The Voice - Consumers Voice

There wasn't even water!

I have registered a complaint with a guest house in Mahalapye about their poor service verbally while I was there, through telephone and also wrote an email. I was booked at their guest house for 4 days, and the 'executive' room that I was allocated had issues with water. At times there was no water at all or it was cold because of some malfunction. There were evenings where I had to sleep without a shower.

On day 2 I had to get my toiletry bag and cross over the compound to a standard room to shower and back. On day 3 they suggested I move to a standard room. It had no shower and I do not use lodge bathtubs for personal hygiene reasons, and the ceiling in that room had mould. All this time I alerted management and owner, but there were no other solutions, and I couldn't move to any other accommodation venue because each day they promised they will fix, but when I get back from my meetings in the evening nothing was fixed. They are ignoring my messages and email. I am avoiding posting and shaming them on Facebook as I was hoping this matter could be resolved in an amicable manner. Kindly assist.

This is a disgrace. It doesn't matter how expensive or how cheap accommodation might be, we all deserve a few basics. Clean hot and cold water, cleanliness and security are the starting points. Clearly this particular guest house doesn't understand that. Maybe they don't understand the word 'guest'?

I contacted the owner and manager of the establishment and they seemed unhappy responding. They sent two messages on WhatsApp but deleted them before I had a chance to read them. I'll keep trying. Meanwhile you might want to alert the Botswana Tourism Organisation to see if they want to advise this place on the standards they expect from establishments like this. 

Update. Still no update from this so-called "guest house". I won't give up.

Will they finish the roof?

In June 2023 ,I constructed a company to erect roof trusses and roof fascia boards. They were not put up at the time and I have since last April 24 requested them to put it up since I wanted to move into the house. The manager of the company insisted that I hire scaffolding, which I did not agree to because I assumed their prices included all tools and equipment. When I contracted them I was never informed about hiring scaffolding, this was only raised when I asked about the fascia boards. It was never explicit in the quotation that I have to hire scaffolding.

In October 2024 they requested to hire scaffolding and that we share the expense of which I agreed, but they kept on postponing to put up the fascia boards and I doubt if he`ll ever put them. I feel their delaying tactics just to get away with it. We have since moved into the house without those fascia boards.

This must be very frustrating. It's a very good example of how we must be 100% certain with builders about what is included in a quotation and what is not. It's worth asking a builder to put in writing that their quote is complete and there will be no additional charges. However, I respect you for doing a deal with this builder to get the project finished. I'm less impressed with their delaying tactics.

I contacted them and they responded very quickly, saying that they would "try to put things in order and make contact." 

Let's hope they keep their promise.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

How did I become a Director?

Sometime in January a couple came to my workplace claiming that l took their money after purchasing a car and l told them my husband is the one in the car business. They then said the money was supposed to have been sent into my business account and l got curious. That is when l searched for the company on CIPA site and l saw that l was a director of the company. I then went to CIPA offices to seek clarity and the lady that assisted me told me that the company secretary has the authority to add and remove shareholders. l was not satisfied and was told to send emails to CIPA and l did so.

Now my worry is l don't know the activities that took place or how many people the company defrauded during the time l was presumed director. How do l get help because l tried reporting to the police they are not helping even to open a case.

This is very alarming. It's ridiculous that you can be put in the position of a company director without your knowledge and consent.

I think you should approach CIPA again, preferably someone senior, and tell them clearly that a fraud has taken place, and that they should investigate who did this and decide what action could be taken.

I checked the CIPA web site and could see that your name has been removed now, but I still think it's incredibly important to approach them and let them know. I would also go back to the Police and ask them to record what happened, even if they can't take any action. It might help if anyone else who suffered because of this company thinks you might be responsible.

Where's the tombstone?

I need your help or advice with regard to a certain funeral scheme. It happened that my father passed on last year and he was buried in January 2024. As per the package he qualified for a tombstone that should be provided 6 months after the burial.

We made follow ups from last year September requesting for the tombstone. Until today they have not provided the tombstone, they take us from pillar to post sometimes their numbers go unanswered or they say they will give us feedback but they never do. It's been a tedious journey to deal with this company more especially a certain lady who were are always referred to but she never provide assistance. How do I go about it sir? 

I'm very sorry for your loss and just as sorry at the stress and anxiety this must be causing you. The people running this scheme should be ashamed of themselves. Too many people in the funeral industry forget that that we need a higher level of service from them. They're dealing with tragic events that require a greater quality of compassion and dedication. Unlike these people.

I'll get in touch with them and see what they say for themselves.

