Unacceptable Service and Failure to Resolve Pensioner Banking Fee Refund

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the ongoing matter of banking fees charged to my mother who is a pensioner. Approximately a year ago, my mother queried the banking fees being charged to her account, given that she had already reached the qualifying age for a pensioner account. She personally visited the FNB branch at Clearwater Mall, where she was advised that her account had been updated to a pensioner account.

She was further advised that the applicable banking fees would be refunded retrospectively, dating back to when she turned 60 in 2010. Despite this assurance, the refund has still not been received, and the matter has now been outstanding for an unreasonable length of time.

I sent a formal email to FNB Care on 20 August 2026 regarding this matter. I subsequently called FNB yesterday to follow up, but struggled to get through to anyone who could assist. I was advised that the complaints department is apparently not available telephonically, which is extremely disappointing given the nature and length of time this matter has been outstanding.

I eventually managed to speak to Maemo, who genuinely tried his best to assist me. I then requested to speak to his supervisor, Princess Dlamini. I was advised that she was unavailable but that she would liaise with the complaints department and ensure that they contacted me.

To date, I have received no call, email or communication whatsoever from the complaints department. For a large financial institution such as FNB, this level of service is appalling. This is not a new query or a minor administrative issue. My mother was assured that she would receive a retrospective refund dating back to 2010, yet more than a year after the matter was first raised, there is still no resolution and seemingly no accountability.

I am requesting that FNB urgently investigate this matter, provide a clear explanation as to why the promised refund has not been processed, confirm the amount due to my mother, and arrange for the refund to be paid without any further unnecessary delays.

Most importantly, I expect someone from FNB’s complaints department to actually contact me and take ownership of this matter. This experience has been extremely frustrating and disappointing, particularly when dealing with the banking fees of a pensioner who was assured that the matter had already been resolved.