An extremely disappointed and disgruntled trying to be EX-client of Discovery Bank
Dear Johnny (actually Discovery Card),
I called our relationship off in Sep/Oct 2021. Please let me go. Please return my things (actually it is cash) because it is over between us. Your relationship is becoming more abusive and threatening like a lover who cannot accept there is no future for “us”. It is becoming clearer that there never was “us”. Please delete my contact details. You only harass me by SMS and email and when I respond to same you blatantly ignore me. It is a frustrating one-way communication; much like stalking. I’m sorry to wash our sordid washing in public but you are ignoring my requests (actually it is instructions). I am tempted to pay you off every month just so you will shut-up and leave me alone; but it reeks of Mafia pay-offs and I can’t be sure that your demands will not increase (like people have experienced by paying blackmail). Don’t be sorry for yourself; you are bound to meet someone who will replace me and you will be happy again. Please forget me.

My card was expiring at the end of September 2021. I mostly paid my full balance every month (and not just a portion) - look at my payment history. You seemingly like a goodwill payment per month. I was not at my account limit in September when you thought that it would be a good idea to lock my card until I settled the goodwill portion amount. I was a client since about 1998. At no stage did you consider my tenure. I then settled the full balance plus R414.72; so It was in debit. I never used that card again. My card was also expiring at the end of September 2021. At this stage I have had a few SMSes that wanted me to confirm getting a new card. Fortunately you locked my card which helped me to come to the decision to close this account forever or so I naively thought. So I phoned at the end of September or beginning October and repeated the sad story (as above). I asked your representative to cancel this account and to tell the management that I was not happy with your disservice.  Sadly, you ignored me.

On 30 September 2021 I replied “No thank you. Not for me.” to +**********803700 (your SMS service number). On 20 May 2022 I replied to your “minimum payment” SMS of 14 May, with: “I do not have a credit card from you. I cancelled it telephonically in October 2021”.  SADLY, you ignored me.

I received a statement 14 November 2021 to which I replied:
Wed, 19 Jan 2022, 15:57
to Discovery Bank ***********
Dear Sir/Madam,
My last credit card with you expired on 30 September 2021. I did not request a new card as your 10 (yes 10) SMSes suggested because I did not want a credit card anymore. To be doubly sure I phoned early in October 2021 (I think) and told them they must please close the account down. At that stage I had a credit balance of R414.72 which now has been dwindled (or swindled because I don't have a card and I asked you to close the account) down to R290.04. Please can you comply with my original request?

May 2021 you sent me this mail which confirmed that you did not close the account and you have depleted my balance by charges (for something that I cannot utilize) and continued to do so:
Discovery Bank <***********>
8 May 2022, 03:06
Discovery Bank: Your credit facility hasn't received a deposit to service the minimum due of R55.50. Deposit monthly into your facility. Call **********

to which I replied:
8 May 2022, 15:11
to Discovery
Dear Sir/Madam,
My new credit card expired September 2021. I phoned at the beginning of October 2021 (about I think) to cancel the card. I was quite explicit at the time so I do not know why you have not cancelled the card and why you are harassing me. I had a debit balance in my account at that time as well which you must also refund to me.
Yours sincerely

to which you replied:
***********
Sun, 8 May, 15:11
Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups: Discovery Bank (***********) The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now. Please try  resending this message later, or contact the recipient directly.

to which I replied:
9 May 2022, 16:41
to postmaster
Get someone to empty the full mailbox
 SADLY, YOU ignored me.

Then 8 June 2022 you mailed again:
Discovery Bank <***********>
Wed, 8 Jun, 02:59
Discovery Bank: Your credit facility hasn't received a deposit to service the minimum due of R100.00. Deposit monthly into your facility. Call **********
to which I replied:
Wed, 8 Jun, 09:38
to Discovery
Please heed my and your previous mails:
<and I copied in the previous correspondence>
 SADLY, YOU IGNORED me.

I called your 0800 number earlier this year and confirmed to your automated exchange response that I would like you to return the call when your call volumes have dropped. Sadly you did not phone back.  SADLY,YOU IGNORED ME.

Just prior to the next call (that follows below) I looked at all correspondence with Discovery and found an unopened email fom you sent on Thu, 7 Oct 2021, 10:03 subject:“How to close your Discovery Card Account”. This mail is not relevant because no one can operate a credit card without a card. There is a hidden clue in credit card. If you missed it is not that difficult (look at the second word in “credit card”):
I called on 4 July 2022 10:20 Reference **********. Called **********7 and explained the whole sad story over 15 minutes. I told your representative that I phoned last year to close the account, I did not receive any card, I cannot operate the card/account (even though I did not want to) because I do not have a card; seemingly to no avail because she did not heed my call. She said she would speak to some people; but I do not know if she did. I also told her that I want the balance that was in my account in September 2021 to be refunded. Nothing happened. You continued with your harassing SMSes and emails.  SADLY,YOU IGNORED ME.

You continued to send statements and “please pay up” emails. Also the SMSes don’t stop. To date I have at least 47 messages of “a minimum payment”, “hand you over to debt collectors”, “legal action and a negative credit profile”. The last one is a bit of a hoot. I am a pensioner so at this stage of life credit profile threats is a bit lame. I know times are hard; but if you want to pressure a pensioner into paying for something that is of no benefit to him and which he clearly has said “GO AWAY”, then times must be really tough on you guys. So 47 SMSes in 4 months is nearly 12 SMSes per month. (Haven’t you guys got something useful to do?) I understand in Australia this sort of harassment is not tolerated at all. There it is illegal for “unduly harassing or coercing you” (See https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/dec/21/undue-harassment-debt-collection-firm-acm-fined-750000-over-methods
https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/dealing-with-debt-collectors/what-debt-collectors-can-cannot-do
https://consumeraction.org.au/resources-and-toolkits/cde08-im-being-hassled-by-a-debt-collector-what-should-i-do/
https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/credit/debt-collection/ ), Sadly in good old SA it is not frowned upon. Regardless of the legality of the case, let us just consider good/bad manners. Would a reasonable sane man/company not pick up a phone and phone a client? Especially one who faithfully used and paid you for services for over 20 years and then suddenly something changed? Why can’t you have an email address for resolving queries like this? My humble opinion is that bad manners replaced efficiency (which is sometimes, especially when dealing with clients, is not so efficient). You get paid the big bucks, go figure it out.

I refuse to accept that it must be this difficult to close an account. If you do not know how to do it (there is no shame in not knowing things) then please call a friend or another bank to guide you through the steps. Do remember to refund me else we will have to go to the small claims court.

I do not know how else to tell you clearly that I do not want any banking service with you. And I did not want it since last year September 2021.

An extremely disappointed and disgruntled trying to be EX-client.