Readers of The Voice might recall that another funeral scheme threatened us with legal action because we reported on their failure to honour their agreements with dozens and dozens of customers. It's time these schemes were effectively regulated. NBFIRA, you're doing good work with other industries, it's time for you to do the same with the funeral scheme industry.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Can they charge me so much?

I need your help sir. I have a personal bank account which I get my monthly salary. So on Wednesday an amount of P1,500 was deposited on my account. The same day when I tried withdraw P400 then the remaining balance was only P66.

Then the following morning I called them and asked why this has happened. They told me that my insurance company attempted to get P79 stop order which failed for three times. Then what they told is that each and every attempt they charge P340, total amount to P1,044. So I need help that is it possible that the penalty can be more over the attempted P79.

Charging you over P1,000 for failing to pay P79? This seems hugely excessive.

However, this will all depend on what it says in the agreement you signed with your bank and their current tariff guide. It's common for a bank to charge a penalty fee if we overdraw our accounts, but in this situation, that's gone too far. We need to speak to the bank to check if this is how the penalty mechanism should work.

We also need to speak to your insurance company to check if they were being fair. In my view if a payment failed they should have contacted you to ask what happened. Trying three times without calling you is unreasonable.

I'll contact both the bank and the insurance company and ask them why they are behaving so unfairly.

He won't repair the phone!

I am writing to formally report an issue regarding a iPhone 13 Pro Max phone I purchased from someone through a friend who was the one purchasing on my behalf. The transaction took place approximately two months ago. Unfortunately, the phone stopped working unexpectedly, and when I reached out for assistance, I received conflicting information regarding the warranty.

Initially, I was informed that the phone had no warranty. However, when I mentioned seeking legal action, I was then told that it does have a warranty. Despite this, the phone remains unfixed. I handed it over to him on Wednesday the 19th, expecting a resolution. However, I have now been informed that they intend to return the phone without repairing it.

I went to the police and they have told me to report the matter to the consumer office.

I purchased the phone in good faith and expected reasonable after-sales support. I kindly request your assistance in resolving this matter, as I believe I am entitled to either a repair, replacement, or a refund under consumer protection laws. I would appreciate your urgent intervention in this matter, and I look forward to your response.

This is going to be difficult, mainly because this might not be seen as a commercial sale, but a private deal between two individuals. Nevertheless, it still might be worth contacting the Competition and Consumer Authority to see if there's anything they can do to help. I'm also happy to get in touch with the seller to see if they can do the right thing. In future, whenever possible buy a phone like this from a reputable store. Yes, they DO exist!

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

How much must I pay the pawn shop?

Sir I went to this other pawn shop in Mogoditshane to pawn my car since I needed cash urgently. That was in October. I got P5,000 and they said I will be paying P6,119.

Then I was 2 months without paying. When I checked in January it was around P10,000 and I told them that I will be coming to pay in 2 days only to be told that my credit will start charging day by day. Guess when I went to check after the 2 days the credit was at P13,800. When I asked why they said this is how it is. I managed to pay P9,000 and the remaining they said I should do I roll over.

Mind you at this point the car that I pawned had a breakdown in Palapye. It's there now and they told me I should bring it. I told them I don't have money to go get it. Since I signed for the roll over they cannot credit me the change. You borrow from P5,000 upwards, from that P3,800 I did manage to pay they say they will be charging day by day if I don't bring the car. When I calculated this is P1,000 per day, Please help is this how things are supposed to be sir?

Readers of The Voice will know that there are some things I really dislike. I really dislike hire purchase and I really dislike shady microlenders. I also really dislike the gambling industry. The thing they have in common is that they are all designed to promise great things but are actually based on exploiting the desperate and unwise.

But there's something I dislike even more. Pawn shops. They promise a quick and easy way to get some cash but the conditions and costs are punishing. And if things go wrong, victims can easily find themselves in desperate situations like yours.

I think this particular pawn shop is behaving very suspiciously and it's time we involved the regulator, NBFIRA and see if they can assist you. This pawn shop needs to answer some tough questions.

A Facebook warning

We've had a tough time with Facebook recently.

As members of the Consumer Watchdog Facebook group know, we frequently post warnings about scams of all sorts. Hopefully the message gets to the members of the group who are now more than 231,000 and they can then spread the word to their families, friends, workmates and neighbors.

Unfortunately, Facebook doesn't seem to understand how this works. They have systems that are meant to prevent scams and abusive posts but it turns out this doesn't work very well.

