UNAUTHORISED ACTIVATION OF ABSA INSURANCE POLICY AND UNAUTHORISED DEBIT ORDER

FORMAL COMPLAINT – UNAUTHORISED ACTIVATION OF ABSA INSURANCE POLICY AND UNAUTHORISED DEBIT ORDER

Policy Number: ***

Dear ABSA Complaints Department,

I would like to formally lodge a complaint regarding the unauthorised activation of an insurance policy in my name and the subsequent attempt to debit my bank account.

An ABSA agent contacted me telephonically and marketed an insurance product to me, offering a 45% discount. During the call, I provided my personal details as part of the quotation process. The agent subsequently provided me with a quotation.

I clearly informed the agent that I already have an existing insurance policy and therefore could not have two insurance policies at the same time. I specifically told the agent to place the quotation on hold, as I needed time to consider the offer. I did not accept the quotation, nor did I provide consent for the insurance policy to commence.

However, later that same day, I received an insurance schedule indicating that the policy had been activated with a commencement date of 1 September 2026, under Policy Number ***.

I immediately contacted ABSA by email to advise that I had not agreed to or authorised the policy and requested that it be cancelled. Despite this, I received no response to my cancellation request.

To my shock, on 1 September 2026, ABSA still attempted to debit my bank account for the insurance premium. Fortunately, there were insufficient funds in the account, so the debit could not be processed. However, I was charged R112 by my bank for the unsuccessful debit order.

ABSA subsequently sent me a letter stating that I had missed a payment, which I find extremely concerning because I never agreed to the insurance policy in the first place.

I have also attempted to contact ABSA to resolve the matter and cancel the policy. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get assistance. The cancellation line continues to ring without being answered, and my previous emails have not received a response.

I find this situation extremely concerning. I did not authorise ABSA to activate this insurance policy or to debit my account. I therefore do not understand on what basis the policy was activated and a debit order was submitted against my account.

I request that ABSA urgently:

Cancel Policy Number *** with immediate effect, with the cancellation backdated to the purported commencement date of 1 September 2026. Confirm in writing that the policy was not authorised by me and that there is no outstanding premium or debt against my name. Stop any future debit orders relating to this policy immediately. Refund the R112 bank charge incurred as a direct result of the unauthorised debit order attempt. Confirm that the missed-payment notification will be withdrawn and that no adverse payment information will be reported against me. Provide me with a copy of the recording/transcript of the original sales call and the evidence ABSA re**** upon to conclude that I had accepted the policy. Explain why the policy was activated despite my clearly informing the agent that I needed time to consider the quotation and had not accepted the insurance. Confirm that my personal details will not be used to process any further insurance application or debit order without my express consent.

I would appreciate an urgent written response and resolution of this matter. I consider the activation of the policy and attempted debit of my account, despite me not having accepted the insurance, to be a serious matter.

I reserve my right to escalate this complaint to the relevant regulatory and dispute-resolution authorities should the matter not be resolved satisfactorily.

I expect ABSA to investigate this matter fully and provide me with a written explanation and confirmation of the corrective action taken.

Kind regards,

S Gwala

Policy Number: ***