Extremely disappointed with ABSA – how can an account that was paid up in 2023 be handed over to debt collection AGAIN?

Item: Absa
Rating: 1
Author: Sally S

I am extremely frustrated with the way ABSA has handled my account.

I had an **ABSA Avios Credit Card which was settled in full in 2023. I have a Paid Up Letter from Norton Lambrianos Attorneys confirming this.

Despite this, the same ABSA Avios account has now been handed over to DMC for collection again.

The situation has become even more ridiculous because, believing I was paying off the only ABSA credit card I still had – my ABSA Virgin Money Credit Card – I made payment to settle that account. I have now discovered that the payment was apparently allocated elsewhere, leaving me in the position where:

* I have paid off the ABSA Avios account twice * The Avios account had already been confirmed as paid up in 2023 * My outstanding ABSA card has not been paid as I believed it had been * I am now dealing with DMC again over an account that I have already settled * Norton Lambrionas Attorneys, whom I paid in 2023, have provided no meaningful assistance * DMC have been unable/unwilling to resolve the issue * And, most frustratingly, ABSA itself has not responded to me at all

I have proof of payment and the Paid Up Letter from 2023.

I am not disputing a legitimate debt. I am asking ABSA to look at the records, reconcile the payments and explain how an account that was settled in 2023 ended up in collections again. Most recent response from Norton Lambrianos Attorneys "I attached our paid-up letter , DMC should request the paid-up letter from *** as the account was settled with us but recalled from us before *** could issue the paid up letter . We tried several times to ask one from edcsupport but we are not winning"

At this stage I have effectively paid the same Avios debt twice, while the account I actually intended to settle remains outstanding.

This has caused unnecessary financial stress, wasted hours of my time and, most importantly, completely destroyed my confidence in ABSA's ability to manage and communicate about its own accounts.

ABSA – I don't need another debt collector. I need someone at ABSA to actually investigate this and resolve it.

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Replies (1)

Sally S's updateReviewer Update

14 Sept 2026, 12:08

ABSA HAS COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT OF MY COMPLAINT

I have read ABSA’s response and, unfortunately, they are still not listening to or addressing the actual problem.

My complaint has nothing to do with the ABSA Virgin Credit Card being managed by MBD. I have never disputed that account or asked ABSA to investigate MBD.

My complaint is about my ABSA Avios Credit Card, which was paid in full in 2023. I have a Paid Up Letter issued by Norton Lambrianos Attorneys in 2023 confirming that the account was paid up.

Despite this, the same Avios account was handed over to DMC again in 2025.

I subsequently made payments believing I was paying the only ABSA card I still had outstanding – my Virgin Credit Card. It was only when I checked with TransUnion that I discovered that I had apparently paid the Avios account AGAIN, while the Virgin account remained outstanding.

This is the issue I am asking ABSA to investigate.

Instead, ABSA has responded by telling me about my Virgin account and referring me to MBD. That completely misses the point of my complaint.

I am not asking ABSA to investigate whether my Virgin account was sold to MBD. I am asking:

Why was an ABSA Avios account that had already been paid in full in 2023, and for which a Paid Up Letter was issued, handed over to DMC again in 2025?

ABSA needs to investigate the history of the Avios account, the 2023 settlement, the subsequent handover to DMC and the payments made thereafter.

I also want to make it very clear that I do NOT agree to this complaint being closed on 15 September 2026.

You cannot close a complaint simply because you have responded to something other than the actual issue being raised.

ABSA, please stop referring me to MBD and start addressing the actual problem. You are simply not listening to what I am telling you.

I have the 2023 Paid Up Letter from Norton Lambrianos and can provide the relevant proof of payment. I expect this matter to be properly investigated and the complaint to remain open until the actual issue has been resolved.

Sally S's update14 Sept 2026, 12:08

Reviewer Update