Capitec 41 days of turmoil before returning what was rightfully mine unapologetically or without any compensation.

I would love to share my 41 days of turmoil, sleepless nights negativity, complacent investigation, and nearly a loss of R14000 without any compensation or apologies and I believe strongly that if I wasn't persistent it would have been left at my loss. I have to add, during that time I was in the midst of purchasing a vehicle and lost that deal.... Now let me elaborate..

On the 15th of July at approximately 16:15 pm found myself going to a capitec ATM inside Goodwood mall to deposit a rather large sum of money of which when I attempted to deposit the money I would have needed to split the sum of money into smaller denominations to have it accepted by the ATM so my first attempt was R14000 which I proceeded to do the deposit as prompted by the ATM, firstly inserting my card, following with my PIN number and options selections for deposit to which them cash envelope hole opened and I inserted R14000 to which it then closed and showed processing without any sound of the machine actually processing cash as the machines normally tend to do in the machine and the screen was frozen and nothing happening for approximately several minutes to which my card then came out of the machine and the machine then stated deposit rejected of which no cash came returning to me and then I waited another few minutes for the cash to be returned of which nothing happened I then inserted my card but the machine now showed deposits not allowed on the machine with a red Cross over deposits emblem. I then started panicking and had the balance of Cash still at hand to which I realised that no deposit slip was given by the machine and thought it to be wise at the time to deposit the balance of the cash into my account on another ATM and use that deposit slip as some sort of indication that I was indeed at this ATM and that went successfully and got the deposit slip as proof of my deposit for the remaining balance but my R14,000 was still in the firts ATM machine and the ATM machine could no longer take deposits as there was a clear indication of an era on this ATM machine I then took a photograph of this ATM machine with the indication of no deposit allowed as extra evidence. Unfortunately my phone at the time could not make any calls although, I took a photograph of the customer care number on the side of the machine and immediately raced home so that I could call customer care and log this incident to which I did and received a incident number.

