Bank Charges for poor product

<p>Good Day</p> <p>In October 2014 I opened a personal bank account at ABSA because it was one of the conditions that all new staff members must open ABSA bank account before they start working for them. The account was opened at Benmore Gardens. On the day when I opened the account there were no pricing options given to me, I even remember the consultant saying "here you pay nothing for bank charge"of which that was true.</p> <p>In September 2016 I resigned from ABSA and I expected that my banking will be removed from STAFF options of which it happened automatically. I kept on being shocked at the end of October seeing my bank charges being around R2200 but in my mind I took it for granted because I thought its was becuase of I had about 8 unpaid debit orders on that particular month and I ignored it. At the end of November again the charges were up again, but again I thought it was because I had done more SASWICH on that month it could bit. In December I didnt pay attention to it. In January 2017 I took a delibarate decision to look into these absurd bank charge as I did have enough funds and I wanted to monitor them since I didnt have any activity on the account during the month of January.</p> <p>Shocking I discovered on 01 February 2017 that I have been charged R740 on bank charges and administration fees. This time around I looked into the CHARGES STATEMENT to check was the reason for these bank charges. I then discovered that when I resigned from ABSA in September, the bank decided on their own to put me on a Payment Scheme called"Platinum Pay as you Transact"without my permission. I went to ABSA Fourways to complain about this payment option because I NEVER given the bank any consent to put me on that Scheme and the bank when I left never contacted me to find out which pricing option do I want since I am no longer staff. I told the branch manager that the pricing option that was chosen for me, I didnt consent to it because I know that "Platinum Pay as you Transact" is for people who are seasonal bank users. They subsiquently changed the bank option to Platimum Value Bundle.</p> <p>I then requested the bank to refund me for all bank charges that I suffered because of this pricing option that they gave me without my consent. The Branch Manager said the bank will not refund of all those bank charges because they occur while I was on a Pay as you Transact pricing option, except for my Unpaid Debit Orders and SASwich. My argument is if ABSA took it upon themselves when I left them to ask about the pricing option that I wanted wer wouldnt be at this point.</p> <p>Lastly according to FAIS ACT, a financial institution must make sure that they inform the client either in writing or telephonical about any changes on the clients account or premium changes of which ABSA failed to do that.</p> <p>When I resigned from FNB,the card division contact me to find out which pricing solution I was suitable for and I gave them the pricing option that I wanted. ABSA never contacted me to find out if I was happy with pricing option they were going to give me, now that I am no longer a staff member. ABSA should reimburse me for four months bank charges that I suffered because of their incompetence. They can not say that they will not refund because it my fault. How is it my fault if you never gave me the opportunity to choose the right product for myself that will suit my daily banking needs. ABSA must provide me with the proof that I consented on this pricing option not tell me that it is not their fault because that what the branch manager said yesterday</p>