No service for online banking account application

I started a business and had to open a bank account. We opted for ABSA as both my business partner and I are currently backing with ABSA.

On 17 April 2020 I completed the online business application to open a business account with ASBA. I phoned the call centre ***to confirm everything on my application has been done. They confirmed it. I asked when someone form ABSA be contacting me to activate the account. I was told at the beginning on the following week, but if it was urgent I could phone the call centre over the weekend to complete the application and activate the account. By the Wednesday 22 April 2020, I still hadn’t received a call form ABSA. By the end of that week I called ABSA, and they then advised me that they were no longer opening new accounts.

My question is. My application was in before ABSA made the decision not to open new accounts, and the excuses were all COVID related, which I understand, but applications made prior to that decision should have been attended to. My company is essential services and has been throughout the lockdown.

I went into the Alberton branch, in hopes of being assisted directly at the branch. The business division had no staff present to assist, and I was informed that I could only deposit money to accounts, including business accounts.

On 18 May 2020 I received the following email:

"We regret to inform you that your application for your Absa Business account with Absa has failed due to not meeting the minimum requirements as communicated in previous communications to you. Please note that the following are no longer valid:

The Absa Application Reference number:..."

I phone ABSA immediately. They told me the it has been in the system to long. The person said I failed to submit certain documents. When I phoned ABSA in April I spoke to Danielle and sent email directly afterwards with the additional documents.

I was informed that the application had been on the system for 30 days and had expired. Of course it expired; ABSA informed me due to COVID that accounts would not be opened? Why was this not considered for the account application timeline? Why does the COVID reasoning only apply to ABSA, and not new business clients? Why do I need to reapply, when this is due to ABSA not being able to assist?

On the 17 May I contacted the call centre and requested to speak to a manager, I was told by the agent that I could not be transferred to a manager. I then requested that a manager then contact me, and to date this has not happened.

On 15 July 2020 I phoned ABSA (again) to enquire as to whether we could submit another application and open a business account. I started the new application based on the confirmation from the agent. On the 16 July I contacted the call centre to confirm my application had been received. After confirming that the application was received, I emailed the relevant documentation to the agent and was informed that it would take 7-10 working days for the account to be finalised and set up.

3 August I contacted ABSA (12 days after the application) to follow up on the progress of the account being activated and set up. The agent informed me that it had been allocated to another agent, and that she would email said agent to contact me.

13 August (19 working days since application) and I still have no feedback from ABSA on my new business account. Will I be getting another email telling me that my application failed (on the 16 August), will I need to do this process again?

ABSA clearly don’t want the business, as there is no customer service whatsoever, no feedback, time wasting, time consuming and frustrating. ABSA should be calling me and keeping me informed, I shouldn’t have to be contacting ABSA to find out what is the progress.