As the incident happened on a Saturday afternoon and the banks were closed, immediately the first working day I went to the branch where this incident happened and made a complaint there as well and had another incident number to which they said they would investigate the incident and wait for the outcome from G4S as this is the company that retrieves the funds out of the ATM. After several days I received a call from capitec and to my surprise informed me that they findings are negative and capitec is rejecting my claim with an outcome of "NO FUNDS OF MY CLAIM WAS FOUND". I then refused to accept their findings told to me by the consultant calling me, I could not accept this as I was infact the person that experienced the issue and I did the deposit to my account and I witness that this incident did in fact with all my evidence happen to me and I will not accept the loss of R14000 Rand to which he then suggested that he could forward me the ombudsman's details and I could take it up with them as the consultant could verify looking at my profile that everything I stated with my claim other than the funds all checked out and he could verify I had made those other deposits at the time as well and "I do frequent deposits " , he could indeed verify this. According to Consultant... With this being said he forwarded me the email with the on Batman's details but instead, I personally went into the branch and spoke to the manager who was very helpful by the name of Michael. ( I must state that out of the whole lot from capitec Michael was the most helpful and understanding.) Michael had mentioned that his previous department he used to work at was customer complaints, and with me disputing it he knew exactly how to escalate my claim and forward it to the necessary departments for them to investigate it further. With that being said within a few days I was contacted and new investigating officer and the new incident number and the investigating officer by the name of "Given". ( ironically has my money was taken) 😂 Given then immediately gave me the same response as initially presented to me by the first agent that my claim was rejected as the machine had no funds in access of R14000 (note this is now the second time my claim was rejected) I then told him "I would not accept it" as previously and I Began explaining the scenario step by step and with him taking him through the whole entire incident. He then acknowledged that when the incident happened, I used this machine along with another to do the deposits and by his reaction to this new information to his investigation wasn't aware of me using another machine. I then came to the conclusion that they investigated the wrong machine (to which i found it to be extremely complacent). As this information was presented initially with my description of the incident the first time) which he then told me and then they would investigate further as the new information could have possibly a different outcome. At this point I was highly stressed and and Mr Given... then said he will call me back after a few days of further investigating to which several days past and I was still not contacted I then went to Mr Michael the branch manager and told him about our conversation with Mr Given.. then I made several attempts to leave a message with Mr Given... to contact me back. Mr Michael told me he would be taking an absence of leave for the next two weeks to which he had a few days available before that and said he would try and sort this out before he took his leave takes place, of which nothing transpired. Michael was now on his 2 weeks leave.... in this time I couldn't get hold of Given and left messages with the consultants on several attempts. Eventually after the 2 weeks had now past, I managed to get hold I've Given to which he concluded that still no funds were found (the third rejection to my incident) and the next best thing would be to take this matter further with the ombudsman and Mr Given would as per legalities have to draught a letter for me stating the findings to which I submit this to the ombudsman with my claims and they would do any further investigation on the incident and scrutinising both parties and come up with their own outcome. I then waited several days for Mr Given... to get back to me and every attempt to call him I would be told by the consultants conveying message from him that he would call me back and yet I received no call. I then went back to the branch on Monday the 23rd of August and got Mr Michael there after his return of his two weeks leave to which he'd inform me that Mr Given had also been on leave but he had spoken to Mr Given that very morning and had told me that Given was in the process of drafting the letter for the Ombudsman. He had been told by Mr Given that they did further investigations yet couldn't find an surplus of funds at the ATM Machines but rather a deficit of funds as this was Mr Michaels words 🧐. This was very puzzling yet my mind couldn't rest as they couldn't find my R14,000 rand and the ATM machines totals work at a deficit which is very, very pecu**** and strange as how does an ATM machine calculate a amount total of funds and it doesn't add up to the exact amount but less. This being said should raise some sort of concern. The following day next day, i went back to Mr Michael and told him that I found it very strange yet they have concluded that there is no such funds of mine but not questioning why the total amounts are less then what is supposed to be and besides the fact that my R14,000 should make a excess in the amounts in the ATM machines. This all seemed extremely suspicious and it wasn't adding up. I Insisted that they hurry up with the drafting of the letter so that I could submit it to the ombudsman as they have now taken 40 days and yet no outcome has been established on my side other than they cannot account for my funds and my claim. They could see how determined I was and how I wanted to take this up with the ombudsman. I then received a call on the very next day from Given on the 23rd of August stating that they all the machines in question and finalize that no funds was found as per all the investigation that they've done previously and now and a quote that he said all the ATMs were balancing despite me knowing that there was a deficit in the balancing of the ATMs funds to which I brought it to his attention. As i quote I mentioned to him that "I beg to differ" when he told me that "all the machines are balanced and there was no findings of my fundsto which I've claimed" . He wasn't aware that I had now gathered information that his machine was in a deficit after the investigation and I could tell that he was shocked to find that I knew this information and I insisted that he sent me the letter as soon as possible so that I could proceed with the ombudsman and I made it known that they had dragged it out this long despite me reaching out after a month, To the Mall Manager of Goodwood mall to try and retrieve some footage of me at the ATM to which she mentioned that unfortunately due to the duration of time that has passed that footage has already been overwritten. I also inquired if any enquiries were made prior to me from the bank on some footage of this incident and if she was aware of it to which she rep**** no "no one has inquired" . Mr Given then told me I would get the letter later that day to which I received nothing and I was about to call him this morning on the 24th of August to which I suddenly received a deposit in my account of R14000 ( and charged for deposit fees.) With call about 30 minutes later from Mr Given, now stating that "they had a discussion with the branch manager ( Mr Michael) and went through their data again and found ( mysteriously if I might add) my R14,000 which I claim for 41 days ago. Extremely relieved I thank Mr Given.. and he ask me if there was anything else he could assist me with. To which I rep**** I was just happy to receive what was rightfully mine. Thats all.. No apology, no compensation for loss or grief or for sleepless nights and especially for the turmoil they put me through. Just my R14000 of which you rejected so many times and made me feel like I was a ******. (Less my deposit fee.) Thank you capitec... if I had not persistent you would have had my R14,000 and I would have had to just move on.. Im so grateful and i thank tje Almighty creator, for getting me back what was taken from me, and what was rightfully mine and with my battle trying to do all this time that indeed I was a victim in this case. I've also lost so much in the process. So please all members of the public do yourself a favour, try and have some sort of recording and don't take it for granted. Make an effort to ensure your deposit at an ATM machine with capitec or any other bank. This was a life lesson to me. Clearly this method and system is flawed. One can so easily lose what is what is rightfully your when we entrust are banks and their methods.