Old Mutual Protektor Preservation Fund has disgusting customer service

I have never publicly complained about poor service from any organisation and have always re**** on the normal customer service channels to get problems resolved. This should be an indication of the level of frustration and disgust that I have reached.

I have been battling for 12 months to obtain a correct tax directive number for an IR5 that was automatically triggered due to an internal (to Old Mutual) fund transfer.

I have made 15+ phone calls, have a load of reference numbers, spoken to hordes of call centre personnel and later Protektor specialists, all acknowledging Old Mutual is at fault, all apologising, all apparently escalating to the next level, only for me having to call again due to escalation not being followed through.

Like our government there is no accountability. Unlike our government, this is a list company and one of the biggest Financial Services providers in the country. I only made progress when working around the very very broken system, calling on the human element of the poor Old Mutual employees trying to assist me within that broken system.

I have even laid a formal complaint, which sparked action but did not solve the problem, or rather, when they claimed the problem was resolved, the newest tax directive number was, as it was 12 months ago, again rejected by SARS as being invalid. Of course, not surprisingly, trying to use the last complaints reference number and responding to their email (to an actual human being) resulted in nothing.

What I find most disgusting, is the lack of feedback, and even the 'Customer Relationship Manager" who exists in name, in other words, has a name and surname, and was regularly copied in emails and referred to by the call center personnel, never responded even when my unbearable level of frustration and disgust was evident.

I will move all my investments from Old Mutual as soon as this sorry saga is finally sorted. That sorry organisation is broken beyond repair, and the reality is, that is once was an organisation that was always admired. This is sadly, no longer the case.