Horrible service

<p>I banked with absa for 15 years until I decided to close my credit card account. This happened 20 February 2016 and my account has not been closed. Its more than a year later and my credit record is ruined thanks to absa and the *********** staff.</p> <p> </p> <p>Last year feb I went into an Absa branch and asked to close my credit card account. I was told they cannot help me i have to phone the credit card department from the phone inside the bank. I was put through to a consultant and after explaining to her that i want to close my account she proceeded to give me three different settlement amounts. At this stage i was extremely frustrated and eventually a staff member inside the bank took over the conversation. This lady asked her to give the final settlement amount and told her that this is why customers switch to other banks. Both these ladies promised me that if i pay this amount my card will be closed within 15 days. I paid the amount at the teller and hoped that this would be the end of my bad experience.</p> <p>Unfortunately it was not.</p> <p>A few weeks later i still did not get any confirmation from absa so i tried to pay with my credit card to see if the card was closed. The transation was declined so i accepted that the account was closed. By this stage i also closed all my other accounts with absa being fed up with the bad service i received.</p> <p> </p> <p>Months went by and i never thought of the issue again. I then started receiving statements from absa again saying i have to pay my account. I went back into the Baywest branch to try and sort this out. The lady at the counter informed me that some google payment went off my account and i told her this is impossible since this account should have been closed months ago. She informed me that the account was never closed. She also said that she had this problem with many other customers since the credit card department makes these mistakes all the time. She told me that she will look into the matter to sort it out. </p> <p> </p> <p>I have been into the branch 6 times to try and sort the matter out. The second last time i spoke to a very helpful lady inside the branch. After explaining my situation to her, she phoned from her desk so that i could speak to a consultant at the credit card department. This consultant was extremely rude and i asked to speak to her superior. This afrikaans lady was even worse. I have never spoken to such a rude customer service consultant and i wish i wrote her name and surname down. She informed me that i never paid the correct amount (all those months ago!) and there was R90 outstanding thats why the account was never closed. After explaining to her what the situation was she told me it was my own fault since i received bank statements. I was now liable for the R1300 that was owed in this account. I told her that i will not pay this money since this was absa's mistake and they must sort it out. Here she smugly told me that i will just have to deal with the lawyers. ( At this stage i have already been handed over to lawyers who told me i have to sort it out with absa). During this time the staff member listened to the converstaion and then took the phone from me to try and talk to this rude person. This lady was extremely rude to her as well and the branch manager eventually took over the conversation. The manager asked her for a staff code and this person continued to be rude to the manager as well. The staff code turned out to be false. (I do not understand how these people can lie and be so rude while working at one of the biggest banks in our country?) </p> <p> </p> <p>I have to mention that i am pregnant and at this stage my stress levels was through the roof. Luckily the bank manager was extremely helpful and understanding and promised me that she will look into it. She phoned the action line to inform them of the situation and at this stage i was sure that the matter will be sorted out.</p> <p> </p> <p>Once again i was wrong. </p> <p>I still received sms's and phone calls informing me that my account was in arrears. So i went into the branch for the sixth time. Once again i had to phone the credit card department. The consultant informed me that i was liable for the full amount since the google payment went off. This was the result of their investigation and according to the terms and conditions of my original contract i am liable. I asked her how could this payment go throuh if the account was closed? She got rude (bis surprise!) and i asked to be put through to her supervisor. He informed me that if any payments was put onto my credit card the account is opened again and i am liable. I told him i never put any payments onto my credit card and that all i can think is that my daughter must have played games on my phone and that these were the payments he was stalking about. But how did they allow payments to go off months after the account should have been closed? He could not answer me. According to him absa is done with their investigation and i must pay the full amount. By this stage i was in tears. Once again another lady inside the branch took my details and told me she will inform the bank manager, who wasnt there, to investigate. It is now a week later and i still haven't heard anything.</p> <p> </p> <p>So to sum up i have been given two different reasons for this account not being closed. Not once did anyone from absa apologise for the inconveniance or for their mistake. According to them I am solely to blame for the situstion and they have no fault. During all these branch visits i could not speak to the same person since it seems there is new staff every time so i had to explain the situation over every single time. No one at absa seems to take any responsibility for their customers. </p> <p>The people working at the credit card division are rude and have no customer s****s. I am liable for R1300 and have a bad credit record all because of their mistakes. </p> <p> </p> <p> reference nr ********** . </p> <p> </p> <p>I am one very unhappy customer hoping to be an ex- customer soon.</p> <p>Monique Ward</p>