Do NOT do business with ABSA: Continued disgusting service and my worst nightmare

I complained some time ago regarding my disgusting service I received from ABSA. It’s been the worst experience and struggle I have ever had with any business or bank. I app**** and got approved for my building loan some time ago (i.e. well over a year ago). Before that, I struggled another year or so just to get my loan approved. For as long as I am busy with the building loan application, I have been given misinformation and asked for the same documents constantly. Moreover, I was told that I need to complete a certain percentage before they pay and now I see on their website its totally different. I will break down my experience over the past few years below.

Firstly, a consultant by the name Vusi constantly asked me for documents that the lawyers already sent through to get my loan approved. However, Vusi constantly asked me for a NHBRC enrolment certificate, and I forwarded the email that the lawyer sent me stating that they have waived it. Vusi eventually sent me an email, however, completely ignoring my previous email, and he requested for documents to be resent, but not stating which documents. I just interacted with him twice, he was just so lazy and never had any confidence in anything he told me. He even sent me someone else’s bond information.

Secondly, I then complained on Hello Peter and a couple of ABSA employees (Tshwaneng and Arnold) from customer service or which ever departments they were part of, attempted to help me, but they were not much help. Then not to long after that, a lady by the name of Louise sent me an email, asking me again for the same documents and more, that Vusi and the Lawyers already sent through. Then I sent her a long reply, CC’ing Tshwaneng and Arnold and guess what? I did not receive any reply. They asked me for documents, which was asked over and over, but when I rep**** and made everything clear, they could not even reply to say they have noted it and everything is ok. It has now been several months, if not a year, and still no reply.

However, recebtly I received last week an email from someone else at ABSA called Martine Mchlachlan, and this is the exact email: ” Good day Kindly advise when will the building loan be completed require the final payment attaching the occupational certificate Please note when the final payment be done the homeowner insurance must be in place”.

I do not know what she means by this, as the grammar is firstly incorrect and I have emailed her but waiting on a reply. This is how unorganised they are, and I feel that they making processes up as they go along. To me this email reads as if they have paid me already, and I have not yet received a cent as of yet.

You would think that during COVID, they would be better at giving their clients proper and fair assistance, and not have people working for them that don’t know what they doing, or have different people in the same department, all email me different things and ask me for documents that the lawyers gave when I got approved for the loan. They are an absolute joke of a bank.

Even the valuators (i.e. DDP) they used to inspect the house were shocking. For example, when DDP when to evaluate the progress of the building, I called the guy that did the evaluation and asked him to give me the progress so that I could know where we are and what to expect. He just blatantly told me no and that he will send it to ABSA and they will send it to me. He was so dismissive and in my opinion so rude. It is my property and I just wanted to know the progress, but he would not tell me.

Just to further prove that they are all giving me contradictory statements, please see the below writing that I have taken directly from ABSA’s website, and I have also attached the link to the website (https://www.absa.co.za/personal/loans/for-a-home/building-your-home/). Just below is what is on their own website regarding building loans.

Building and progress payments • The builder will first complete the foundation to the building. • You will have to pay your builder according to the terms of the contract that you negotiated with your builder. • You will be required to firstly pay the shortfall yourself plus an additional 10%. • Once you have done that you can then request a 10% progress payment from your bank.

It clearly states that they make progress payments and this is how I understood this when I initially app**** for the loan, and what I was initially told by various consultants at ABSA. When I discussed with various people at ABSA, they always stated that this is how it works, but then all of a sudden I was to complete 70% before I get a payment. Being my first time dealing with the building loan and first time I have ever built, I was hesitant but I decided to go ahead with the building loan. But when you go onto their website as shown below, they state that they make progress payments.

I have seen absolutely nothing on this website that states you have to complete a ridiculous percentage (i.e. like 70%) before you get your first progress payment. I have never ever heard of this in my life, and I have many people with regards to this at various banks, and everyone said to me they make progress payments. I have already put on the roof, and I still have not yet received one progress payment. So this is just proof as above, that I have been given misinformation from the beginning up until now, and it has honestly made my life hell. If I look at what is on their own website, that means that either the consultants were lying to me and saying I should first complete a certain percentage or they do not know what they are talking about. I feel **** to and betrayed.