The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Is this phone real?

I'm kindly asking for your assistance in this matter. I bought an IPhone 11 from a store at Rail Park Mall on November 30 last year. So day 2 I went to the store and complained about the phone being slow and they assumed it was my WiFi connection being poor. Okay fine I agreed with them and I travelled to Francistown so when I got there it happened that the phone freezed, I couldn't pick up calls or anything. I couriered it back to them at my own costs they told me I shouldn't update the IOS software because it's likely to crash. They told me to reset it whenever it freezes. I wasn't satisfied about the service and they brought it back with the issue unresolved. As time went on I realized that when taking calls people can't hear me and I can only hear them. Again I called them from reporting the issue they said and they said I should bring it back again and they will make sure I get assistance. I got there and they told me to leave the phone with them for 7 days and they're taking it back to their supplier. It looks like they don't want to refund me nor give me a new phone. The warranty is still valid until next month end. I feel they want to delay until the period expires and never assist me. I don't know what to do about this whole situation.

This store is hiding something from you. My first concern is that they sold you an iPhone that failed after just 2 days. That's not acceptable. Then they suggested that it's your WiFi that's' the problem instead of trying to diagnose the real problem.

Perhaps my biggest concern is that they told you not to update the operating system on the phone. That's a real worry. Why would they do that? It's possible that this phone has been "jail-broken", meaning that someone has overridden the security on the phone which can prevent later operating system and security updates. You also need to ask if it's a genuine iPhone? Whatever the reason, their suggestion is very worrying.

Whatever the situation, it's critically important that we make them understand that this phone is not acceptable, as required by Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act which demands that products must be "in good working order and free of defects".

We must both contact this store and make sure they understand this.

Where's my couch?

I have a grievance with a furniture store. I bought a couch worth P11,000 on the 27th of December 2024 but after 2 weeks the couch started getting deformed and losing shape. I went to report this to them at end of January and was told that they will come and inspect it but it's been 2 months now and I still haven't gotten any assistance. I've been there 3 times now since reporting to follow up but I'm always being given the roundabout

I would really appreciate your intervention or assistance on this issue. I have the invoice and warranty.

This should be a simple one. I contacted the Regional Manager for this store and he lost his cool. He emailed the store manager and demanded "a clear explanation as to why we are offering such service". I've known this guy for years and when he gets angry with store managers it's not a good experience for them.

If only there were more managers like him.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where's the permit?

I need your assistance with an issue as follows. In June 2024 I engaged a company for them to assist with work and residence permits for my helper. I paid all that was due from me in July/August. I have been following up with the company. Both directors who happen to be a couple have been throwing me from pillar to post giving different kinds of excuses including the immigration system being down or the immigration office is asking for a document etc.

Now last week I asked for help from someone who works for Immigration and they confirmed that the application I have been following does not appear on the system which means it was never done. The immigration officer advised me to ask for receipts from the consultant and as usual they have been giving excuses. On Friday they didn't answer my calls and today the lady cut my calls. Is there a way you can assist in this regard? I paid them a total of about P8,000.

I think this situation might be difficult. Mainly because this person clearly has no care for her customers. She's taken your money, failed to do anything for it and then lied to you.

I contacted her but she's not willing to talk to me or offer any explanation. I think the next step is to complain about her to the Competition and Consumer Authority. And then go to the Small Claims Court for an order against them to get your money back. Readers can also comment about this in the Consumer Watchdog Facebook group so this company understands what we think of their behaviour.

Has your Facebook profile been stolen? Or did you give it away?

The number of Facebook profiles that have been 'hijacked' is surprising. Several times every day members of the Consumer Watchdog Facebook group try to post what appear to be links to pornography.

The worrying thing is that the profiles trying to post these links aren't fake, they're real, they belong to real people, often people who've been on Facebook and in the Consumer Watchdog group for a long time.

