Poor customer service by ABSA

In 2018 we had our geyser replaced by ABSA insurance after it burst. A few months after the geyser had been installed we noticed that the pipes had turned green from the copper oxidising and the copper oxide was sloughing off the pipes. This is due to the pipes not having being earthed by the ABSA plumber who did the installation of the geyser. Because the pipes were not earthed they have been acting as sacrificial anodes and once they have lost sufficient wall thickness will start leaking. It is standard practice to cross earth piping in order to prevent this type of problem.

We logged a claim with ABSA with regard to this problem on 07 May 2019 (reference number 89206). In response to the submission we were phoned by Patrick from Digicall. After this call from Patrick we didn’t hear from Absa again. In late June I contacted Patrick to find out what the outcome was and he said that it wasn’t a mechanical or electrical fault and therefore he could do nothing for us and so he closed the claim on his side. The problem was that Patrick did not understand the first thing about earthing or corrosion. Corrosion is a mechanical problem – Patrick just did not understand that.

In a follow up call I telephoned Absa who told me that the plumbers had been contacted and had claimed that our house had a problem with its earthing. We have no problem with our earthing anywhere else in the house, but it is true that ABSA caused a problem with the earthing on this geyser, by not earthing the pipes when replacing the geyser. So yes ABSA are correct to say that we have an earthing problem with our house -,caused by them. The problem is that none of the ABSA people have any understanding of any problems with regard to geysers other than geyser burst or leaking.

The consultant I spoke to on the Absa line told me that our claim had been allocated to Aubrey and that they would send him an email to follow up. I didnt hear from Aubrey and contacted Absa again who gave me his email address. On 5th of July I emailed Aubrey with a picture of the corroded pipes. I have heard nothing from him.

On the 30th July we escalated this as a complaint to ABSA complaints department but we are now in August and have had no response. ABSA can spend as much as they want on their Äfricanacity”, advertising campaign, but this cannot replace good customer service including a working complaints management process.