Absa Collections Department Contact Details

Absa does not publish a number for a department called collections. The route it does publish for an account in arrears is the Manage my debt line, and that is the one to use if your account has fallen behind or has been referred for collection.

Task scope

This covers reaching Absa about an account in arrears, an account that has been handed over, or setting up an arrangement to pay off a debt. It does not cover a dispute about goods that were financed, which belongs to the supplier, and it does not cover the conduct of an external debt collector, which has a different regulator entirely.

Route

One thing to be ready for: Absa publishes 0860 000 786 against three different services on the same page, namely Manage my debt, Islamic Banking and vehicle warranty. It is a shared entry point rather than a direct line to a debt desk, so listen to the menu and choose the debt option rather than assuming the first agent who answers handles arrears.

Requirements

Have your account number and ID number ready, because the account will not be found by name alone. If you are asking for an arrangement rather than just making a payment, expect to be asked what you earn and what your other commitments are, since any repayment plan is assessed against affordability. Keep a note of the reference number and the name of the department you were put through to, as arrangements made verbally are easier to enforce later if you can point to a reference.

Steps

Phone the Manage my debt line and select the debt option from the menu. Explain whether you want to settle, to catch up the arrears, or to arrange smaller instalments, because those are handled differently. Ask for written confirmation of whatever is agreed. If the account has already been handed to an outside firm, ask Absa to confirm in writing which firm holds it and from what date, because you then need to deal with that firm rather than with the bank. If you are unhappy with how the matter is being handled, put it to the Complaint Resolution Suite in writing at the actionline address so there is a record.

Escalation

If Absa does not resolve it, a dispute with the bank goes to the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa on 0860 800 900. Complaints about reckless lending or about conduct under the National Credit Act, and the route into formal debt review through a registered debt counsellor, go to the National Credit Regulator on 0860 627 627.

The distinction that matters most here is the last one. Once a debt has been handed to an external debt collector, that collector is regulated by the Council for Debt Collectors under the Debt Collectors Act, not by the National Credit Regulator. Complaints about harassment, about fees added by the collector, or about a collector who is not registered go to the council. Sending that complaint to the NCR is the most common wasted step in this process.

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