Shocking treatment

My late husband purchase a car on higher purchase through Nedbank MFC in 2016. Last year, my husband and I decided to head overseas for work opportunities, and we opted to store the car and continue with installment payments (including insurance) from there until such time as we would return. Unfortunately, my husband passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in November last year. As soon as I could, I contact all the financial institutions in South Africa that he had accounts with, and they all responded in a similar way - offering condolences, and asking that I forward the relevant documentation (death certificate and ID book) so that the accounts could be frozen. I informed them that I had not yet received a death certificate, but said that my children and I were returning to South Africa in December 2017, and I would personally drop into each institution and deliver a copy of the documentation. On arrival back in South Africa, I did so - and one of the institutions I visited was Nedbank in Cape Gate. I handed all the required documentation into the bank, and was advised that I would be contacted soon. The lady that I dealt with (sadly I did not take her name) was very helpful - and I specifically said to her that if I needed to continue making payments I was willing to do so, but as his accounts had been frozen I would have to do it manually. I mentioned that I would be happy to pay the car off, and would like for it to be transferred over to my name, as my kids and I plan to stay in South Africa now. A week or two later, (after getting through our first Christmas after my husband's passing) having not heard anything back from the bank I called in, quoting my husband's account number to follow up. The person I spoke to could see the comments on the system and apologized that no one had yet come back to me, assuring me that the case would be assigned to someone, who would call me as soon as possible. I still heard nothing - but my the other financial institutions I was dealing with had kindly explained to me that in these situations the account is frozen when the death certificate is submitted, and no further action is taken until such time as a letter of authority is produced. They had explained that only after this letter is in place they are then able to request the outstanding amount from the person that the magistrate has deemed to be responsible. I had app**** for this letter in December and am still waiting to receive it today. So I assumed, having had no further communication from MFC, that this was probably the case with the car finance account too. Then on 30th of January I received an sms stating the following: Please contact Thobeka Gunguluzi urgently on *** regarding the arrear amount of *** on vehicle/asset finance. Note: we had never missed a payment prior to my husband's death, so this arrear amount was referring to the time period after the death certificate had already been produced. At the time that I received the message, I was visiting a bereaving relative, but stepped outside to call Ms. Gunguluzi immediately. I informed her that I had been waiting to hear from someone, but had not yet. Judging from the tone of her voice, it was unclear to me whether she had been aware that my husband had passed away or not. She asked me to email me a copy of the death certificate and ID book, which I did on the same day (despite having taken it into the branch in December). This afternoon, while driving back from picking my son up from school the telephone rang. I pulled over and picked it up. Ms. Gunguluzi was on the line, saying that she had received the documents, but needed a South African death certificate. I explained that there is no South African death certificate, as my husband had passed away in the UK. That seemed to suffice, and the conversation ended. A few minutes later the phone rang again - I could see that it was Ms. Gunguluzi again. I just pulled over, and the phone rang off, so I assumed that she had called again mistakenly. A minute later the phone rang again. I pulled over again, this time in a shopping centre parking lot so I could give her my full attention. Ms Gunguluzi explained that I needed to go to Home Affairs to apply for a South African death certificate and submit that. Admittedly, for the first time I lost my composure at this point. I asked if she was sure that this was necessary. (When I had been at the magistrate court and had chatted to the legal person there that assisted in completing the documentation, this topic had come up and she had actually confirmed that it is not necessary in this case. I am not sure if it is because my husband was a dual UK/SA citizen or because we were living in the UK at the time of his death, but she had actually said 'you don't need the extra trauma of having to do that for no reason'. This was tongue in cheek, and said in good humour, but it stuck in my mind.) So I asked Ms. Gunguluzi if she was sure it was necessary. My husband was a British citizen... I started explaining, at which point she asked 'if he was British, why did he buy on higher purchase in South Africa?' I took a deep breath, and rep**** that he was what is referred to as a dual citizen, wondering why this question had any significance. I then continued explaining that we were living in the UK at the time that he passed - and she asked why we had not informed them, and why we had produced a South African address when buying the car. Confused and losing my composure with every second that passed I told her that we had lived in South Africa when we purchased the car, and then put the car in storage when we left to work in the UK, and continued making the monthly payments. She insisted that it was a requirement that I obtain the South African death certificate. At this point, I reiterated that I was willing to pay the car off or the car could even be returned, but I had spoken to an actual legal expert and they had said it is not necessary for me to go to Home Affairs, and that all the other financial institutions had been satisfied with the UK document. At this point she stated bluntly that it was the requirement of MFC, and that I could either produce the document, or the account would be transferred to the legal department. Trying hard to remain unemotional, I asked her to please just confirm on her side that this is necessary, and I even said that if it is indeed needed and she sends me the request in writing - I will consider it. The conversation ended. About fifteen minutes later I received another SMS notifying me that the account had been transferred to the legal department. I have since tried contacting the legal department, and I have left a message for the head of Ms. Gunguluzi's department, and have had no feedback. I have never been more shocked by poor service. I was made to feel as if I had done something wrong, when all along I have just been following procedure with no communication from MFC's side. All the other financial institutions have dealt with the matter in a professional, even tactful and caring manner, even saying they were sorry for my loss and being kind and considerate! I will never be able to deal with this company ever again if this is how customers are treated. Shocking.