So who are these people trying to post this material? The bad news is that they're you and me, or people just like us. On every occasion we've investigated we've found that the profile has been hijacked by someone that appears to be in Vietnam. However, internet locations can easily be faked or disguised but clearly it's someone who shouldn't be accessing these genuine profiles.

How did they get control of these Facebook accounts? The victims often claim that they've been 'hacked' but it's not that simple. In most cases it's because the victims gave away their Facebook password voluntarily. They usually did this when they responded to a competition on Facebook thinking they'd won a prize and, in order to win it, they were sent a One Time PIN that they were asked to send to the scammers. In fact, that OTP is a Facebook password change OTP and as soon as they've given it away the scammer can change the victim's Facebook password and take control of their account.

The secret is simple. Never, under any circumstances, give anyone an OTP that was sent to you. It doesn't matter who they are and how well you think you know them, anyone who asks for an OTP wants more than just the number, they want your identity.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Was my phone new?

I bought an iPhone 11 pro at a store in the Main Mall on 12 March 2025. I returned to their shop the same week to complain about the battery. Now the phone screen is blinking and the mouthpiece is giving me problems. I have to shout for the other person to hear me. I went to them yesterday to return the phone and the people working there were so rude to me telling me I should go to the police and report. They didn't even apologize, my money is gone just like that?

Here we go again.

The first thing to understand is that it's very strange for a store to be selling an iPhone 11 Pro as new in 2025. That model was first released by Apple in September 2019 and discontinued in October 2020. The current model is the iPhone 16 so this phone is five generations old. Obviously there will be older phones still on sale but from five generations ago? Is that realistic?

Of course it's possible that this is a second-hand or refurbished phone and there's nothing wrong with that. So long as the store is open and honest about it. The law demands this. Section 13 of the Consumer Protection Act says that goods that aren't new must be displayed with "a label on the goods that indicates that such goods are used goods" and by "placing a notice on the invoice issued to a consumer".

Then there's the failure to sell you a phone that works. It doesn't matter if it's new or refurbished, the phone should work properly. The best thing to do is to take it back and insist that they offer you what the law demands: a repair, replacement or a refund.

Where's my refund?

I need your help here to name and shame a catering company. I was hosting a birthday dinner on the 8th of March and she failed to deliver as promised and failed to communicate but I paid her deposit amount of P1,000. We tried calling her but she's been ignoring them, or switched off the phone. She leaves my WhatsApp texts on read, I've communicated with someone whom I want to believe it's her house mate but she said she's not in Gaborone at the moment. Later on she sent me messages telling me that she had a migraine and she apologizes for not delivering but she will refund me. Up to date she's not responding to any calls or texts. Please help me get my money back.

The sad news is that many of the people who work in those industries that support our weddings, funerals and birthday parties are useless. Yes, there are many who are hard-working, reliable and high-quality and who deliver the very best but they are let down by the useless ones.

Frankly I don't care if she had a migraine, she should have made a plan, either with her colleagues or with another catering company.

What you deserve starts with a top-of-the-range apology. It doesn't fix your problem but it would certainly help emotionally. And then you deserve your money back. Without any fuss and without any delays. I can contact her for you but I also think you need to give her a deadline when you want payment. If she ignores that deadline then it's worth a trip to the Small Claims Court for an order against her.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Won't they repair it?

I bought a Bluetooth radio for P599 in Maun. They said it is an accessory and there is no warranty. In less than two weeks, the Bluetooth button on the radio stopped functioning. I was always on busy schedule and did not have time to go back to the store but as soon as possible I went back and told them my story. They said they can help me but at a cost. This was just four weeks from purchasing the radio. They took the radio for diagnosis and took a whole month with it, every time I enquired about the radio, they had to call their bosses. After 5 weeks of them having the radio at their repair center I was informed that they require P350 to repair the radio's button. I paid the P350.00 for the repair but I was really upset, so I want to understand if there is anything I can do about the matter?

