jJ
jjmbotha J

1 reviews | Active since Sept 2010

24 Mar 2026, 15:58

Sanlam Personal Loans Bank Detail Change Failure

I am changing bank (FNB to Discovery), and contacted Sanlam Personal Loans to update my bank details for the monthly instalment.

Contact Sanlam Personal Loans to administer the change, and was told Discovery doesn't do DebiCheck mandates - but Sanlam assured me that the FNB Debit Order is cancelled and provided me with bank details to manually pay the monthly instalment, alongside the veiled threat that if I don't pay it will be a mark on my credit record.

On 20 March I paid this month's instalment manually from my new bank account, only for the original debit order on my FNB account to also be processed, pulling that account (which I want to close) into overdraft.

Now I'm left with unnecessary admin on my side, and the FNB account will have to remain open for longer, costing me additional bank fees also. I'm also just over R3000 into the red on my immediate cashflow.

I logged a Complaint with Sanlam on this over the weekend, and received an automatic reply promising contact within 24-48 hours at 08:00 AM Monday morning. It is now 16:00 on Tuesday afternoon without feedback or resolution, and once business hours are done today Sanlam Personal Loans' own imposed deadline expires.

Also, when attempting to call the provided help desk number, it simply dropped the call, three times, further wasting my time and money.

If Sanlam cannot resolve this by tomorrow, 25 March 2026, I will be lodging an official complaint with the Ombudsman.

0
Replies (34)
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply24 Mar 2026, 16:04
Official
Good day Martin 
 
We are sorry to hear of your poor client service experience. We have referred your complaint to Sanlam Personal Loans.
 
Regards
 Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update24 Mar 2026, 16:26
Reviewer Update
I called the Sanlam call centre and spoke to a person from Sanlam Personal Loans now.

My FNB Bank Details were NOT removed from my account as I was assured on 3 March 2026 was the case. Apparently it needs to be replaced with other bank details, but it can't accept my Discovery Bank details - this is not a me-problem, it's a Sanlam problem.

I want to close the FNB account, but as long as Sanlam is taking cash from it without my consent (which I have now withdrawn), FNB will tell me the account can't be closed as there is still activity on the account - which will continue to cost me bank charges.

With the account still on Sanlam Personal Loans' systems, I suspect my FNB account will be debited again next month, and should that happen, an Ombudsman complaint WILL be logged.

Also, if my refund on the duplicate collection after I paid is not processed by tomorrow, 25 March 2026, I will log an Ombudsman complaint.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply24 Mar 2026, 16:33
Official
Thank you for confirming.

Further feedback will be provided to you by Sanlam Personal Loans.

Regards
 Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update24 Mar 2026, 17:37
Reviewer Update
Just to be absolutely clear: I'm not waiting any longer, it's now been more than 2 full business days and I only managed to (seemingly) progress this because I called Sanlam, no-one called me. Refund on 25 March 2026, or Ombudsman Complaint.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply24 Mar 2026, 17:48
Official
Thank you for your message. We understand your frustration and apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Please note that your complaint was only received and formally referred today.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update24 Mar 2026, 18:08
Reviewer Update
Truly sorry, but that’s no excuse.

I sent in my complaint and received your automated response at 08:00 AM Monday morning 23 March 2026, promising response in 24-48 hours which I had to action today to get any traction on this.

Tomorrow is the deadline.
jJ
jjmbotha J's update26 Mar 2026, 08:44
Reviewer Update
Hi Sanlam,

I have given you enough opportunity to respond to my queries and requests, and you've shown again and again that you're not interested in pro-actively addressing this, it's always on me to chase you down.

So, I need to things for you by 12:00 today, and if not provided, I will be forced to log an official complaint with the Ombudsman:
1. Definitive assurance that my FNB Account is REMOVED from my Sanlam Personal Loan Account - I don't care how, I'm trying to close that account and the longer you keep taking money from it, the longer I'm going to have to fund an additional account I don't want to keep open.
2. Definitive assurance that I'll be refunded the duplicate debit order in THIS WEEK, it's been over a week now, you've had time.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply26 Mar 2026, 09:15
Official
Good morning, Martin

We are sorry to learn that you have not yet been assisted and have relayed your latest reply to Sanlam Personal Loans for urgent assistance.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update26 Mar 2026, 12:06
Reviewer Update
Yet again, nothing? Did you actually contact Sanlam Personal Loans? What is their turnaround time on anything, or do they simply ignore customers?
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply26 Mar 2026, 12:15
Official
Good day, Martin

We have reached out to Sanlam Personal Loans again and are waiting on feedback from them.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update26 Mar 2026, 12:25
Reviewer Update
Honestly, what can be done to escalate this to a level of resolution? How can I get this resolved? Does this need an Official Ombudsman Complaint, or will Sanlam Personal Loans simply ignore that also?
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply26 Mar 2026, 12:50
Official
Hello Martin

We have just received feedback from Sanlam Personal Loans that the matter has been further escalated.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply26 Mar 2026, 14:37
Official
Good day, Martin

This is to confirm that your complaint has been acknowledged and you will be assisted further.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update27 Mar 2026, 08:21
Reviewer Update
OK, so now I've received promises from Sanlam Personal Loans, but what does that mean? It still only reads almost as an automated response and I still don't have cer*****y on the bank detail removal or the refund - so while it's been "escalated", from my perspective NOTHING has progressed. Where's the actual progress?
jJ
jjmbotha J's update27 Mar 2026, 09:02
Reviewer Update
Thank you for the feedback, but on 3 March, 18 BUSINESS DAYS AGO, the following was already communicated to me:
  1. The FNB Debit Order is cancelled - it was NOT, and now you’re telling me you’re working on it and will let me know when it’s done? What excuse is there for the 3 March promise in fact being a lie?
  2. The Tyme Bank Banking details for manual payments - which I already used to make a payment on 20 March.

