The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Is this a real job?

A relative of mine was "head hunted" for a job at one of the embassies. There was no interview but the HR keep telling him that they are completing the vetting process. This has been going on since February. The person took both of his phones claiming it's part of the vetting processes. Around June they said they were done vetting, spying and running checks on his family, people of prominent positions and will be returning the phone.

Every month they call to say he will start on the first of the next month but there is no offer letter, no phones returned just empty promises of vetting and a looming start date. I keep telling him this is a scam and keep asking him to report these people to the police but he says what if it ruins his chances of being hired. In addition they keep calling him telling him that they are preparing to disburse an allowance that he will use to attend training and a stay out allowance for being away from home. As part of the benefits of the job they promised to clear all of his debts as they claimed they don't allow for employees to have debts. They claimed to have cleared his mortgage and car loan two months ago. He could not check via his bank app as he doesn't have a phone. The other day I told him to log into his internet banking with my laptop only to find that nothing has been cleared.

I told him this sounds too good to be true. I told him to go to the embassy and ask to see HR but he is not wanting to go but rather just wait. This sounds like a new scam where people claim to be head hunting you for a position, working with inside HR people and God knows swindling innocent Batswana of their cellphones claiming to be vetting them.

You are completely correct. This is a scam. Sadly, your brother is in the same position many other scam victims find themselves. He's invested so much emotional energy in this that he can't see the truth. Luckily he has relatives like you who can try to persuade him but it's going to be a long fight to get him to see the truth. You privately told me which Embassy these scammers pretend to represent and I've contacted them. Perhaps they can alert the public so others don't fall for the same scam.

I'm also happy to talk to your brother if you think that will help?

When will it end?

Good day Richard. Please help me here. Is it possible that when you know you are finishing your loan this month then you are told there are arrears from when I was topping up the loan? I am a government employee and the instalments was taken directly from salaries. I had a loan with the bank and I went there to seek for a clearance letter but now I'm told the loan will only finish in November. I don't even understand what they mean because when I check the loan balance with the app from my phone it says 0. I just want a better explanation from them.

You're certainly entitled to that explanation. It's possible that the bank are correct, that the top-up to your loan forced them to recalculate things and extend your payment period. But if that's' the case, they should have told you about it.

Whatever is true, they need to check their arithmetic and give you a full statement of the loan and explain what you owe and when the loan will end.

I'll also contact them and suggest they check their records and tell you what you need to know.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They have my car!

I recently pawned my car. I haven't signed the contract yet but when I read the terms and conditions it said I needed to pay a fixed interest of 30%. Now what I want to understand is does this then mean I pay this interest every month or it's once off and I return the money owed in the 3 month period? This is how I understood the terms to be, but now they called and said that 30% is for every month. I borrowed 10k that means I'd have to return 19k which is almost 100% interest on the loan.

My grievance is that if they had explained it I would have never agreed to the loan but I have not signed the contract. They asked me to come back so they can try and rectify because they hadn't explained to me they said they just started so they don't want to be reported to NBFIRA.

I handed over the blue book and agreed to the installation of the tracker and when we got back they forgot to give me the contract. They called me later and they said they want to offer me 25% instead of 30% and that I should come to their office so they can rectify their mistake. I haven't touched the P10,000 yet.

This is a mess. Firstly, you've learned how expensive it can be when you pawn goods. It's not abnormal for pay almost twice the value of the item over three months. Also, if things go wrong with the repayments, the situation favours only the pawn shop. You'll be left without your property and still facing huge payments that will only increase the longer you delay paying them.

However, in your case there might be some hope. If you still have the P10,000 it might be worth sending the money back to them and saying that as there's no agreement in writing, there's no agreement they can enforce. And then, because they told you they don't want you to contact NBFIRA, that's exactly what you should do. That's almost a confession that they know they'll be in trouble. So they deserve it.

Can I have my pension?

