Unfair Charges and Poor Communication Regarding My Policy`s – Urgent Attention Needed

Dear Old Mutual,

My name is Glayvia Windvogel (ID: ***), and I am writing to formally complain about the poor communication and handling of my family policy and the policy I hold for my parents.

A few months ago, I received a call from an Old Mutual consultant about a missed premium. To get clarity, I visited an Old Mutual branch last month and asked them to investigate when the missed premium occurred. The consultant emailed Head Office and later confirmed that the missed premium was from 2023. I found this confusing, as I was never informed of any missed payments earlier.

I expressed my frustration, stating that if any covered family member had passed away, I would only then have been told there was no cover. This is very poor customer service. Old Mutual has many communication channels — SMS, email, and phone calls — and I expect better follow-up.

Last month, I also queried a double deduction on my debit order but did not reverse the payment. I was told to wait for the system to update and return for a follow-up.

Yesterday, I went back to the branch to:

Follow up on the premium issue,

Add my newborn to the policy (as I was previously asked to provide a birth certificate, which I could not email and had to bring in person for scanning),

And update my bank account details.

Before going on maternity leave in September 2024, I proactively enquired about options to maintain cover while on leave. I was informed about the premium holiday option, similar to what Capitec Bank offers, and accepted this arrangement with Old Mutual.

However, I was never informed about the consequences of taking this premium holiday, particularly that it would lead to policy lapse status and an unexpected large outstanding amount that I now need to pay.

This is unacceptable. I trusted Old Mutual’s advice, followed all instructions, and made repeated efforts to resolve these issues in person. Yet, I am now facing policy lapses and unexpected charges caused by poor communication and internal errors.

I request that Old Mutual:

Reviews all call recordings, emails, and branch visit notes related to my case.

Restores my policies to active status and removes the lapse.

Cancels the outstanding amounts related to the premium holiday and system delays.

If this is not resolved urgently, I will escalate this to the Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance.

My Details:

Name: Glayvia Windvogel

ID: ***

Phone: ***

I expect a formal written response and full resolution.

Kind regards,

Glayvia Windvogel