Hypocritical... Effectively dishonest... And quite disrespectful.

On the 1st of november 2017, I was driving home and arround two or three in the morning I noted that my AccesSave account had an amount available on it of R2750.00. I trnsferred this amount to my Access account. I got home and slept. When I woke I checked my accounts on the online banking facility only to realise that the amount should not have been available on my account and it also did not reduce my balance when I tranferred it out of the account. It did not even reflect on the account history of the AccesSave even though it was reflecting and available on the Access account.

I then called Standard Bank, using my own airtime, and explained the situation to a consultant named Yamkela. He struggled to understand but then referred to his supervisor who told him that the money would reflect within 24 hours. I disputed this because I had a similar experience with the same account for the amount of R4000 in August. He went back to his supervisor. This is when I got cut off whilst on hold.

I bought more airtime and called again... This time I spoke to a Boniswa Gaba, who could not find Yamkela. So I had to explain everything to her again. Let me point out that at this stage I have called twice and neither of them offered to call me back. Even after i told the second one that I got cut off because I ran out of airtime.

After again referring to her supervisor, she finally escalated the matter to the IT Department and told me that they would get back to me within 24 hours. This did not happen. So I used the money and made a deposit of R3000 into another account at FNB. Later Yamkela caleed back and gave me an incident number: INC **********

I figured if I kept the money in the account I was bound to spend it. So I made provision for it in my Flexi Fixed Account.

Fast forward to yesterday, 14th November 2017. I wake in the morning to check and make sure my moneys are in the right place so I do not miss my debit orders. Only to find that my AccesSave account has been debited with R2750. No phone call. No SMS. No email. So I send them an email to which they do not respond. So this morning I call them and speak to Avela.

He referred to his supervisor, who told him nonsense. His argument was that I should not have used the funds or even tranferred them if I did not know why they were there. I rebutted this by pointing out that less than two days before I was charged R35 for an unsuccessful payment simply because I had forgotten to transfer fund from the AccesSave. So if I see funds in it I would transfer the money first and ask questions later. This I supported with the fact that I actually called them to alert them of the funds. They did not call me and have failed to prove to me that they would have been aware of this if I had not called. This i supported because of the R4000 they failed to notice from August.

I also pointed out to him that I have no problem with returning the money. I have it in an account at FNB. All I am saying is that they could have called me and informed me of the findings of the investigation. And also to inform me that they intend to debit my account. Instead of taking money that I had put aside for six debit orders without alerting me. As a customer I deserve better than that. As someone who told them of the problem, they should not treat me like a ******** attempting to run away with the money. Especially after I still had both accounts active and with money in both of them. The least they could have done is called me.

Argument after argument with him referring to his *********** supervisor who was to much of a ***ard to pick up the phone himself. I honestly felt sorry for Avela. He finally logged a query to see if the money can be reversed. And he gave me a reference as well: ********** 797.

He then told me to take the reference to my branch and request the manager give me an allowance so that I do not miss my debit orders for next Monday. I told him that what has transpired is to convoluted for me to walk into a bank manager's office and request money. This goes against, blatantly against, any bank protocal I know of. And I have worked in a bank.

So he comes up with a second plan... he will contact the branch and inform than of the situation and they can inform me or I can go into the bank and receive the money. I still tell him that I would prefer to speak to his supervisor but then agree to go. He advises I go to the bank and request a Ms Adele Tromp. Who would understand and help me.

I go to the branch. I ask for Ms Tromp... and as if this wasn't bad enough yet... she has retired. Retired... I swear if I had a gun I would have shot someone.

So I am then referred to a consultant at the branch in Secunda. I felt sorry for her as well... she was confused by the advices I had been told by the telephone people. And agreed that most of it is against banking protocols. Again I posed the argument that debiting my account out of the blue, leaves me in a situation where I am gonna be charged an average of R100 for each debit order that doesnt go through. That's R600.

My only other option is to lodge an early redemption on my Flexi Fixed account. This is gonna cost me R750 in early withdrawal charges. And all Standard Bank had to do was call me and I would have told them when to debit the funds. Moreover, if they had called me before last week Friday, I could have moved the dates for my debit orders so all go through when enough funds are available.

The Flexi Fixed account matures on the 14th of December. I do not understand why they could not wait till then. And even if they could not, I have money coming into the account on the 30th of November. Both things I could have explained had they bothered to call me.

And what makes things worse is how these "SUPERVISORS" have the gall to tell the consultants utter *******.

I honestly feel abused. Violated. Disrespected. They told me I should have acted with integrity and not used the money. But I called them. Thrice to inform them of this situation. A situation they have yet to prove that they would have seen or rectified without my informing them. And they could not even be bothered to tell me that they don't know what happened but intend to debit my account. Where is their integrity?

When I worked in the bank(not standard bank) we had to inform customers before removing funds from their accounts. Once a lady deposited money into the wrong account and before processing a reversal, my supervisor had to call the customer and inform him of what has happened and why the funds must be reversed. Even if the customer had no right to the money, he still deserved the respect of the bank to tell him of an error and the attempt to rectify it. If the customer could not be contacted, a note was to be added to the account so that if he goes to any branch seeking answers, any consultant should be able to tell him what happened. It is called respect. I may not have millions going through my account. But I have been a loyal customer for thirteen or fourteen years. Even when I worked for a rival bank I kept this account active which many of my fellow colleagues advised me against and did not understand.

But they reward me like this???!! So what am I to do if this happens again next year? Say I wake up and find one million rands in my account. Should I just tranfer it to another bank and remain quiet? Or should I tell the same bank that has put me in such and abhorrent quandary?

THIS IS NOT RIGHT!