Alfa Israel Assistance Company (AIAC)

We were asked to restore access to the personal bank account: the client was in Russia, the number linked to the bank account and the SIM card were lost.

Solution of the problem:
— We ordered a new SIM card with a new number.
— The bank was asked to identify the client and to make a call abroad.
— The customer was prepared for possible bank issues for successful identification. Next, the bank provided coordinates to which it was necessary to send a detailed description of the situation. We have sent a request letter in Hebrew for new access codes.

Result:
The client received a new access, replenished the account and solved his questions in Israel.

Due to the monthly write-offs of funds by the X mobile phone company (the name has been changed), the client’s bank account balance became negative. As further write-offs became impossible, the SIM card providing access to the bank was disabled.

Thus, the client has reached a dead end: it is necessary to replenish the account for the phone card to work, but it is impossible to restore access to the bank without a working telephone card.

Solution of the problem:
We created a personal account of the client on the website of the X mobile company (the name has been changed) and, using a Russian card, the balance of the SIM card was replenished. After that, we unblocked the bank account and the client was able to replenish the balance.

Result:
The client was able to replenish the bank account in the usual way for her.

The family with children repatriated to Israel.

The husband worked in Russia and did not spend the required 183 days in the country to be considered a permanent resident.

The wife worked remotely in Russia and lived permanently in Israel with her children, the children went to school, were vaccinated at the local department of the health insurance.

The Social Insurance system (Bituach Leumi) unexpectedly disconnected all family members from residence and canceled the status of “permanent resident” for them. According to the law on social insurance, their hospital insurance was turned off.

The family lived in Israel and therefore had all the necessary documents to prove the status of their residence, such as: apartment rent, car rental, a bank account, a certificate that the children are enrolled in school, etc.

Whilst there are documents on apartment and a car rental, a bank account, and a certificate of children enrollment in school, the Bituaсh Leumi has responded that since the husband does not live in Israel, the number of days in the country for the whole family is not an indicator, and more evidence is needed that the center of family life is in Israel.

The actions of Bituach Leumi sometimes are not logic and require exceptional attention for each specific case!

Our client was repatriated in December 2018. She opened an account in Leumi’s bank, but she didn’t use it.

Immediately after the repatriation, she applied to the Ministry of Absorption and left her account details. Bituach Leumi, without tracking her stay in the country, considered her a resident and paid benefits. The account has accumulated about 45,000 ₪, which the bank, due to the account’s inactivity, has invested in securities and currency. In total 43,000 ₪ were invested. At the end of 2020, Bituach Leumi changed the status of the client to “non-resident”, which automatically canceled the right to benefits accrued for the previous period and required the return of 22,000 ₪.

The bank informed that the issue can be resolved only by contacting the account holder to the bank, since the money has been invested.

Solution of the problem:
We transferred 90 ₪ to the account, which formally made it active. After that, we prepared and sent a letter to the bank notifying that the account has been unblocked and a refund is required. The bank explained in a response letter that it is possible to terminate the investment portfolio by selling it at current prices. We informed the client about the risk of possible losses due to the difference in the purchase price of assets and their current value and helped to make a corresponding request to the bank.

Result:
The portfolio was sold, the money was returned to the account.

We were contacted by a client who noticed that in addition to the standard monthly tariff payment, there are strange write-offs of funds to the X mobile phone company (the name has been changed), the money was withdrawn throughout the year in various amounts.

Solution of the problem:
After contacting the phone company, it was found out that a person with the same surname as her is tied to the client’s contract. This person has two additional numbers, from which he periodically makes calls abroad on international roaming. Employees of X mobile (the name has been changed) could not give an answer of who attached an outsider to the client’s contract and on what basis this happened. They promised to look into the situation and give an answer in a month. A month later, there was no response, we had to make a request again. After a long wait for a response to numerous appeals to X mobile (the name has been changed) by telephone and in writting, we decided to send a complaint against this company to the Ministry of Communications. Within a month, the answer came that the situation was resolved in favor of the client, and X mobile (the name has been changed) is obliged to return the illegally debited money to her.

Result:
The client received a letter of apology from X mobile (the name has been changed), the money was returned to her account.