1 reviews | Active since Nov 2016
ABSA Private Bank Heerengracht
<p>I have been trying to do something as basic as to close my cheque account with ABSA. I emailed Private Assist and asked them to close the account. I got an acknowledgement and they cancelled my overdraft facility. After hearing nothing I followed up by email and was contacted by Natalie Van ****en who said she had been on leave. She indicated she would attend to it and mentioned that she assumed I no longer required my credit card. I indicated that I did require it and she said that if I did not have a current account I was not permitted a credit card. I indicated I knew that this was not the case. She also indicated that my profile would be downgraded from a Private Bank profile. I was then contacted by Steven Jacobs who indicated I could retain the credit Card. Surely a Private Banker should know this? He confirmed that the account would be downgraded. I decided to leave this be. I gave it further thought and decided I no longer want the card and emailed Natalie and indicated that she should close this account. I also asked for a closing statement for both my credit card and current account and for my rewards profile to be deposited to my British Airways card. Nothing happened and I contacted Card Division myself and asked them to close the card and to send me a closing statement. I assume my card is closed but who knows as with typical ABSA inefficiency I did not receive the closing statement or confirmation I was promised. I followed up with an email to Natalie copied to Steven Jacobs (The Sales Manager) and the silence has been deafening. It is not surprising that ABSA Private Bank are proud owners of 5th and last position in the ranking of Private Banks. If the Sales Manager and his Private Banker cannot be bothered to respond. </p>
Dear Customer
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We will investigate the matter and furnish feedback shortly.
Kind regards
Daphne Le Grange
Group Customer Care
Absa Bank Ltd
Dear Customer
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We will investigate the matter and furnish feedback shortly.
Kind regards
Daphne Le Grange
Group Customer Care
Absa Bank Ltd
Dear Customer
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We will investigate the matter and furnish feedback shortly.
Kind regards
Daphne Le Grange
Group Customer Care
Absa Bank Ltd
Dear Customer
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We will investigate the matter and furnish feedback shortly.
Kind regards
Daphne Le Grange
Group Customer Care
Absa Bank Ltd
Not much of a response.
Dear Mr Jacobs
When a client asks for confirmation that an account has been closed you either provide them with the information that they request or at least have the courtesy to reply to say you are not able to do so. You do not just ignore them. Why is it necessary for me to have to follow up to ask for this information? I am not just going to go away if you ignore me. I asked for my credit card to be closed there was no response from you at all. I had to contact Card Division myself. I then asked Card Division to send me confirmation that the account was closed and they promised to do so. Unsurprisingly they did not nor say that it was part of ABSA’s policy not to do so. They in fact told me I would be sent a confirmation letter. How was I to know without this that my credit card account was closed.
I do not regard the closing statement for the credit card particularly professional. As part of the Consumer Protection Act information sent to a client should be clear and not confusing. If you are dealing with a layman this is clearly not so. Where does it say, the account is closed? I am sure that if you had any respect for a client you would have sent something on an ABSA letterhead rather than something with a date stamp with a printout which is utterly meaningless. It could have been something as simple as an email acknowledging receipt indicating that the account has been closed. Would you provide this to somebody who you are trying to gain an account? I do not think so.
With the comment with regards to ABSA rewards why did Natalie Van ****en (hopefully spelt correctly unlike your email) not indicate this when I originally sent the email to her on 9 January 2017. It took me to follow up with her a week later to ask for this information. It is not my problem what your internal requirements are as to what she is authorised and not authorised to do. This comment applies to my initial request to Private Assist on 5 January 2017 when I asked them to close my account. Nothing happened and I had to follow up in this regard and I was informed by Natalie that this was not part of their value proposition. What was the difficulty in them telling me this and requesting you to do this rather than ignoring my request? I did notice that they had no problem cancelling my overdraft facility immediately.
The other alternative is to do something as complicating as hitting the reply button and confirm that the account has been closed. This for a professional organisation should not be too difficult. You could then also confirm that it is not policy to send out closing statements but one would be provided at statement date. You could have indicated in the meantime that the account has been closed.
