Convoluted sign up process and poor communication channels

The process of joining Discovery is unbelievably painful and torturous.

After the initial application, access to all bank statements was requested. A reasonable and understandable request, and the statements were provided the same day. Then the fun started.

Despite having all the information in the bank statements, pension statement was then requested, then copies of leases. Each step took days and lengthy phone call to establish why the delay and what was required.

Communication with Discovery is unsatisfactory. Unlike Bank Zero, Nedbank and Standard, there is no chat facility - only telephone, with not even a call back provision. Long, expensive cell phone calls are the norm. Even SARS does better!

And when the card was delivered with the message "activate in the App", one couldn't. More long calls established than the message was faulty - it would be some indeterminate number of hours before the card appeared.