49 days, over 30 emails, and counting, to open a business bank account with Capitec!

After a meeting on 21 June with relationship banker David Kutu my cousin emailed him to ask for confirmation of a list of requirements to open a business account were in fact correct.

After no response I followed up 8 days later. David rep**** with "We will be great to assist, when you ready please send through the required documents."

He did not answer our question as to whether the list was correct or not.

We emailed twice more over the next few days asking for confirmation, but none came from David.

I assumed that the list must be correct and then emailed all the documents to David. A week later after no response I tried to call David to get confirmation, spoke to 2 of his colleagues who said they would get David to call me, then I emailed him to let him know. This was now 12 July.

He responded to say "the legal team" had given the go ahead to open the account.

I asked how long will it take and he said "3 to 7 working days". He said he would contact me if anything was required.

David asked for further information on the 15th July which I provided. Remember that we had on MANY occasions asked him what was required and he had not once told us.

9 days later I emailed David again to ask what is happening and the following day he replies that I did not send him everything he needed and stipulates what he needs that I had not sent.

I send those documents the same day again.

1 week later on 1 august I contact David again to find out what is happening. David responds a day later to say "The Account has been submitted to accounts opening for processing. Will provide updates tomorrow before close of business, Thank you".

He did not provide updates the following day as he had committed to.

5 days later I I email him again to ask what is happening.

David replies to say that there are numerous issues with the documents we had provided. This is 41 days after we first asked him to confirm what documents and details were required!!! It is 33 days after we sent what we thought were the correct documents and details in light of David's failure to respond to our question. It is 26 days since "legal team have gave me the go ahead" for the account.

By this time I am hugely frustrated, I inform David I am on the verge of writing a complaint on Hello Peter, and ask why only now do we get this feedback and request for further information, and David says the account "went for legal vetting". No further information, and no further attempt to sort out the issue properly. 26 days earlier David had said "legal team have gave me the go ahead"!!!!

I have today sent through more information requested, and also repeated an unanswered question to David about one of the issues that has apparently arisen.

The apparent lack of interest and responsibility during this process is astounding. I do not know what is happening in the background, but there is something very wrong here. It may be Capitec and how they do things with business banking, or it may just be the individual who dealt with us, but I certainly do not recommend anyone attempts to open a business account with Capitec!