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Michael S

1 reviews | Active since Sept 2020

28 Sept 2020, 11:11

FNB - You stole my client's money and you are killing my livelihood/business!

Dear FNB

I really did not want to do this, but you've given me no choice.

I took over a small business last year from someone who relocated abroad, and unfortunately had quite a few challenges to resolve.

Firstly, establishing a business relationship with you. Upon signing over the business, I was not made aware that the previous client's credit card actually had nothing to do with the business, thus took the responsibility to help resolve it with the intention of closing it once it was paid up in full.

Secondly, I had no idea we were about to get hit by a recession, which saw my clients retreating into shadows for the coming darkness, and of course, that hit my business hard. I have reached out to you guys on numerous occasions (you have all the recordings - i suggest you follow up) and most of the time were just told how it is simply not their "mandate" so Eish Sorry Nê... NOT the kind of response your leading financial professional should be giving - I will state though, that there were one or two occasions where individuals sympathized with my plight and really did try to help me in spite of it "not being their mandate"

So for the months from October 2019 on I struggled but worked with what I could get every chance I got.

Thirdly, Lo and Behold - This ****** Pandemic strikes and I see my business starting to crumble from the inside out. But I had full faith in my bank's ability to understand what is going on and to assist me in any form or way to save my business.

But NO... no relief, no word, no nothing. I was left in this storm alone.

YET - every month - on the month - you couldn't wait to nail me to a wall and threaten me with legal action if I don't magically generate business out of my ass... And so - a few weeks ago you DID exactly that... You handed me over to your collections department, in spite of hearing me constantly tell you that I HAVE NO BUSINESS IN YET - unless you wanted me to be in on the PPE hype (and let's pretend we DON'T know what a ****-Show that is turning out to be)... I forced myself to take an executive decision to do my best to open other avenues for my business to find a way to get through.

But YOUR Governmnent's Lockdown served us small business owners in absolutely NO WAY - We aren't going to BEGIN talking about how badly we got *****ed in this.

So LGR Attorneys call me and we come to an arrangements that I will make a plan to at the very least pay in R500 a month (USING my Bank Account Nr as reference)... And so I did... I made a plan to HONOUR that arrangement. I didn't complain, I didn't ***** - I said what was needed to say and did my best.

NOW - for the ACTUAL reason I am doing this... And you better have your recordings ready cuz you WILL need them.

Last week Wednesday I FINALLY get a decent Client Order that pays into my account and I am in a state of Bliss because I can now start getting my life back in spite of this ****** Pandemic.

Then the MOMENT that money came in, you annexed it and sent me a pretty little sms "Thanking me for my contribution to our agreement regarding my account in arrears"...

I log in, and try to pay my suppliers so as to honour my Client's Order.

But NO! Turns out my account has been put on hold. WHEN was I notified of THIS?

So I call... and as usual - after being shunted into a thousand directions I get through to someone who can actually use more words than "Sorry, wrong Department, Transferring Through"... And guess what this guy asks me?

CAN YOU PROVE THAT YOU ARE GETTING MORE BUSINESS IN?

Are you actually ****ING kidding me?

Am I psychic?

Are we NOT IN THE MOST GLOBALLY UNCERTAIN TIME EVER?

Who the HELL can predict that? I am an SME Retailer/Reseller/Branding company... excuse the **** out of me!!!

On top of that his SECOND question surprises me EVEN MORE... WHY DIDN'T YOU HAVE THE FUNDS REDIRECTED TO YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT?

Yeah, Let's think about that for a second... from my business account to my personal account... does that sound fami****? do you even THINK I would consider that as an option JUST to bliksemed again in future and this time for suspected ********** behaviour?

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TEACHING YOUR EMPLOYEES TO SAY?

I don't blame the guy... I blame the institution.

To top it off, he gives me an email account of a Mr. Molele to contact, and promises me that (Because this Mr. Molele has "knocked Off') he will contact me the next day.

I've sent a lovely email with even a suggestion on how we could resolve this and have everyone smile. But guess what - email comes back - not recognised. (could be spelling error on my side possible, so HOW can I fix that - tell me please.)

I suggested that if I can just have access to the EXACT Amount I need to honour my Client's order, you are welcome to keep the rest,. Even attached the 2 quotations as proof that I'm not trying to con my way into MY OWN BUSINESS'S MONEY...

Then Molele was supposed to call me, so on Friday - in a meeting TRYING to save my business and Magically Create this "Proof of future business" - I get 2 half-ass short missed calls... in succession... and for the WHOLE DAY Nothing further...

Right to this moment on Monday, 28 September 2020, at 10:51... still nothing.

Now let's get one thing straight FNB...

You stole my client's money... call it whatever you like. That's what you did. You put my account on hold IN SPITE of ME honouring an agreement with YOUR collections Department and suits - which was AGREED to with the SOLE PURPOSE of PREVENTING THIS from happening - and did so without proper notification.

