Unexplained charges on CLOSED Account 15 months after the account was closed

My Gran of 72 settled her Edgars account fully on 10 September 2016 at Edgars Festival Mall and closed the account at the customer service desk. The customer service consultant then cut my granmother's card up in front of my Gran and confirmed her account was closed. She never got a statement again or any communication, therefore she was assured her account was closed.

Two weeks ago my Gran got a call from Edgars Essential Services who told her her account was in arrears and that she will be handed over for debt collection - this is 15 months after she closed her account.

She immediately went back to Edgars Festival Mall on 11 January 2018 and spoke to customer services who put her on the line with head office who indicated that they will correct the error and close the account (which now somehow was active again).

Then today, 19 January 2018, she gets a call again from Essential Services that she has been handed over for debt collection. As she didnt get any answer from the customer care lines, she went in to Festival Mall's Edgars again where the customer service consultant notified her that they cant help her and referred the matter to accounts, who have not contacted her yet.

My Gran is an elderly woman, who has her entire life, paid her accounts on time. She paid her Edgars account up, closed the account and cut it up in store. For her this is terrible to be accused of not paying, being dragged through this process for a charge/transaction on an account she closed 15 months ago.

I then stepped in to try and assist her, but I got referred from one department to the next without an answer or plan to resolve this charge (Ref ********** 2605/GO). When I asked the customer care consultant what the charge was for, he only indicated that he cannot see detail and that her account was very much active.... Please explain how this is possible?

I feel it is unreasonable to hold a customer accountable for cost that they cant even declare, on an account that was closed more than a year ago and where Edgar's own consultants cut up the card in store after confirming to my Gran that the account is closed.

Dear Edgars - why cant you explain this cost? Why is this account still open? Why cant any of your customer care consultants provide solutions or answers?

It is not fair to elderly people to make them drive up and down to sort out admin issues that should not even be there. You are putting your customers under unnecessary stress and not assisting in any way.