Latest News & Developments
One year on and the National Financial Ombud Scheme has helped thousands of consumers locked in disputes with companies.
The UN has documented 79 executions of Ukrainian prisoners by Russian forces since August 2023, raising serious concerns about war crimes and human rights violations. The international body warns that inflammatory rhetoric from Russian public figures may be encouraging these unlawful acts, while both sides face accusations of prisoner mistreatment in the ongoing conflict.
Hearings into allegations of financial mismanagement against LPC CEO Charity Nzuza are set to commence on 3 February 2025, following multiple complaints and an ombudsman investigation.
Of the 10 574 complaints received, 4 501 were dealt with by the Ombud with some of the remainder referred to other Ombuds schemes.
There are a number of challenges that South Africans in the insurance ranging from affordability to language barriers.
Innumerable working citizens who simply cannot afford formal dwellings such as houses, flats, townhouses, and communal or backyard rooms, are forced to live in informal dwellings such as shacks, sheds and other makeshift structures
Of the complaints from clients of Capitec, 64% became formal complaints, 37% for FNB, 48% for Standard Bank, 64% for Nedbank, 79% for African Bank and 63% for TymeBank.
The office confirmed that there are currently 30 cases that are being investigated, eight still need to be allocated, while four are yet to be finalised.
Fais offers recourse for consumers against advisers and providers who take shortcuts in order to make a sale.
The concept of Life Rights in real estate has become a popular retirement model across the globe.
Uber has indicated that the recent complaints from customers relating to unauthorised credit card purchases could be fraud related.
Mental illness cases are often difficult to assess, and insurers may sometimes be too hasty in deciding on their validity. A recent determination by the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance found that an insurer incorrectly declined a disability claim for mental illness because it failed to take a holistic approach and disregarded the totality of the evidence.
Many people seem to treat life insurance like short-term insurance – it’s a grudge purchase and not something worth wasting too much time on, and if you are unhappy with one provider you can always switch to another.
‘Making Taxpayers’ Rights Matter’ campaign reassures taxpayers of continued and intensified promotion and protection of their tax rights
If you’ve seen the news reports about household names in the credit industry being taken to task by the Regulator for “incorrectly selling credit insurance products, was probably the first time you heard about credit life insurance, but if you have ever purchased anything on credit, or taken out an unsecured loan, chances are, you have also bought credit insurance.
An Alexander Forbes retirement fund’s decision to allocate a death benefit has been set aside by the Pension Funds Adjudicator because the administrator had failed to conduct thorough investigations and instead relied on a benefits calculator to tell them what to do.
When you have a beef with your retail bank, credit provider or insurance policy or have a grievance against Sars or your pension fund, and whether you are an individual or a business, think of calling the appropriate ombud to help you resolve the issue.
This week I want to look at the word ombudsman. This is a government official appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials. In an extended way, it could mean that he is one who investigates, reports on and helps settle complaints.
Two rulings against (unnamed) banks recorded in the latest annual report of the Ombudsman for Banking Services show that customers often fall through the cracks of banks’ automated systems, especially when it comes to the repayment of debt.
The offices for the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance (Osti) and the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance (Olti), which operate under a single insurance ombudsman, jointly clawed back more than R330 million for consumers in 2022.
Minister Enoch Godongwana appointed Leanne Jackson as the chief ombud of the council, for five years, late last year.
The Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance service is urging consumers to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of their policies.
Consumer lawyer Trudie Broekmann warned car dealerships who refuse to replace defective vehicles, that fines by the consumer tribunal could range between R50 000 and R100 000.
A woman, Dr Natasha Groenewald, among others, wanted the ombud to order the homeowners association of Eagle Canyon Golf Estate to apologise to her for the way they had treated her.
Banking fraud, related to current accounts and internet banking remains high on the list of complaints to the Ombud for Banking Services South Africa (OBS), although banks appear to be making greater efforts to resolve some types of consumer disputes internally.