Standard Bank - wrongfully opened fixed deposit account

I am a pensioner who opened a fixed deposit account in 2020 to mature for one year. A few days prior to the maturation date, I received a SMS from Standard Bank "Your investment will mature 2021/06/17. If you want to review your initial maturity instructions, call us on ***."

I phoned them on 1 July (it was not possible to phone prior) and if you listen to the recording, I made it clear to the consultant that I already have a fixed deposit aco**** which has matured in June. I want to re-invest this amount / account.

Instead, this consultant asked if I had online banking and took me to the apply page. My fixed deposit account was not previously linked and I could not see it on my online banking (only my access account and funeral policy).

So after asking him to re-invest, he took me to open a new fixed deposit account. I was left with only one option to transfer from on the page - my access account funds. I am old, and I did not know then that access account means my current account. I thought I was looking at my fixed deposit account from 2020, as this was what I asked for. I paid/ transferred all the funds, which I thought was my fixed deposit funds to re-invest.

When I returned to my home page, to my horror I saw that my current account is on R0 and I then realised what this consultant had done. I phoned again, and a very helpful lady helped me. She linked my two fixed deposit accounts and I could now see both. The insurance department was already closed so she advised to phone them at 8h00 the next morning and gave me the direct number.

On 2 July I phoned the insurance department and explained what had happened. I explained that I am not happy to pay a penalty as it was not my fault that a new fixed deposit account was opened and it needs to be reversed without penalty. The consultant clearly went against my direct verbal instructions. I am old and technology is not my forte, hence I expected him to take me to my old fixed deposiy account.

This new consultant saw and explained that my 2020 fixed deposit acccount had automatically been re-invested so actually it was not necessary for me to have phoned! If I had known that I would not have phoned to ask to re-invest as per the SMS.

My complaints are: The consultant did not listen to my direct verbal instructions and took me to apply and step by step guided me wrongfully. I have now paid over R1500 as a penalty to get it reversed on 5 July. This must be reimbursed to me. Why was another SMS or email not sent to inform me that my 2020 funds have been automatically re-invested? How should I have known?

I will move my fixed deposit account to another bank once it has matured in 2022 as I am very unhappy with how this has been dealt with. As a SASSA pensioner I am horrified at the penalty amount that I was forced to pay to reverse the mistake. I never asked to open a new fixed deposit account!