Freelance Artist Subjected To Corporate Bullying

<p>I have been a free-lance actor and writer for the past 26 years. In short, this means that I have periods of regular income, when I am involved in productions, and periods of variable income when working on numerous other, one-off projects. To say that my long relationship with Nedbank has been a frustrating and unhealthy one would be a colossal understatement. Their inefficiency and lack of customer care inspires little less than ire on a monthly basis. Last week, Nedbank took it upon themselves to block my account and withdraw my overdraft facility because, as they reasoned, my account had been dormant since March (the last time I received a regular, weekly fee). They did not, however, take into account the fact that over R100 000 has been deposited into my account since then; the income that Nedbank deems irregular. They claim to have tried to contact me. I have received one phone call, which I answered, and no voice messages. Moreover, the address they have on their data base is where I lived ten years ago. Trying to change this information has been on ongoing saga and an endless source for absurdist comedy. My account is in credit, yet still 'restricted'. Their automatic voice helpline service couldn't explain it and gave up after an hour. If this is not sorted out immediately I will happily close this annoying facility and move to an alternative institution (where I already have a home loan; I was too 'irregular' for my own bank to approve one).</p> <p>Nedbank claims to support the arts, but they don't seem to realise that artists don't have nine-to-five, suit and tie jobs. Nor do we have regular incomes. The truth is more likely that their 'support' is translucent corporate posturing without any real understanding of the arts at all. I feel no 'Affinity' toward them whatsoever.</p> <p> </p>