HORRIBLE SERVICE BY ABSA

I switched from FNB to ABSA two months or so ago and I have had the worst experience.

Firstly not all my debit orders from FNB were switched to ABSA but I have debit orders from OUTsurance, Kingprice, FNB funeral, ADT and Cielo that were returned on my FNB Account and as a result the acc is in the negatives as my salary was deposited in my ABSA account as at 1 Nov 2019. Kindly rectify this.

I have also lost my phone on the 26th of Nov 2019 and I performed a sim swop and downloaded the ABSA app on another device but have been experiencing trouble logging in. On the 03rd of Nov I spoke to my private banker Dineo who advised me to go to the branch which I did. When I got to the branch (ABSA Mall of Africa) I spent more than 50 mins because the consultant who was helping me was clueless. Eventually she told me she needs to send an sms to internet banking to remove my sim swop hold and then said in 3 hours max, my access to the banking app will be okay. I left the branch and tried logging onto the app 4 hours later, still nothing was done.

I then called in to the call centre the following day (the 04th of Nov 2019). After numerous attempts to get help, the team leader called me back in the evening and said I would need to go back to the branch again as the consultant who was helping me didn’t follow the right process. Mind you, I took time out from work on the 3rd of Nov to go to the branch but wasn’t helped. At this point, my work is demanding, I doubt I’d ever have time to go to the branch again as I am working on various projects that must be closed out before I go on vacation.

Now I have a huge issue with all of this. Firstly I have returned debit orders which aren’t putting me in good standing with my credit providers / Insurers etc. My rent is due on the 4th of each month. If rent isn’t paid by the 4th, it incurs interest and my electricity account gets soft locked which means I am unable to top my electricity up. I explained all of this to my banker and the team leader who called me but none of them was able to help me access my account so I can avoid the punitive rental charges which I find very sad and utterly unsympathetic!

I am unable to top up my airtime nor buy electricity. To this point my friends have been buying me airtime and electricity and have to reimburse them when I get my access sorted which is a huge inconvenience. I have a few other transfers to action like paying my standard bank credit card acc which I cant do because I don’t have access to my funds. I am seething and would like to start the process of switching back to my old bank!

At this point, I am extremely disappointed in ABSA and I have a strong desire to switch back to FNB unless ABSA can remedy this situation in the speed of lightening and provide some assurance that something of this nature will never happen again.