Valuable customer or not, Standard Bank will drain money out of you!!!

You hear of banks being so big that they are untouchable by the government or law for that matter. That's Standard Bank for you. I am a prestige Banker with Standard Bank. You would think as a prestige banker with Standard Bank you will be some kind of an important client to them. It is only a wish. They claim you have a dedicated prestige banker, pssshhh, you still rot in line as expected with fellow bankers without prestige accounts. You call the so-called dedicated line for prestige bankers, you are re-directed to their Home Loans department or Credit Card department just like like any other client with or without prestige account. I emailed the prestige banking department one time while in the UK desperately needing to use my master-card and no one ever rep****.

The worst part, here is why I am writing this review. I have a Home Loan with Standard Bank. National prime lending rate, 10.25%. Standard bank gave my poor self a whopping 13.90% on this bond. As much as that is insanely high, here is the kicker. I bought an apartment for R390,000. I have been paying roughly R4,900 for over 3 years. I am currently trying to sell this apartment as I realise the rate they gave me is just too high. They tell me my balance after paying monthly without defaulting is R387,726.18. How is this possible after loyally paying for three years? I called Standard Bank to check if it is normal to them for one to pay R4,900 monthly for three years and that only works out to only about R2,300 difference between the amount I bought the apartment for and the current balance. Standard Bank Home Loans says roughly R4,000 from my bond repayments is only interest and that only about R400 goes towards my bond repayment. Daaaaaamn!!!! On top of that, because I am selling, even after giving them sale notice, Standard Bank charges me R4,900 (called other...) and R10,390.06 which they say is 13.40% of my current balance of R387,726.18. How is this possible even though I pay my bond monthly without defaulting with the same 13.40% interest included in my monthly repayment? Way to suck me dry Standard Bank. As they are untouchable, I can only wonder if this is normal in Standard Bank to all their other loyal clients or if the same applies across all the big banks!!!