Statewide

Merger with Host Plus – NOT HAPPY JAN!!...I didn't know of this merger with Host Plus....now can't get into my online account....o can't see contributions....my persinal fortnightly contribution hasnt been taken out of my bant account....tried to phone.....on hold for 30 minutes so hung up. Just wondering how and where is my employer is going to put my monthly super!!

0 rating for arrogant customer service – My first experience of the arrogance and rudeness of the old Australian customer service since most customer services relocated offshore. I am just waiting to get time off so I can move my super to another customer friendly super fund. I wrote a letter of complaint and its a few weeks now and no reply. Real arrogance at its worst. I thought my experience was isolated but its seems its an organisational culture from the comments here.

Arrogance and obstinacy personified – I have been with Statewide for over 13 years. Recently I have been treated appallingly by staff with such an arrogant and obstinate attitude never experienced anywhere. I realise in today’s trying virus times things do not run smoothly but there is no need for Statewide employees to increase one’s frustrations with such abysmal service-- They… Read more

refuse to accept email instruction and even hang up when I phone. They send out the wrong forms and then ignore directions on the correct form. Statewide simply DO NOT CARE about members, are a law unto themselves and I strongly suspect Statewide enjoy antagonising members Don't let me dissuade you, but I am looking to transfer my funds EDIT: It is now August and I have just received three pages of excuses following a scathing complaint to the authorities. I first encountered Statewide's ineptitude way back in MARCH! Such is the speed at which Statewide attend to issues EDIT 2: Statewide sent me an Auspost Gift Card as I guess an apology, however I have yet to find a retailer who accepts it. Auspost Gift Card Customer Service is staffed by people overseas that can not be understood! What a JOKE! Admins please let us have the option of zero (or even half) a star

Wasting my money, not user friendly, poor customer service – This fund has high indirect costs, much higher compared to other industry funds. Their returns have also been sliding. The online "app" is not an app but merely the online member portal/website customized to a mobile phone screen with much less functionality compared to the website. Have experienced long waits on the phone and staff not sure of… Read more

their answers. Also received different answers on the same question from different people.

Helped a friend with a death claim. Her beloved husband passed away and it took almost 6 months to get the money out of Statewide. It was a very stressful period for her and the lack of communication from Statewide did not make things easier, they made things worse.

I have now left the fund because I would not want to put my loved ones through a painful process. This should be business as usual!

Would prefer to be able to give 0 stars – Statewide Super refused to send my account to my nominated Superannuation Fund in a timely manner. When they did send it, it was minus almost $5 000 in a one week period of the amount I had accumulated over a 39-year period of continuous work. Statewide claims that the investment option went down in value. In truth the share market rose that… Read more

week. I was given a variety of reasons as to why the transfer to my nominated fund did not occur. Avoid this company.

Horrible! Such a nightmare! – If only I could give no stars for this company. Horrible! Deducted $485 on my account for insurance premium which is supposedly just $6 a month! And the nerve of cancelling my insurance after because I have insufficient amount left! Now they can’t explain what happened and leave me hanging as to where did my money go!

Disgraceful service - will change to another fund – Waited over 40 minutes to get through, rang back again and waited another 30 minutes - with so many funds to choose from - I am looking around.

Great Canstar rating, pity about the Customer Service – Proceed with caution - watch the way they take insurance from you - is an automated process. They took $178.00 last month . I did not agree or approve of this - now have to apply for cancellation and a proportion refund - I am 64 yrs old...why would I agree to $178.00 per month insurance when my contribution is only 200.00 per month. This company… Read more

is not offering any supportive service. Staff are matter of fact and ho hum with no empathy. Biggest mistake I made was to leave AMP.....they may charge more fees but customer service exemplary.

Can't update investment mix online over several weeks – I have recently joined Statewide. I am fast regretting my decision to join them. I haven't been able to change my investment mix online over several weeks. I even notified them weeks ago but they didn't fix the issue. I also felt the process of establishing an account with them was strange as I wasn't given an account number until my employer made… Read more

a payment. I haven't received a welcome pack my mail after several weeks. I don't recommend Statewide at all. I feel I am living a super nightmare.