I am currently unemployed and I was hoping to be assisted with a portion of my pension fund so I can make a living out of it but with the pension funds regulations I am not getting any assistance while I suffer with financial hardships.

They said I can only have access to my funds if I have a health condition that hinders me from never working again or I just wait until retirement age to encash 25%. Is there no where I can reach out to and launch my plea for an exception because how will I get by till I reach 40 or 45 years?

Unfortunately, I don't think I can offer you any good news. I'm not an expert but I know that pension schemes are very different from other forms of saving. The money you put in a savings account with a bank is normally easily accessible. At worst, the bank might put in some penalties for withdrawing your money but you can get hold of it. But pension schemes are different and the laws that govern them are different and very strict. The money you invest in a pension scheme is for your retirement and not before that. Even when you do retire, there are restrictions on how much you can withdraw and what you can do with the rest.

It might be worth speaking to a financial advisor who can confirm the details in your case and they can probably also offer you some debt counselling and help you to manage your finances now as well as when you retire.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Do they care about me?

I need advice. I bought a couch from a furniture store in April. I only used it for a month and half or 2 months and it started being uncomfortable. I reported it and they came and took it for fixing. In a week it was back to its uncomfortable state. I went back and reported again. I think it's been two months now and I haven't got any help from them. Mind you i bought this couch on hire purchase when I go there they tell me they have to take it for fixing again they will call even today.

On Friday 3rd I decided to go there and have a conversation with the manager who still insisted that I let them take the couch for fixing. I told him I'll never agree to those terms since it was once taken for fixing before and this is not fair at all because once this couch reaches its guarantee they will not help me. I gave him an option to exchange of which he never agreed to.

I then received a call from South Africa. The man said he heard about my complaint and I should confirm my availability so can they can come get the couch for fixing. I tried to explain that the couch was once fixed before and all he cared about is when will I be available for them to take the couch for fixing. These people are forcing me to comply with them and they don't care about me as a customer.

What are my rights as a customer? I don't want this couch any more because I got no assurance that I will use it for a while in a good state.

I completely agree. This company doesn't care about you and they don't care about your rights. Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act says that consumers have:

"the right to receive goods which are of good quality, in good working order and free of defects". 

But obviously sometimes things go wrong, we all understand that. Section 16 says that when we buy a faulty product, we can return it to the store and they can choose whether to:

"repair or replace the defective goods; or (…) refund the consumer". 

What stores often forget is the next section of the Act. Section 16 says that if:

"within three months the same problem recurs"

they can then only replace the goods or offer a refund. They don't get to repair it again. Once is enough.

But this store and their South African Head Office don't seem to care about our rights. I've emailed them several times explaining our law to them in very simple terms but I don't think they want to listen. They need to see that consumers in Botswana need to be shown the same level of respect they show their customers down South. I'll keep telling them until they understand.

Dealing with South African suppliers

There's nothing wrong with buying things from South African stores. Some of the South African retailers we have in Botswana are extremely good. They sell excellent products and offer world-class service.

However, there are also some, like with the complaint this week, where the geography makes it VERY difficult to deal with them when something goes wrong. Unlike the good companies, these companies often don't have someone here in Botswana who take local responsibility for local problems. It' very frustrating dealing with some of these companies across the border when they don't seem to understand that we have our laws that are much more important to us than the laws governing them in SA.

My suggestion is always to ask a store, before you pay for something, how they deal with problems. Will there be someone in Botswana who can take charge or is it all done from down South? Then we can take an informed decision about whether we can rely on them or not.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They're tormenting me!

I am kindly requesting for your help. I am being tormented by my bank. On 5th of September, I went to the bank and requested for confirmation of banking because I was expecting payment from my insurance company. I asked the receptionist how much is my refund and said she didn't know.

