No client assistance or care and utter nonsense with process for investments.

I have a Franklin Templeton investment. I have had it for years.

It has been a rough struggled through the pandemic and lockdown and I have started a new business. I require liquid capital and decided it was time to cash in my investment with Franklin Templeton.

I tried to call their South African office which is based in Cape Town. There is no answer and each extension goes nowhere. It took a week of trying to contact them via phone and email. Eventually, towards the end of the second week, and in frustration, I sent an angry email to every possible email address I could find for anyone connected to Franklin Templeton.. I must have hit a nerve as that same day someone rep**** to the email and apologised for the delay.

However, I had to send verification which was understandable. This email was not answered in 2 days. I then received a verification call on my cell. I did that verification and waited. Again, 2 days went by and I received an email for further verification this time on their secure site. I signed up, and got my papers in order and went online to verify.. The system gave me so much trouble and I had to figure out ways on their own system to provide what they had requested. I understand they have legal requirements to meet for verification and I have done everything humanly possible on my side to provide this. I also got confirmation of my submission only to be told that I had not done what they had asked for and had not submitted bio verification even though it was not possible for me to do so. I was also told that there would be further verifications over the phone. MORE CALL VERIFICATIONS. I have never had to jump through hoops like this before and it has been a LIVING NIGHTMARE!

WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL!?!? This is seriously ridiculous and I am stuck and not able to receive my own funds. The extra delays for me to get my money have cause so much additional stress and pressure and it really not needed.

I would highly recommend staying away from Franklin Templeton and their investments. Due to the fact that their main set up is in Europe and there is *********** or barely any help or assistance from them based in South Africa, it is much more advantageous to find an investor based in South Africa and actually has their clients best interests at heart. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!