Pathetic service and sly charges by ABSA

I have a student debit account, costing R26 in monthly fees. I noticed that this month, R101.50 had been taken off my account as an admin charge. So first of all, I wasted 30 minutes worth of my airtime trying to get someone at the call centre to tell me what this charge was. They told me I didnt have a student debit account, which is impossible. Then my airtime ran out.

Then, I went into the ABSA branch in ballito 3 DAYS IN A ROW. After waiting the usual 30-40 minutes in the queue (due to a maximum of 2 out of 5 tellers being open), I was told that they could not tell me what the charge was as the system was offline. I did this for 3 days in a row. Finally, on the third day, the agent actually called someone at the call centre who was able to tell them what the charges were. (After an extremely long hold time)

Now, I am told that the fee of just over R100 is for ATM withdrawal fees. So, defensively, I told the lady on the phone call, who was on speakerphone, that that is impossible and must be a mistake on ABSA's behalf, as I drew the money out of an ABSA ATM inside a Spar in Durban North, because ABSA ATM cash withdrawals on my account are free.

I was then told that these "ABSA", yes "ABSA" fully branded ATM's inside Spar or other grocery stores are not actually ABSA ATM's, but Saswitch ATM's which carry exorbitant withdrawal fees. Please can someone at ABSA explain the logic behind branding these ATM's as ABSA, making people think that their withdrawals will be free when you actually get completely **********? This is misleading! I wonder how many people have been charged not knowing why.

So I then decided I had had enough of ABSA and moved to FNB. After I received my FNB card, I went to ABSA to try and close my account. So I was told that "you cant close a student bank account" and that "my account will be changed to a normal cheque account and then closed".

So the agent proceeded to change my account to a normal cheque account, and I immediately get charged about R11 in banking fees for some reason.

ABSA really needs to sort these things out. Fees are being charged here and there as if someone is pressing random buttons. Absolutely appalled by the service I've received.