Enterprise Banker for Small Medium Enterprise Western Cape.

“It is the prime responsibility of a bank to provide all the services to its customers on time. Poor service will affect their reputation.” This, we all hope to be true BUT, not with Absa Bank!!!!! I have been with Absa all my life (44 years to be exact) and most of these years a happy customer, but the last 2 years have been frustrating to say the least. This, at a time that we as businesses are in very uncertain times and enduring so much stress!!! On 1 October 2021, I received an email from Wayne Kader about the Fica requirements. We responded on the 2nd of October 2021 with a couple of questions, as the email stated that he will respond to all questions asked. I did not get any response from him and decided to phone him on 20 October 2021. I phoned the Wynberg and Claremont branches, but again he did not bother to answer me on my email sent on the 2nd of October 2021. I eventually got a whatsapp number from the bank and sent him a message. He did eventually respond to my questions via whatsapp and I immediately send him all the documentation requested, on the same day (20 October 2021). On the 4th of December 2021, I received another email from H Engelbrecht informing me that I did not comply and that my account was now not able to operate normally!!!!! This after all the emailing, phoning, whatsapping and complying with all the info requested on 20 October 2021 already. Needless to say, I was very angry and in disbelief that such a small task: just opening up an email and passing the documentation on to be ficad, cannot be done by a bank of your stature.

H Engelbrecht had no acceptable answers, in fact I found him very unhelpful, but did CC us in on an email to Kader, telling him to sort it out asap.

The best both of them could come up with was: “Sorry for the inconvenience”

This was a Saturday and was the time of the month that the debit orders go off!!

It is appalling to witness employees of such big and mostly respected company not do their work and then the customer must pay and suffer for their incompetence. I feel very disappointed, in fact, shocked to have been subjected to this and I believe you should be made aware of your employee's actions. I specifically refer to your Enterprise Banker for Small Medium Enterprise Western Cape. Whose responsibility it was to attend to this from the start and did nothing!!!

I wish that this was the end of my sad story….but, no. it just does not want to go away…

On 24 May 2022, I received another email from him, exactly the same as the 1st of October 2021….we need to FICA.

My response to him was to check his records as this was done already on the 20th of October 2021...and because he failed to do his job, our account was blocked in December 2021. I did, however attach all the necessary documentation again. His answer: “I will check the system and will advise you and ensure that the information is updated for your account.” On 21 June 2022, I received an email from Kader’s office with Business Client Agreement, Tax and Auth Signatories papers…. BUT….oh, there is always a but with ABSA, all forms had the wrong old address on it. My response: I am actually stunned that after sending the info through on 20 Oct 2021, again on 4 Dec 2021, again on 6 Dec 2021 and AGAIN on 24 May 2022, that you still have it wrong.

Our account was even blocked in December 2021, due to your incompetence. Worst of all was that Absa was completely unapologetic about it.

Please check your records!!!!! and correct the forms.

I then received a phone call from Kader while in the shop to let me know that I need to sign the forms sent… I told him once more that the addresses were all wrong and that I cannot sign the papers. He responded by saying he will correct it.

You would think that this would be the end of this nightmare, but NO.

When I got to the till, my account was once again blocked from drawing money. I then phoned him back and he promised that the account will be unblocked as soon as I sign the forms. I went back home and immediately signed the forms (halfway corrected forms, I must add), but as a business I need to have a working account.

You would think that if you sent the signed forms back the account would be unblocked immediately, but wrong again!! Today, a day and some hours later…still blocked and I can’t draw money!!!

5 Stars for incompetence to ABSA and your Enterprise Banker for Small Medium Enterprise Western Cape.