Unauthorised Doubling of Contribution & Failure to Reimburse

I am writing this letter to express my absolute fury and utter disappointment regarding the treatment of my mother, Ms. *** ***X, a pensioner and a member of your scheme (Membership No: **********31). This complaint is also made on behalf of myself, as the account holder from which these ******** premiums are being debited.

This situation is not merely an administrative error; it is a case of gross financial negligence by your organization that has caused real financial distress to a vulnerable pensioner.

My mother is on the KeyCare plan. As your own marketing material states and as you are well aware "You pay contributions for your KeyCare plan according to your income" . Her contribution was historically R1,907. At the beginning of March 2026, without authorization, this contribution nearly doubled to almost R4,000.

I acknowledge that there may have been a communication sent requesting income verification, which my mother like many elderly people who are intimidated by bureaucracy may not have fully understood or responded to. However, Discovery’s response to a non-responsive pensioner should not be financial punishment.

Punitive Action Without Proof: It is unconscionable that Discovery’s default mechanism is to double a pensioner’s contribution simply because paperwork is outstanding. The logical and humane approach would be to engage telephonically or temporarily place the member on a payment arrangement, not to assume the highest possible income band to extract more money. You cannot simply decide a pensioner can afford to pay double unless she "proves she has no income." That logic is predatory.

Failure to Rectify: Despite this incorrect amount being debited, as of today, 16th March, you have failed to rectify the error or reimburse the money. You are "very quick to debit the money," yet agonizingly slow to return what was never rightfully yours to take.

To say this is upsetting is an understatement. This error has left my mother financially disadvantaged for the month. Furthermore, I am a client holding multiple Discovery products. To have a situation involving my own family treated with such a low priority, where money is taken and simply held with no urgency to return it, "rubs me the wrong way." It suggests that Discovery prioritizes holding onto funds rather than servicing the clients who fund your business.