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Lwazi M

1 reviews | Active since Aug 2023

02 Sept 2023, 01:08

Pathetic Service and ********* Business Conduct

I am really disappointed at how Standard Bank has dealt with my complaint. It took Standard Bank a whole week in dealing with this matter, with No end in sight. Not really surprised, judging by how long it is taking for them to finalize my Late Mother's Estate. The matter is referred to different departments ,every department just takes out a piece of the complaint and "defends" their department then pass it on.

I have received pathetic replies from all those departments. Standard Trust has been saying the same thing since April 2023 and added that Credit Life and Life Cover are optional. After I had expressed the way I feel about how this Financial Advice was given to my Late Mother.

Standard Bank Financial Consultancy has responded by two pages as "proof" that my mother signed for the Life Cover Analysis. She signed next to a hand written Pensioner and Unemployed, showing that she was agreeing to Status of Employment and NOT Affordability. The attachments show what I have been saying about how this business was conducted. These pages come from different documents (page 4 of 11 and 3 of 8), probably done on different dates, documents and conversation. This was merely a formality as part of the product offering by Standard Bank, it was never about my mother’s financial needs. It is not clear what was offered, if this was done in good faith then this analysis would have been about the amount offered and the premium. My mother was a Pensioner that was receiving Income from GEPF. Surely the Financial Advisor should have known this and made her sign for the amount offered and premium confirming that she couldn’t “afford”. To say that she’s a Pensioner and Unemployed, clearly shows that this was just a formality, and this reason looks as though it’s just part of the way Standard Bank's Financial Advice is offered. I don’t even think that my mother understood the amounts on these document. We, as her family are failing to understand these two pages. A signature next to Income and Expenditure would give us an indication that she couldn’t afford the premium. If this is how Standard Bank gives Financial Advice then it is shocking, especially to a Pensioner.

It appears Standard Bank is just reading to reply, not reading to understand and do not show any feelings towards the pain that we are going through, as a family. The matter about the Will being given to us, a month after my mother’s funeral, has not been addressed or even acknowledged. The part about the Will, is the most painful one. We are spending thousands every other month, performing Traditional ceremonies because we have buried our mother at a wrong place. Most nights I have to stay up and perform certain rituals, my mother's spirit is not resting in peace. I wish that Standard Bank understood our Culture and the pain caused by the Will. However, Standard Bank continues to overlook the part about the Will and are dragging the process by these pathetic replies. I hope this is not how Standard Bank treats all their clients.

Please Standard Bank respond as one/as an institution, the pain is getting worse , accompanied by family feuds and financial stress/losses. Please respond in writing(email), it's not pleasant having to keep expressing my feelings on this platform then have to go through the same torture on the phone.

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Replies (11)
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply02 Sept 2023, 08:07
Official
Hi Lwazi

We assure you that as an organization we are committed to providing the best possible service and assure you that this will be addressed as a matter of urgency. 
 
 Kindly provide us with your account or id numbers for us to escalate your matter further. 
 
 We apologize for the inconvenience and undue frustration, this has caused. 
 
 We greatly appreciate your continued support. 
 
 Kind Regards
 Standard Bank Hello Peter Team
 ***
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply02 Sept 2023, 09:22
Official
Hi Lwazi

Thank you for the details. We will follow up and get back to you.

 We greatly appreciate your continued support. 
 
 Kind Regards
 Standard Bank Hello Peter Team
 ***
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply08 Sept 2023, 15:55
Official
Hi Lwazi

Thank you for taking our calling. We will follow up with the standard bank trust. In the meantime, we will be closing the matter but we do hope you will contact us if you still need any assistance. 
 
Kindest regards, 
Standard Bank Social Media Team
*** 
 
LM
Lwazi M's update13 Sept 2023, 08:07
Reviewer Update
This is really frustrating, I've asked Standard Bank to address all my issues and respond in writing . Every time this matter is referred to Standard Trust , they call me and tell me the same thing that they have been saying since March 2023. I am treated like a no body, non of my feelings are addressed. I doubt if this is how Standard Bank treats its customers and really hope this is not how the treat their customers. Maybe they would have treated the matter differently if they were dealing with a prominent family or more educated people.

The issues I've raised , are not addressed and Standard Trust just say other departments are responsible for some of the issues. I am writing to Standard Bank and I would like Standard Bank to respond to all of the issues that I have raised, STOP passing accountability from one department to the next. The lady at Standard Trust is doing her best to assist and I just feel that Standard Bank has made this issue her responsibility.

Please Standard Bank can you attend to this matter, read to understand and respond in writing. I am not the only one affected by this matter, my family also needs to see your response. This matter is taking long, just to respond to my complaint. This has really changed the way I see Standard Bank, as a Financial Institution. It has changed the way my family feels about having a Will at Standard Bank . Can this issue be resolved, tjooo
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply13 Sept 2023, 08:35
Official
Dear Lwazi

The matter is being treated as a priority and our team is ensuring that it is resolved timeously . We will revert with feedback as shortly .
 
We apologize for any delays. 

Kindest regards 
Standard Bank Hello Peter Team 
***
LM
Lwazi M's update21 Sept 2023, 08:41
Reviewer Update
There's no progress on this matter, it is always referred to Standard Trust and they are saying the same thing. Standard Bank is just demanding that a Shortfall be paid in, non of my issues are addressed and no one at Standard Bank is taking accountability. Standard Bank is not even mentioning or addressing any of my issues, blaming the family for not paying the municipality. This is so pathetic from Standard Bank, such poor service and lack of care/values and expecting the family to just pay the Shortfall, so that the Estate can be finalized. Standard Bank must stop referring the matter to only Standard Trust. Please address all the issues raised previously, these responses from Standard Trust are unsatisfactory and are repeating the same thing.