Expensive and unfair – As mentioned by other reviewers the insurance on this Super is not only expensive but difficult to remove. Furthermore the administration fees are quite high and yoy can easily find a better performing fund quite easily for less. However, be careful when you rollover to a new fund, they'll squeeze as much out of you as possible, so be prepared… Read more

to take a hit (exit fees, administration fees, insurance, etc.)

I wish I had done better research and not allowed my employer to nominate a super provider for me all those years ago. So much hard earned money down the drain.

Terrible Retirement Processing – In November 2014 I gave advance notice of plans to retire and to access some money for retirement projects. Statewide responded by emailing relevant forms. The first problem began when my emailed completed forms that were subsequently misplaced, so we had to come in and reapply. Whilst reapplying they advised there was a whole additional… Read more

process to go through to which we promptly resolved over a few days.

Once our payout value was calculated and documented we withdraw the designated portion from the funds and commenced our retirement project. Shortly after they rang to advise that they had miscalculated the tax component of the payout value, upon the statement, to which Statewide pleaded that we repay a large sum of money. After much reflectance and frustration, we repaid the sum of money. Statewide were very fortunate that we did not hold them accountable to the documented payout value.

Today my fortnightly superannuation income benefit was not credited to my bank account! In response we logged in to my Statewide Account and entered my password, however once logged in, a prompt appeared to change my password but the password change process rejected by past password, consequently could not access my account to establish why I did not receive my fortnightly income benefit.

There is also no "if your forgotten your password, to reset, select the following options " unlike most websites.

I will next need to ring on Monday and demand answers and my lost fortnightly superannuation income benefit and password problem.

Can't wait to transfer my remaining funds to another superannuation provider!

finding it VERY difficult to get hold of my money – I rang, requested forms to claim my super, nothing arrived, rang again 2wks later, somebody emailed me some told me I could email everything back. Wrong! They need the original signed ID certification. I asked for best address to get it right to the person, they gave me the Wrong address! Go & get another one! Easy when you live miles away from… Read more

everything. Great to have staff that don't know their own protocols or even their own work address! Not their money,they don't care. It was bad enough that I had trouble getting them to cancel the insurance on it, but trying to get hold of my own money, that's even more difficult.

They add insurance without asking and will charge you for it – Awful, was forced to join this super company by my new employer which is illegal anyway. When I received my 'Welcome package' I found I had been given two types of insurance that I hadn't asked for. When I called to have this cancelled I was told I would need to fill out a form and send it to them and that the charges to my account could not be reversed. Do not join!

Insurance I didn't know about – I got my statement in September and discovered that half my super from last year was taken to pay for insurance I didn't ask for. I researched this and Statewide charge a 20% administration fee for insurance on top of the $78 administration fee. Taking twice for a lousy service, Not fair. Hidden insurance that ate my super.

My Postal Address Keeps On Changing! – I rented a post office box for a year in 2005 and when I filled out the redirection form I elected Australia Post NOT to tell any organisations about my post office box, but I found out later that they did. I cancelled it in 2006, and in 2008 Statewide sent my annual statement to my old post office box address. I changed my postal address back to… Read more

my residential address but Statewide changed it back to the old post office box again in 2011. When I asked them why they kept on changing my address to a post office box that I no longer rent, they told me they used the services of a third party service provider who checks the lists that Australia Post provides to organisations when people place a redirection on their mail and ask Australia Post to inform organisations. I thought you were only supposed to use the latest lists to update addresses but Statewide don't seem to care that they are being provided with old addresses. The ATO rules for super funds is that "if one piece of mail is returned to the super fund unclaimed, they may choose to report the member as lost. However, if they receive two pieces of unclaimed mail, they must report the member as lost." I don't want to end up on the Lost Members Register if I can help it.

You can possibly end up on the Lost Members Register because of their stupidity

Terrible – My company have been putting in excess of $300 every month for one year (some months more than $500), I was expecting well about $3000 or more on my super this year, but after investment losses, administration fees, insurance premiums, contributions tax, and "member benefit protection credit" I had only $300 in my account. A net loss of $2700 on… Read more

one year! I had enough of these bludgers. Quick to answer the phone Excessive fees, misleading statements, poor online statement availability