Closing Account Fiasco

<p>I moved to Sydney three weeks ago and as I was preparing to move, I closed off my various accounts, services etc in South Africa. However, when I went in to FNB to close my account, they said it couldn't be done due to some pending transactions with sales merchants (stores etc). I had been told by them that I could come in a few days prior to leaving to make the closure but apparently I couldn't and it needed up to a week. Fair enough. The woman I dealt with at the ****arney Mall branch told me that I could then write a letter authorizing my mother to close the account provided she brought her ID and the card with the letter. Today she attempted to do so and was told she "doesn't have signing authority." I am livid. I cannot and will not be returning to South Africa anytime soon so I cannot be there in person to authorize this closure and I want this very simple student savings account to be closed! In fact, I now cannot finalize my Medicare here without proof of this closure showing that I have moved back permanently! Up until this point I have had nothing but good customer service fromFNB but now if I could give this review 0 stars I would! I would definitely NOT recommend this bank to any of my South African contacts and will be very vocal on telling them to bank elsewhere. I cannot believe they are so backward and I can't now close this account! </p>