customers have logged complaints. The Absa *****line was the joke of it all... They apparently only open ***** cases if I can prove that it was a ********** transaction. Despite all the explaining and evidence from websites, they still refuse to open a ***** case against Viagogo. They also sell tickets that clearly state that the tickets are not for resale, which is also **********. I demand that my monies be refunded plus the bank charges involved. This experience with Absa has left us with serious doubts about the ability of Absa to protect or assist their clients, or are all the competent staff members on leave?</p> <p> </p> <p>18/12/2016 11:59am - FB Messenger</p> <p>As per your Facebook request: ID + email + cel no’s</p> <p> </p> <p>Thank you. Kindly also forward a detailed email to ********** and a member our ***** department will be in touch regarding this matter.</p> <p>19/12/2016 2:55pm - FB Messenger</p> <p>Thank you so much</p> <p> </p> <p>19/12/2016 03:45 PM - To: ********** <p>Attached please find:</p> <p>- Proof from different websites that Viagogo is **********</p> <p>- Proof of cellphones calls made to Absa</p> <p>- Screenshots of the amounts being deducted from my account</p> <p>- Screenshot taken inside the bank in Durban showing that the amount was not yet cleared.</p> <p>- Post to Absa's FB page and Messenger replies</p> <p>- emails below to Absa Disputes</p> <p>- We were physically in the bank in Durban on the 14th Dec, and again in Cape Town for 3 hours on 17th Dec 2016.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Jan 1st, 1:26am - FB Messenger</p> <p>Still waiting</p> <p> </p> <p>8th, 1:58pm - FB Messenger</p> <p>How long do you intend to take before you respond?</p> <p> </p> <p>Hi there, we are terribly sorry for the delay with regards to your concern. We will conduct a follow up with our team about the incident that took place.</p> <p>Pleasseeee!!!</p> <p>Chat Conversation End</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> End Jan 2017 – Phoned Durban branch and spoke to Branch Manager again – she escalated the request to the ***** Division once again.</p> <p>9/2/2017 – Phoned 0800-41-41-41 ref ********** . Just to hear that the case was closed on 23 Jan 2017 because they could not find the transaction on the credit card. We DO NOT HAVE A CREDIT CARD – all correspondence to date stated the debit card number. Who is Absa employing these days?</p> <p>13/2/2017 – Posted above to HelloPeter + In closing, how can Absa allow cash to be withdrawn from a cancelled card? Why does nobody come back to me and simply closes the case? What more do you want me to do?</p> <p> </p>