You have actively REGRESSED from what I was told MORE THAN THREE WEEKS AGO.

How do you run your business?
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply27 Mar 2026, 09:16
Official
Good day Martin,

Thank you for raising your concerns. 

We have shared your messages with Sanlam Personal Loan, who will review the matter and assist further.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply27 Mar 2026, 10:09
Official
This is to confirm that the relevant department is in communication with you via email and will be assisting you further.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update30 Mar 2026, 11:21
Reviewer Update
It is again days later without ANY actual workable feedback from Sanlam Personal Loans - when will I get finalisation on this issue? I've been talking about an Ombudsman complaint which I haven't yet logged, but this is now just getting beyond ridiculous and bordering on the absolutely absurd.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply30 Mar 2026, 11:38
Official
Good day Martin 

Please note that feedback was provided to you via email on Friday. Please respond to the email for further assistance.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update30 Mar 2026, 11:46
Reviewer Update
No feedback wasn't provided - it was regression from what I was told on 3 March:
  1. The promise given on 3 March that the Debit Order was cancelled and that my FNB account was removed was not even repeated, I was told you're now working on it - so a step backward.
  2. The promise on 3 March was that the Debit Order WOULD NOT be taken from my account. It was taken on 21 March and it's now 30 March and there's still no indication of when the refund will even be processed.

So no - Friday was "feedback" only in the sense that you spoke to me again, not that anything workable was actually given.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply30 Mar 2026, 11:48
Official
Please respond to the email for further assistance.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update30 Mar 2026, 12:04
Reviewer Update
No-one is responding to these emails you're referring me to in order to get me off of this public platform. As long as this isn't resolved, the record of your terrible service is going to get chronicled here.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply30 Mar 2026, 12:41
Official
The email did state that feedback will be provided to you as soon as both the cancellation and refund have been completed.

Your patience is appreciated while this is in process.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update01 Apr 2026, 14:41
Reviewer Update
Another 48 hours later and still NOTHING from anyone at Sanlam. This is becoming absurd. Is your feedback to just wait indefinitely?
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply08 Apr 2026, 10:45
Official
Good day Martin

This is to confirm that further feedback has been provided to you.
 
Regards
 Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update10 Apr 2026, 11:00
Reviewer Update
You keep saying that, maybe to seem like you provide customer care to the world on this public forum, but there's still not ANY meaningful feedback or progress. It's all just "we apologise for the inconvenience" or "we are in the process of...", but nothing tangible. It's now been 13 BUSINESS DAYS since first contact and I'm getting nothing but meaningless statements - I expect this message will actually just be responded to in the same way, with only Sanlam apathy.
jJ
jjmbotha J's update13 Apr 2026, 09:02
Reviewer Update
Just to make it absolutely clear, I haven't received ANY more feedback that what I had before the start of this complaint AND this rambling conversation with Sanlam - ZERO PROGRESS, always just the same empty promise. I'm responding to the email mentioned, no feedback, NONE.
jJ
jjmbotha J's update13 Apr 2026, 20:05
Reviewer Update
Where is the further feedback or the outcome of this? I haven't yet received the refund for the debit order taken from my account AFTER you promised me that it was cancelled, and you've not yet even confirmed that you won't take the debit order from my account again this month on 21 April.

AND, this complaint has been ongoing for THREE WEEKS without ANY meaningful feedback. Tomorrow morning I will be logging an official Ombudsman complaint regarding this matter, you've had more than enough time to try to do anything, and yet did NOTHING.
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply14 Apr 2026, 08:54
Official
Good day Martin,

We have followed up with the Sanlam Personal Loans department to ensure the necessary assistance is provided.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update14 Apr 2026, 09:11
Reviewer Update
NFO Complaint Reference Id-O7NYPZ3M
jJ
jjmbotha J's update14 Apr 2026, 11:47
Reviewer Update
Why do I get threatened with a negative impact on my Credit Record if I don't pay manually on time, but you can delay a refund on a mistake YOU MADE for over three weeks?
Sanlam
Sanlam's reply14 Apr 2026, 12:06
Official
We acknowledge that your complaint has been formally escalated to the NFO. 

As the matter is now under their consideration, we are regrettably unable to intervene further. We will continue to cooperate fully with the process as required.

Regards
Sanlam Client Care
jJ
jjmbotha J's update14 Apr 2026, 12:09
Reviewer Update
So does this mean resolution is going to be delayed even more?
jJ
jjmbotha J's update17 Apr 2026, 11:36
Reviewer Update
The refund has been processed, thank you - now it's waiting for 21 April to confirm that the Debit Order has also been cancelled, because any promises you might give me in that regard would be meaningless.