On the 19th September my account was credited with P19,300 and I used the money. A week later, I received a call from the bank saying that money was accidentally credited to me. I went to the bank, and was surprised that it wasn't the money I was expecting. I made an a payment plan that I will pay P500 every month. However, the bank is deducting P1,440 which is my net salary. Eventually the insurance company paid P2,000.

I need your help.

I can see two issues here. Firstly, there's the money. Unfortunately you made a serious mistake by spending that money. I know the insurance company didn't tell you how much to expect but the sensible thing to do would have been to call the insurance company and check that the money you received was from them. The amount they eventually paid you was a lot less and you should have known the P19,000 was probably not yours. The good news is that you agreed the P500 repayment plan but I'm surprised they agreed to that. It will take you three years to repay it.

That leads to the second issue. The bank needs to stick to your agreement, if it's correct that the monthly repayment was so small. If they need to change that agreement then they need to sit down and talk to you about it.

I'll contact them for you but the best you can hope for is an open and honest conversation with them about what you can afford to pay.

Will I get my money back?

I have a complaint regarding an event organizer of whom I bought 7 tickets worth P250 each for his show then it got cancelled to a date that it doesn't suits me. I bought them on the 25th and there were no any conditions on the cancellation or postponement of the event. I asked for a refund but he is not answering my calls nor responding to my messages.

Please help if you can.

I suspect this will all depend on what's in the small print of your agreement with this event organiser. However, from what you later told me, there was no agreement, so there's no small print. So he's a fool.

I contacted the guy and he made a lot of excuses about his agreement with Webtickets. But that's not your concern, You didn't may Webtickets, you paid him, so he needs to take responsibility for his agreement with you.

We see this so often. In the small print of a booking, the agreement says that the event can be cancelled, the artists can be changed or the event can be postponed and people who've paid already have no right to get their money back. They are often told that they can accept the later date or their money is gone. It's not acceptable.

Luckily in your case, there was no agreement. So it's refund time, if he chooses the honorable approach. Let's both keep the pressure on him to give you your money back.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They changed the date!

Good afternoon Mr Harriman. I have a complaint regarding this event organizer from whom I bought 7 tickets on the 25th worth P250 each for his show but then it got postponed to a date that it doesn't suits me. I asked for a refund but he is not answering my calls nor responding to my messages. I bought them last week and there were not any conditions on the cancellation or postponement of the event.

Please help if you can.

Normally I would say that this is a situation when what matters most is the small print. Any sensible event organiser ask get customers to agree to terms and conditions about the event so both sides are protected if any problems occur. You've probably seen this before. The organiser usually says that there might be changes to the artists or content and they also say what happens if the event is cancelled or postponed. My view is simple. If an event is cancelled then a complete refund should be paid. If it's postponed, the customer should be given the choice of agreeing to the new date or getting their money back.

In this case it's simpler. The event was advertised on a certain date and that's no longer the case. So Section 7 of the Consumer Protection Act applies. This says that if any "services are not availed as advertised, the consumer shall have the right to cancel the contract (and) the supplier shall refund the consumer the amount paid".

I contacted the event organiser and he was helpful. He said he's been "having a phone problem" but he called you and he told you that "I will update him on Monday about his refunds and others".

Please let me know what happens?

Where's my phone?

Where can I get help if someone was to offer me a screen replacement and battery replacement but now they seem to have sold my phone without my permission. Mind you l have been on this certain individual since January requesting for my phone back but until now he does not want to return my phone to me. He is taking advantage of the fact that I'm a lady.

This is serious. Potentially it's criminal.

I contacted the Managing Director of the company and he promised an immediate investigation and solution.

Update: The consumer contacted me and said:

"I went to the shop and the employee admitted to taking my phone and unfortunately he damaged my motherboard when replacing the battery. I was told he will order it and replace it so we made an affidavit that he should return the phone to me after all the fixes."

The lesson here is to escalate to someone more senior when you're not making progress with a complaint. Start with a store manager and if that doesn't work, go straight to the most senior person in the entire organisation, the MD or CEO. 