Two weeks ago I posted a warning on Facebook about a scam. The post included some of the messages I had sent and received from the scammer. The good news is that many people responded, understanding that is was a scam alert. The bad news is that Facebook's system, completely misunderstood and saw it as promoting a scam. As a result, my Facebook profile was twice suspended and the Consumer Watchdog group has been threatened with closure.

The lesson is simple. Technology is great, but we can't always trust what human beings have done with it. Be careful what you post on Facebook. They find it difficult to tell the difference between scammers and those protecting people against them.

Scam Alert. How to lose your FNB account

How do scammers gain access to our bank accounts?

It's simple. We allow it by handing over our security details.

It begins with a message on your phone.

It looks serious. So you click on the link.

However, it's not FNB. The link actually go to this URL:

Not FNB.

This is the screen it shows.

It's well done, it looks just like FNB. The right colors, right logo, It's very persuasive.

You enter the username and password and then it shows this:

Say goodbye to your bank account and your money.

Will FNB help you if this happens? No. It's not FNB's fault that you gave away all of your online banking security and card details. 

If this DOES happen, it's still worth contacting the bank because they MIGHT be able to freeze your account but it's unlikely they'll get there in time.

These scammers are very good at their job.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Must I pay 30%?

I bought an Itel A50 cell phone for P1,300 at a cellphone store at Rail Park Mall. The phone is overheating and also refuses to upgrade the software. So I went back there today and they told that if I return the phone they are going take 30 percent. So I want to ask if it is true that they have to take 30 percent?

I think you know the answer to this question, don't you? Of course they can't charge you 30%. It's very simple. Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act says that a consumer "has the right to receive goods which are of good quality, in good working order and free of defects". Section 16 goes on to say that a consumer may return goods to the supplier within six months if the goods are faulty.

Clearly, a cell phone that overheats and doesn't allow you to update the software is not good quality, is not in good working order and is not free of defects. The store has three choices. They can repair the phone, they can replace it or they can refund you but it's up to them which they choose, but they've got to do one of them. And let me make it clear again they can't charge you for this. Not 30%. Not even one percent.

I contacted the store management and I think they understand their obligations. Hopefully they'll be in touch with you very shortly and they'll resolve this issue.

Won't they fix the bed?

Good day Richard. Kindly assist me here. I bought a bed from a furniture store at Rail Park Mall in November 2022 and the bed made a squeaky sound which made very unbearable to sleep on. I lodged the complaint to them the same month I bought the bed. To date I have not been assisted. I am always told some lame excuse as to why I haven't been assisted.

Kindly help me. I would really appreciate it. I hardly sleep at night because of this issue. Imagine after having a long hectic day at work all you look forward to is to refreshing and getting a good night sleep but for me that's not the case since this bed is very uncomfortable to sleep on because of the squeaky sound it makes. I would really appreciate it if you were to assist me on this matter.

My answer is very similar to the situation with the cellphone but with a slight difference. You had a right to a bed that did what a bed should do, and that includes not making irritating noises. You were right to tell the store about this and to expect some sort of solution. You are also entitled to communication from the store to let you know what's happening and if there are any delays. So far that's all quite simple.

I contacted the management at the store and they assured me that they look into the case and come up with a solution. However, they reported that there was something you forgot to tell me. You'd been doing your ironing on the mattress and burnt it. Technically that voids the warranty that the store offered you and that means they're under no obligation to fix it. However, they're being quite reasonable so I hope they'll still come up with a solution that can help you.

The lesson here is always to be extremely careful with the products you buy. If they're faulty, obviously the store has to fix them but if you damage them, then it's up to you.

Consumer Watchdog under threat from Facebook

FOR RELEASE

Consumer Watchdog under threat from Facebook

Consumer Watchdog Botswana, who operate a Facebook group with over 230,000 members is currently under threat from Facebook itself. Richard Harriman, one of the administrators of the group, has twice recently had his Facebook profile suspended after publishing a public warning about a scam. Facebook has also warned that the Consumer Watchdog group itself is "at risk of being disabled".

In what is a major failing of the measures designed to protect Facebook users against scams, the post was seen as promoting the scam, despite being a warning entitled "Scam Alert".

Harriman said:

"I think Facebook need to look very carefully at how they protect their users against abuse. We work very hard to warn consumers in Botswana about scams and have been threatened many times by the crooks running them for exposing their crimes. Scams like Ecoplexus were successfully stopped following these warnings and I worry that more scammers will be able to steal from their victims without these alerts. Instead of stopping us protecting consumers, Facebook should help us."

Consumer Watchdog is a fiercely independent consumer support, education and advocacy group and everything it does for consumers is entirely free.