Disappointing Experience with ABSA: A Call for Empathy and Resolution

In late 2020, I tragically lost my mother, who was a client with ABSA at the time. Subsequently, I had to visit an ABSA branch to inform them of her passing and take care of closing all her accounts. At that time, the ABSA representatives assured me that they had closed ALL her accounts.

However, to my surprise, in 2023, I began receiving demand SMSs from an unfami**** debt collector claiming to represent ABSA. This situation left me puzzled, as I was under the impression that all my mother's accounts were closed without any debts or outstanding amounts. Seeking clarification, I visited an ABSA branch yesterday, and they explained that there had been an internal miscommunication that led to them not addressing a credit card with an outstanding balance of R4953.00 (Settlement letter reference number included on this post). This outstanding amount would have been settled by the funds that were on the late estate account at the time.

I must admit that I am deeply disappointed in ABSA for not reaching out to me earlier to (1) communicate the miscommunication and (2) apologize for their oversight before handing the debt over to their collectors. This lack of communication has added further emotional strain as I am still dealing with the loss of my mother.

I had expected more from a reputable brand like ABSA. At the very least, I believe ABSA should settle the outstanding amount as a gesture of goodwill to make up for the emotional distress they have caused me. After all, this was an internal error that should not have occurred in the first place. If this is not possible, I sincerely hope that ABSA will take greater care in their processes to ensure such mishaps are avoided in the future.