R25,125 belongs to MY BUSINESS to HONOUR MY CLIENT. YOU TOOK IT. YOU LOCKED IT AWAY IN A SPECIAL DARK CORNER AND SPAT IN MY FACE AS A BUSINESS OWNER.

You will find that the reference number for that amount was NOT my Bank Account Nr. - THAT WAS NOT OUR AGREEMENT. I have even kept the sms your attorneys sent to me explaining WHY the reference matters... but apparently that is a biased and selective reason WELL within YOUR MANDATE to DISHONOUR!

Fix this or I swear to GOD I WILL FIND A PROPER AND LEGAL WAY OF FORCING YOU TO! YOU *******!

YOU STOLE MY CLIENT'S MONEY AND IN EFFECT THUS STOLE MINE WHEN I WAS DOING EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO HONOUR YOUR ATTORNEYS!

This is BULL****!

And once done, I am most CERTAINLY moving my ENTIRE business, and all future businesses, as well as my personal account to an ACTUAL Bank... Not an *************, conniving, misleading, dishonest, and treacherous entity cloaked as one.

So which banks would anyone suggest that does NOT ***** up peoples lives and livelihoods? I'm open to suggestions.

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Replies (1)
MS
Michael S's update02 Oct 2020, 23:34
Reviewer Update
What bull****... They were just trying to protect their "reputation" from the masses... so lots of bull**** and excuses later I find out that they didn't even follow proper protocol when I took over the business, suretyship was not finalized, etc. to name a few... then they turn around and try to implicate me - in spite of all the correspondences I have reached out with, let alone how Freaking nice I've been trying to be all this time... They try to turn tables and imply that... and then as a typical last measure they try to play coy and dumb... so this was my final response... to HELL with FNB! and good luck to ANYONE stupid enough to fall their that **** smile and sparkle in their eyes 0 they are trained to do that...

Dear ******(name withheld for obvious reason - she is just following orders)
"The funds are not withheld by LGR ".

– Okay so what would you like to call it when I don’t have access to money that DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM… Yet was TAKEN BY THEM… Without AUTHORIZATION AND/OR AGREEMENT
"The account was handed over to LGR attorneys for collections as the business account was in excess and you were in default with the overdraft facility payments with no turnover into the business cheque account".

– YEAH LET’S THINK ABOUT THAT – LET’S DO… RECESSION… OH OH OH>>> COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC – SERIOUSLY??????????
"Funds that were paid into the business account reduced the default amount."

– UNAGREED TO FUNDS THAT COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED ONCE THE FUNDS ACTUALLY BELONGED TO ME – UNTIL YOU HONOUR A CLIENT’S ORDER THAT MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO ANYONE ELSE OTHER THAN THE CLIENT – BUSINESSS 101 -DID FNB EVEN SEND ITS PEOPLE TO BUSINESS SCHOOL??????
Please do not play coy with me… The funds that entered into the account has nothing to do with the agreement that was made – recorded – and acted upon by me in correlation with LGR Attorneys.
Your turnover expectations are a joke in the most uncertain time in our history… NOT EVEN YOU know for sure whether or not you have a future after this if it gets worse… so please, enough with that fodder.
"Kindly advise which correspondence do you require from the bank ?"
The correspondence required WAS very simple… every single phone call made to and from FNB since my taking over of the business since June 2019 – Now how YOU intend to get a hold of that is entirely up to you as I am left to assume that a fine establishment such as yourselves certainly knows how to document it’s archives accordingly in the event of such an event preventing itself - as well as every correspondence made with LGR Attorneys since my handing over – may I also just mention that the S129 letter you so kindly reprimanded me with 2 days ago has not been sent to me on the supposed date it was created, nor any time soon thereafter… this could easily be construed as constructive… If I HAD received this letter with its “10 day deadline” I would surely not have avoided getting in touch as correspondence with FNB throughout my “short-lived” time as a business owner will prove valiantly that when addressed I respond.

( PLEASE NOTE! I REITERATE MESSAGE STATED ABOVE REGARDING S129)
"The S129 letter was sent through via registered mail to the post office ,the slip has been attached on the letter"