I am going to paste the response from Standard Bank, so that you can see for yourself :
Dear Aviwe and Lwazi Mtiya
I refer to the above matter and the Hello Peter complaint dated 17 September 2023.
  1. I have engaged the beneficiaries on 29 September 2022 prior to reporting the estate. We were open to renouncing as executor but the beneficiaries insisted that we administer the estate and that Aviwe would ensure the shortfall is paid in full.
  1. Standard Trust has always acted with due diligence in this estate. The estate was reported timeously after receipt of documents. The delay was in the issuing and receipt of Letters of Executorship from the Master’s Office. The Master’s Office is an external dependency on which we are heavily reliant on. We do and have sincerely apologised for the delays of the Master’s Office and have expedited all the remaining issues since the receipt of the Letters of Executorship.
  1. We are now unable to move forward as the shortfall is not being paid.
Shortfall
  1. The cause for the shortfall of the estate is a result of the beneficiaries not upkeeping the payments of the Municipal Account for both properties of which they have the use and enjoyment of. In addition insurance had to be taken for both properties and covered by the estate and there is minimal cash in the estate. The outstanding municipal account is increasing monthly and interest is charged on the arrear amount. There is not sufficient funds in the estate to cover the rates clearance figures which was issued in July 2023.
  1. Lwazi has requested that she be listed as the executor of the estate as she would be able to apply for an Indigent Grant at the Municipality and attend to payment arrangements.
  1. Kindly note that other creditor(s) may come forward with their claim against the estate prior to the lodgement of the Liquidation and Distribution Account.
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply21 Sept 2023, 08:49
Official
Dear Lwazi 

Thank you for writing back to us.

The concerns raised have been noted and shared with the consultant dealing with this matter.

Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.

We will be in touch with further feedback. 


Kindest regards 
Standard Bank Hello Peter Team 
*** 


LM
Lwazi M's update27 Sept 2023, 11:06
Reviewer Update
Standard Bank does not care about my concerns and there's no communication coming from them. All I get is response/acknowledgement on this platform but nothing coming from the bank in addressing my concerns.

This has been the worse experience ever, my family has never been so disrespected and looked down on. I'm sure that we would not be getting such bad service, if we were a prominent a family or if I was more educated. Standard Bank does not have any Values, another week has ended without any word from them. This is so frustrating and the pain is getting worse.

Please Standard Bank can you treat me and my family like human beings , show a bit of respect to us, treat us like your clients.
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply27 Sept 2023, 11:13
Official
Dear Lwazi

Rest assured our team is working around the clock to ensure that your query gets resolved, the team will be in contact with you.

Kindest regards, 
Standard Bank Hello Peter Team 
*** 
LM
Lwazi M's update30 Sept 2023, 23:05
Reviewer Update
Standard Bank this is really lack of care and disrespect , no one at your bank has even acknowledged or has taken accountability of this query. To say that you are working around the clock to resolve my query but the whole of September no one at Standard Bank has cared to even write back and keep us on the loop of what is happening or even let us know that the matter is being dealt with.

The fact that we keep responding on this platform, should show you that we don't have anyone that is in contact with us from Standard Bank. Maybe you guys work on business hours/days but to us it is every hour of every day and the pain is unbearable . Every day I check my emails, hoping that there's a response from Standard Bank and I go through the pain of losing my mother for all those hours/days that I wait for Standard Bank to respond. I will never find closure of losing my mother, while this matter is still on going. My mother's Estate depends on Standard Bank , to be finalized and it feels like my whole life depends on this bank that has given my family , the most pathetic service.

I would appreciate if Standard Bank can contact my brother , regarding this matter and maybe he will understand these delays or maybe he will be treated better than me because he knows these banking things. I have to look after my health, I'm disabled and chronic . Please Standard Bank can you resolve this query, stop this hide and seek of sending Standard Trust to respond with their dismal fail(delays with Estate being finalized), delaying this matter even further.

I have concluded that Standard Bank has this ugly Culture of delays, NO Care and has NO Accountability. I curse the day that my mother drafted a Will with Standard Bank and would like to warn people about having a Will at Standard Bank, your families will go through the worse times(Financially) after your passing. The Financial Advice is all about Standard Bank benefiting from Executor's fees and your family will get Nothing But will have to pay a ridiculous Shortfall. It will be business as usual at Standard Bank while your family is suffering financially because of the Shortfall caused by them. My mother had No Debt( besides a claim on the Estate by Standard Bank Credit Card for R40000). However, more than R200000 has been paid into the Estate, including proceeds from Sale of Property but still there's a Shortfall. I still don't know the purpose of having a Financial Advisor and a Will at Standard Bank, when they can't do a financial needs analysis and see that there's going to be a Shortfall. Again, this proves that it all about Standard Bank and not looking after my mother's finances. ********* business conduct, poor service and lack of care.
Standard Bank
Standard Bank's reply01 Oct 2023, 08:51
Official
Good Day 

Rest assured our team is working around the clock to ensure that your query gets resolved, the team will be in contact with you.

Warm Regards
Standad Bank Hello Peter Team
***