It is also polite in addressing a client is to address them with the phrase Dear Sir, Dear Peter, or Dear Mr Rogers so perhaps you need to learn some professional etiquette. Also, you could at least show respect to your staff by spelling their name correctly.
There is nothing further that you can assist me with.
Yours Sincerely
Peter Rogers
From: Jacobs, Steven: Absa **********
Sent: 18 January 2017 15:00
To: Peter Rogers ********** Van ****en, Natalie: Absa ********** /> Subject: RE: ABSA Private Bank - Closure Form ********** 574
Good afternoon Mr Rogers
In closing a cheque and credit card account we do not send out official bank letters stating that the account has been closed.
In terms of the bank statement, Nathalie has sent you both Bank statements which have been stamped and confirmed in the email below that both your credit card and cheque account are closed. In terms of your ABSA rewards Nathalie is not authorised to instruct ABSA Rewards where to place your rewards and has advised that you would need to contact ABSA Rewards directly on ***to arrange the payment to a beneficiary account.
Please advise if there is anything further I could assist you with?
Regards
Not much of a response.
Dear Mr Jacobs
When a client asks for confirmation that an account has been closed you either provide them with the information that they request or at least have the courtesy to reply to say you are not able to do so. You do not just ignore them. Why is it necessary for me to have to follow up to ask for this information? I am not just going to go away if you ignore me. I asked for my credit card to be closed there was no response from you at all. I had to contact Card Division myself. I then asked Card Division to send me confirmation that the account was closed and they promised to do so. Unsurprisingly they did not nor say that it was part of ABSA’s policy not to do so. They in fact told me I would be sent a confirmation letter. How was I to know without this that my credit card account was closed.
I do not regard the closing statement for the credit card particularly professional. As part of the Consumer Protection Act information sent to a client should be clear and not confusing. If you are dealing with a layman this is clearly not so. Where does it say, the account is closed? I am sure that if you had any respect for a client you would have sent something on an ABSA letterhead rather than something with a date stamp with a printout which is utterly meaningless. It could have been something as simple as an email acknowledging receipt indicating that the account has been closed. Would you provide this to somebody who you are trying to gain an account? I do not think so.
With the comment with regards to ABSA rewards why did Natalie Van ****en (hopefully spelt correctly unlike your email) not indicate this when I originally sent the email to her on 9 January 2017. It took me to follow up with her a week later to ask for this information. It is not my problem what your internal requirements are as to what she is authorised and not authorised to do. This comment applies to my initial request to Private Assist on 5 January 2017 when I asked them to close my account. Nothing happened and I had to follow up in this regard and I was informed by Natalie that this was not part of their value proposition. What was the difficulty in them telling me this and requesting you to do this rather than ignoring my request? I did notice that they had no problem cancelling my overdraft facility immediately.
The other alternative is to do something as complicating as hitting the reply button and confirm that the account has been closed. This for a professional organisation should not be too difficult. You could then also confirm that it is not policy to send out closing statements but one would be provided at statement date. You could have indicated in the meantime that the account has been closed.
It is also polite in addressing a client is to address them with the phrase Dear Sir, Dear Peter, or Dear Mr Rogers so perhaps you need to learn some professional etiquette. Also, you could at least show respect to your staff by spelling their name correctly.
There is nothing further that you can assist me with.
Yours Sincerely
Peter Rogers
From: Jacobs, Steven: Absa **********
Sent: 18 January 2017 15:00
To: Peter Rogers ********** Van ****en, Natalie: Absa ********** /> Subject: RE: ABSA Private Bank - Closure Form ********** 574
Good afternoon Mr Rogers
In closing a cheque and credit card account we do not send out official bank letters stating that the account has been closed.
In terms of the bank statement, Nathalie has sent you both Bank statements which have been stamped and confirmed in the email below that both your credit card and cheque account are closed. In terms of your ABSA rewards Nathalie is not authorised to instruct ABSA Rewards where to place your rewards and has advised that you would need to contact ABSA Rewards directly on ***to arrange the payment to a beneficiary account.
Please advise if there is anything further I could assist you with?
Regards