This is slightly more complicated than you suggest. I spoke to the MD of the company, and he thinks there was a misunderstanding. The store manager reported that the radio had been physically damaged. They said the button had been broken and there were even burn marks on the speaker.

It's very important that we all understand that a warranty only covers manufacturing faults, not things that happen to the item after we bought it. Most suppliers offer a warranty for a year, others for even longer, but the Consumer Protection Act demands that everything must have a warranty of at least 6 months. We often see stores claiming that phones and electronic devices have a much shorter warranty but that's unacceptable. And illegal. Section 16 of the Act says that consumers can return a faulty item within 6 months and then the store must either repair it, replace it or refund you. However, they can choose which option they prefer.

But if we are the ones who caused the damage, it's up to us to pay for it.

They used my account!

I joined a business called Phoenix Gains last year and I gave them all my bank details. At first they were giving me money for using my bank details for their own business. They were depositing money every day in my account and then immediately they will transfer it out and leave a small amount like P100, P50. Normally in a day they were depositing different amounts, P5,000, P3,000 etc.

The manager of the bank once called me about the money in my account and to explain to them. I told them that is for the business for digital marketing.

Then in February they asked me to look for P2,000 so that I realize my profit. Now I'm in debt and all I want is the refund for P2,000 so that I give it to the person who lent it to me.

There are two things you need to do immediately. The first is to contact the Police and report that your bank account has been used by scammers. You need to do this for two reasons. Firstly, your account was used by criminals to transfer or launder money and the Police need to investigate this. Secondly, you need to protect yourself. Currently, it might look like YOU are the scammer and the Police need to know that you were an innocent participant.

Secondly, you need to tell your bank. I imagine they'll freeze your account which will be very inconvenient for you but not as inconvenient as being investigated by the Police as a potential money launderer and scammer!

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

My kitchen is broken!

Good day sir. In 2023 December I hired a man to come and do some kitchen fittings and ceiling which later he failed to the last finishes. We paid him P11,000.

Last week one of the kitchen fittings collapsed, I requested him to came as see the incident so we can talk about the way forward as it looks like there was wrong usage of nail in the cupboards. The glass electronic stove was shattered and 20 items were in those cupboards. I texted him on WhatsApp, he just blue ticked and my phone calls he doesn't want to pick them.

Kindly advise me what to do in such matter. Thank you.

I think you'll have difficulty here. You told me that this guy was operating as an individual, not as a company and if that's correct, the Consumer Protection Act won't apply to the work he did. It's a good example of why it's best to use a registered company to do work like this for you.

Secondly, he's clearly not very good at his job. He didn't complete the work and it looks like his poor workmanship led to the collapse and subsequent damage to your stove.

Finally, he's really unhelpful. He's ignoring your messages and calls and when I contacted him he was very unwilling to give me any information.

However, there is a hint of good news. I did a little detective work and it's possible that he is actually running a company. It's worth contacting the Competition and Consumer Authority to see if they can apply some pressure.

They blacklisted me!

Sir I need your help. In 2023 I took a bed and microwave on hire purchase and I kept on paying then my job ended and I told them I'm no longer working. Then they ended up taking their products. I was trying to apply for youth empowerment money but they have blacklisted me with the amount of P7,200. What can I do?

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do. This is how hire purchase works. It doesn't matter to the store why you stopped paying, all they care about is getting their monthly instalments. You did the right thing when you told them that you were no longer working, but they still expect to get the payments every month. If you don't, eventually they will come and repossess the goods. It's important to remember that when you're buying goods on higher purchase, they don't belong to you. Until you've made the last payment, they remain the property of the store and they can repossess them if you're in arrears.

What's worse is that even if the goods are repossessed, you'll still owe the store the money you agreed to pay them and if you don't pay them, they'll record that on your credit history so that other potential lenders can decide whether to lend you money. Obviously, in your case, this prevented you from getting a loan.

Realistically the only thing you can do is to find a way to start repaying this money and only then will they update your record.

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.