Equity Bank is on the spot for allegations of stealing from its customers using Equitel lines, and paying them off with ‘rude’ customer service.
This was revealed yesterday by a Kenyan whose father was mishandled in the bank,and even slapped with a Ksh34,000 for ‘pestering’ them.
According to Lydia Mathia, whose Facebook post has gone viral, the bank okayed withdrawal of his father’s Ksh34,000 in what looked like collusion between bank officials and cartels.
Ms Mathia’s dad discovered that he could not use his Equitel pin in December, and decided to visit Limuru branch where he had the account.
To his dismay, the customer care attendant told him rudely that the line was not his, and “he should tell them where he got it”.
“Back and forth and they finally sort things out by renewing the SIM card. On getting home, dad got a message that he had an outstanding loan of Ksh34,000 and then notifications for repayment with a deadline of 27th Dec 2018 started coming through thick and fast,” says Ms Mathia.
“He went back to the bank obviously emphatic that he had no such loan. The bank manager was exceptionally rude and literally mistreated my dad. There’s a bank form the manager was supposed to give for a complaint to be filled for escalation and action. The bank manager refused to give the form. Dad went there three times asking for that form, the manager threw him out telling him to go report to the police and bring the OB number. Dad did exactly that, he went and reported to the police and emailed the complaint and OB Number. The matter was assigned an incident report number by the bank,” she adds.
This was just the beginning. When Ms Mathia’s dad, a retired man, received his December pension, it was entirely deducted to pay for his ‘loan’ and “he continues to receive notifications for the balance”.
“Important to mention that it became apparent in the many visits paid to the bank that the money was withdrawn through another number. The guy actually withdrew 34K, checked balance, got a message that there was 300 remaining and withdrew 200 bob. It has also been established that Dad was on an active call at the time exact time the transaction was happening and at a very different location,” says Ms Mathia.
The post has elicited a lot of reactions, most of whom have lost money with the bank while others were mistreated by the bank management and customer care representatives.
Here are some reactions from Kenyans who once banked with Equity:-
“Banked with them for 3 years till 2016 but when I approached them for an overdraft they denied and talked rude just because I had another active account in kcb…I left forever. Now Kabarnet Equity branch ni mahame,” says Kipchirchir CK.
Sammy Muriuki says, “That’s why I’m leaving Equity Bank Kenya. My mum was arrogantly handled by a customer care representative.”
“Staffs are very rude & serve one customer like 30mins & then go for tea break leaving the remaining customers stranding on the line,” says Lydia Otieno.
Another one, Joyce Gathumbi says that “her dad’s money was withdrawn… 180k and a loan of 40k on top. And instead of helping him to track it they keep telling him his loan is due.”
Last year, the bank was on the spot following mistreatment and sexual harrassment of its leadership programme interns by top managers.