- WHAT SLIP? WHO SIGNED FOR IT? WHO COLLECTED IT? DID YOU GUYS CONFIRM RECEIPT? DID YOU GUYS FOLLOW-UP? WHAT OTHER NOTIFICATION EFFORT WAS ENDEAVOURED???? IN A TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AGE IT IS CHEAPER TO SEND AN EMAIL OR MAKE A PHONECALL… HAS ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVE METHOD EVEN BEEN ATTEMPTED? SO HONESTLY FNB/LGR ONLY RELIES ON MEDIEVAL POSTAGE TECHNIQUE TO ADDRESS A MODERN CIVILIZATION?????? WHO EVEN HAS YOUR FRIGGIN APP INSTALLED THAT CAN RECEIVE MESSAGES??????
Irrespective of that letter, LGR phoned me and we came to an agreement… Please – keep this simple… It’s really not that complicated.
I am not one of the typical citizens that you guys bank on (see what I did there?) and have grown accustomed to - who are so grossly uninformed about their rights that they will just give in to an unjust situation because they simply don’t know any better…
Regarding your slip and post-office – That is yet another grievance I have with FNB as I have since the acquiring of this business requested at numerous times to have the address amended – the address you have belongs to the previous owner – OH wait – is that another set of protocols not followed up on during a business takeover?
Looks like there were quite a few… somebody has got some explaining to do to their bosses… no longer my problem.
Please, don’t make this any harder for yourselves than it already is becoming.
FNB slipped up, messed up and no amount of covering up is going to salvage this nor bully me into laying down my gauntlet.
I have been as diligent and cooperative as I could have been all the way in spite of the tardy half-jack efforts I have experienced with your institution.
This situation is actually quite simple, thus I don’t understand why you think you can complicate it to the point that it would throw me off par.
I CAN play chess you know? AND Backgammon… YIP.
You have your issues with the business account – YES – we have been in constant – if not regularly enough – correspondence playing tennis with accountability… Such a horrible word I guess…
I have never once refrained nor shunned my responsibility and intention to do things right.
Regarding THIS specific situation however… I quite frankly don’t care about that.
My issue here is – YET AGAIN – quite simple…
There was an agreement made with stipulations agreed upon that got ********ly broken.
Irrespective of WHAT funds are paid into the account – there was a reference arrangement in place and an explanation to that.
The fact that those funds DID NOT carry the REFERENCE agreed upon should have been enough to at least warrant a phone-call and further arrangement…. But this did not happen.
The arrangement was Breached by LGR Attorneys and that is simple. Plain. Straightforward.
If I say I give you a tomato for an apple… that is the deal… when a potato falls in the mix – that is not part of the deal – so that opens up a conversation does it not?
Honestly… this is quite simple…
But you know what… I’m going to save your institution the hassle of embarrassing itself any further on its incompetency and insolent treatment of a client
Keep the money. Enjoy it.
I have just started a brand new business and accepted co-directorship over 3 more companies AND secured and honoured my client’s order with NO HELP OR INTEREST FROM FNB!!!!!!!!
And ALL THAT business (And all the others coming soon)will be finding a much better home than the one place I now know for sure doesn’t give a damn about its clients.
My investment opportunity is coming through and it is by far a lucrative amount, and there are 3 more investors in line, of which 2 are internationally acclaimed… I will leave that kind of math to you guys.
Your lack of interest in procuring a proper relationship with what you assume to be some low-level idiot – who even OFFERED a viable solution where your professionals were found lacking initiative and foresight – ILL CONSIDERED by your top level… has most certainly lost itself a potentially high-level interest.
Hindsight is indeed a relative scar.
I will be settling your pithy little overdue amount soon and will not be looking back.
MY ONLY GRIPE WITH YOUR SYSTEM STARTED OUT AS PURELY THIS – DO NOT TAKE MY CLIENT’S MONEY UNTIL IT IS MINE.
You are dishonest and ********, plain and simple. Don’t try to sugar-coat it – there was a blatant breach of agreement.
Pass your buck to someone else – I don’t bow nor will I… those tricks might work on the masses but I am most certainly not of that cloth.
Hell… I’ll even be nice and say I’m not even interested in those correspondences anymore… It’s a waste of as much time as it is believing in FNB’s sincerity and Integrity.
A bank’s only true purpose is to be custodians of someone’s finances – really not much more – beyond that you are nothing more than a standard retailer with overrated products desperate for figures and certificates, hoping to monopolize an industry pretty much like every other big-shot company here.
You fool yourself into thinking WE NEED YOU… It’s quite the other way around.
With all the worms coming out of the woodwork these days with banks and their involvement in ******** affairs it wouldn’t surprise me if the entire institution loses absolute trust from all its clients and eventually crumbles to dust.
HSBC, Standard Bank, etc. etc. etc… oh actually pretty much every bank by the day based on what I’m seeing. (Do I sense a White (political-incorrectness apologised for beforehand) Elephant named GUPTA in the room?)
So yes… That is it then… I have lost interest in all of this. It is not amusing. It is not constructive nor is it even educational. Thus it serves no real apparent purpose.
The Surety form was your slip-up… good luck with sorting that out. That is certainly not my problem. I can’t take responsibility for someone else… I wanted to be nice… but that kind of went out the window. Besides what do I know about credit cards and such stuff… not my world.
As I see it, my business is just about R6000 give or take overdue and that will be resolved relatively soon. Once done, I’ll be skipping down the valley to greener grass and leave you far behind. I’m sure your insurance will cover your mistakes made during the takeover.
You’ve lost my interest in resolving this courteously… my arrears on my business will be resolved at soonest possible measure and then to hell with FNB!
I’ve got better things to do than try to be nice.
Kind Regards
Your soon-to-be-valuable-lost-client.