If anyone says you must follow their internal complaints procedure, just ignore them and go straight to the top. Remember that company complaints procedures exist for their benefit, not yours. So you can ignore them. It's 2025 and consumers are in charge!

Scientology = Ecoplexus

The similarities

Money

Victims only progress through Scientology by paying increasing amounts to learn about their "teachings".
Just like victims progressed through Ecoplexus by paying more and more. 

Recruitment

Scientology evangelizes, desperate to recruit new victims. That's how they make money.
Ecoplexus encouraged victims to join the crime and recruit other victims. That's how they made money. 

Secrets

Scientology says their religious teachings are "spiritually harmful" and only available to those who've paid enough. Until then they're confidential.
Ecoplexus also kept secret how money was generated. Because they were a Ponzi scheme, the only new money was from new victims. 

Fake promises

Scientology promises perfect memory, freedom from illness and even psychic powers.
Ecoplexus promised wealth. 

Criminality

Just Google "Scientology criminal past".
Ecoplexus? We all know they were crooks. Eventually. 

Lies

The founder of Scientology, L Ron Hubbard was a serial fantasist and liar.
Ecoplexus? Everything they said was lies. 

Fantasies

Just Google "Scientology Xenu". It's unbelievably silly (and Top Secret).
Ecoplexus. Most of us knew it was selling a fantasy from the beginning. 

The differences

One has been put out of business and at least one person is facing criminal charges. The other continues to operate, exploiting its "religious" status and doing its best to recruit new victims.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Do they ship money like this?

Is it right for DHL to say I must send money to them so that my parcel to be delivered? The parcel is from UK. I told them I want to pay only when I receive the parcel they said I must go and take the parcel. They said because I don't want to send the money so that they can bring the parcel to my doorstep then I have to visit their office in Francistown to come and pay and take the parcel.

Inside the envelope it's money from my friend. I have never seen him. We have been communicating with messages and Video calls. Is it possible to ship money in an envelope using DHL?

I'm sorry to bring you bad news but you're being scammed.

Yes, I suppose you could ship money like this with DHL but only if the person sending the package lied to them when sending it. DHL would obviously be very suspicious about this. In 2025, why would anyone send cash by courier instead of transferring the money electronically? It's what a criminal would try to do. Or what a criminal trying to scam you would say.

There are other clues. They sent you a picture of the package and it's clearly been faked. It's nothing like a genuine DHL package. The other thing that's fake is this man you've been talking to. This is a typical example of a romance scam. The unfortunate truth is that you are a perfect example of a typical victim. They very often target single mothers with children who welcome the attention of a charming, rich man who offers a solution to their problems. But it's all lies. I'm just glad you haven't sent them any money yet.

Can they take my money like this?

Hello Sir. I have a loan with a microlender and it has arrears. Yesterday their agent called and threatened to call sherifs. I told them to forgive me and increase the months but he became rude and I told them to deduct P5,000 instead of the P3,100 they usually take. Today they deducted P7,500 and the person who called said they will not return the money.

Is it right Sir?

It's a mixture of right and wrong. Firstly, here's what's right. I suspect that your loan agreement contains a clause that says that if you're in arrears then the lender can do whatever they please. They can be kind and renegotiate your loan, or they can be unkind and take more money whenever they have the opportunity. You probably agreed to this when you took out the loan.

However, what's wrong is the threat of calling a sheriff. My understanding is that a sheriff can only get involved when there's a court order to be enforced. A rude agent doesn't have that power, he was just being a bully.

It's very important that you speak to this lender, not their agent, and have an open and honest conversation with them about your financial situation. Let them know what's going on, and allow them to help you calculate what you can afford to pay and then get it in writing. Please don't let the arrears grow because that will cost you a lot of money, and that will only make your situation even worse.

I've also contacted the lender. Let's see what they say about their agent's behaviour and how willing they are to help you.