Absa International Payments Horrible Service

Hello,

This is by far the worst customer service I have encountered in my life. NEVER bank with them, EVER, not if you're a foreigner.

Absa is just too bureaucratic. Why can't someone just solve a problem completely? Without referring you to 10 other people who refer you to 10 other people???

I moved to Cape Town in December 2019 and created an account. End of December I received an international payment into my account that I was told cannot be debited to my account because my account is blocked.

It took me about 2 WEEKS of going to different Absa branches almost everyday to be told that the account is blocked because it is not FICA compliant. This is even after doing a whole affidavit process with the sales consultant who created my account. But did he inform me that my account was blocked? No. When did I manage to get hold of him again? 1 MONTH LATER. After calling the branch almost daily. He casually emails me and says that I need to redo my FICA.

I go to my nearest branch at the time in Gardens to redo my FICA and I'm told that they won't accept a scanned copy of my lease without seeing the "original" document. How can I give you an original document when my landlord lives in Eastern Cape??? We signed the lease including the agents signature electronically.

I decide that I am fed up and would like to reverse the international payment and close the account. Enter Absa international payments. I don't know what office you work in because if I did I would come. Why don't you respond to emails? Why do you not resolve problems via calls? Why should I call you then you tell me to write an email? Don't you have internal systems where you can log cases?

I would simply like to reverse the transaction, not complete my FICA (as all call center agents keep saying). Absa has frustrated me enough regarding this FICA nonsense. Can someone just reverse this transaction?? And while at it, respond to emails in good time?

I have had no access to MY (just FYI, not our) money for over a month, leaving me stranded in a foreign country.

This has got to be the most ridiculous bank that exists.

PLEASE REVERSE MY TRANSACTION AND ALLOW ME TO CLOSE THIS ACCOUNT AND MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE.

Thanks.