RANT WARNING! - Scroll past this
In the hope of some Absa guy reading this, herewith my Absa horror story:
I was quite happy with Absa (from way back, before it was even Absa), right through my student days, etc.
The troubles started when I started working....
First came the switch from a student account to a "proper account", which included a garage card. The application was an issue which took 5 days to sort out since they did not want to change my account to a graduate account since I didn't at that time yet have proof of employment (other than my salary slip and monthly deposits into my account) but also did not want me to stay on the student package "since I was earning a salary". The mind boggles.
After about 5 weeks after my application for a garage card I was still garage card-less and asked my branch what was going on... They couldn't tell me and promised to get back to me. Needless to say they didn't but at least a week later I got my garage card.
So, I go about my merry way until one day I receive a rude phone call from my branch, asking my when I'm going to come and collect my garage card after all the fuss I have made - which was quite strange, seeing that I already had a garage card in my possession (and have thrown in many many liters of petrol). It transpired that when my first application didn't result in a garage card they merely duplicated the application and issued a second card. So - they cancelled the second card. Or so I thought - in fact: they cancelled the card I had in my possesion, which led me being quite embarrassed at the the petrol station when my card was listed as blacklisted. After a few phone calls they reversed the blacklisting.... again however, so I thought: a couple of weeks later I received a sms from some Absa call center (after hours!) which basically said that I was using an illegal card and had to hand the card in at my nearest branch. Obviously when I tried to call the call centre, it was closed.
After a number of phone calls, which I had to make and pay for - the issue was resolved. Ah, but wait: it wasn't! Two months later I received 17 pages of garage card statements.... It transpired that they "old" card number was now allocated to somebody else, but still linked to my account....! Fun and games! Luckily all the transactions were quickly reversed, save for - the bank charges! (To this day, some 6 months later I'm still waiting on the R200-odd refund).
Then, three months later, a FNB banker was at our office for one of my colleagues... He told me of his package (the electronic option at R75/month) and I did some investigation on my bank charges.... the summary of which are:
- I'm paying internet banking fees twice per month of R115 (quite clever, I must say, since one sees the internet banking fee and disregards it, but never notice that it pops up twice per month on your account).
- I'm paying a management fee for my cheque account of R200p/m
- I'm paying a yearly AND monthly credit card fee (R300-odd for the yearly fee plus another R20p/m)
- I'm paying an admin fee of some R50p/m fr goodness knows what
All-in-all, it resulted in the nice sum of R487 for the month of Feb 2008. I was shocked.
So, I decided to call my banker at Absa and left 7 messages to find out what is going on... Not a single call was returned.
My experience with FNB on the other hand was magnificient, to ay the least. The FNB rep came to my office, collected all the docs, did all the applications, sorted out my credit card, overdraft, etc - all in 30 minutes.
One week later I had my R75p/m option plus cheque card, credit card and debit and credit petrol cards as well as internet banking sorted. What a pleasure and double thumbs up to FNB!
As a final confirmation that I was right to leave Absa - I phoned Absa to ask what I needed to switch my last debit order (an internal absa one, which Absa did not allowed FNB to do on my behalf). I phoned and asked what I needed to switch my debit order and close my accounts. When I saw the senior Sales Manager at Absa Sandton City, she confirmed to me that I was overpaying on all my accounts - the shocking part? They didn't even offer to rectify it, just basically said they understand why I would want to close my accounts.
After spending ages in the queues at the tellers to close my accounts, I was told that I also needed a statement from FNB to prove my account number (new requirement which I was not told of over the phone) - which meant having to rush over to FNB and rush bank to Absa before they closed the Saturday morning (with being totally unapologetic and basically telling me that if I didn't return by 11am, I'll have to do it some other time).
My warning to all - stay away from Absa: I really don't mind paying a small premium for good service, but no consumer should have to put up with such arrogance and incompetence. And for considerably less money you can actually get better service at FNB.
I don't understand why corporates can't understand that such bad customer service is really bad for business (especially people who now EARN money and can and will be a good client for a long time to come)? I myself have actually told everybody that I've met that is with Absa that they are being ripped off and should seriously consider going to FNB.
OK, enough of my diatribe....
