The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Is the shipment real?

There is someone in Australia who sent me luggage through a certain shipping company. Now they want me to pay $550 before the luggage could leave Fiji. Please help. Is it genuine or they are trying to scam me? They are saying I should deposit $550 to release the shipment.

I hope you've realized by now that this is a scam?

Readers of The Voice will be familiar with this sort of scam because we've reported on it many, many times. The tragic thing about this particular scam is that there's an emotional, sometimes even romantic element to the scam. People are left poorer but also heartbroken, embarrassed and ashamed.

These scams usually start with conversations with a stranger on Facebook or other social media platforms, someone charming and flattering. The targets are almost, but not always women and often women struggling alone with children and with modest incomes. The scammer portrays himself as someone mature, single, not rich but financially stable and always in a country far, far away. The conversations will start as friendly but will very quickly develop into something much more meaningful. Very soon love will be expressed. Plans for the future will be discussed.

Of course this is all a scam. Very soon after the victim has fallen for the scam one of two things will happen. Sometimes both. The first option is that the scammer will claim to have a crisis. Maybe he's had an accident and has been admitted to hospital or has been the victim of a crime and he's lost access to his money. Either way, he'll need money and the victim, who by this stage is in love with the scammer, pays up. The second option is a shipment. As a gesture of his devotion, he'll send a parcel containing new phones, a laptop, jewelry and cash. But, like in your case, there's a shipping problem. A customs official somewhere will apparently stop the goods and demand a fee to release them. However, whatever story is being told, that's what this scam is all about. This "advance fee" is what the scammer is seeking. And if the victim pays, there will just be more and more demands until the victim realizes the terrible truth.

The only solution is to block the messages and move on. And don't believe anything total strangers tell you again.

A scam update

A few weeks ago we reported on another scam where the victim believed she had made over P4 million through Yellow Card. Her relatives all recognized that she was being scammed but they couldn't persuade her to stop paying the scammers money. When we covered it here in The Voice, she'd already paid over P200,000 to them including P90,000 she borrowed from a family member. Despite everything her family and friends told her, she sincerely believed that she only had to make a few more payments before her millions would be released to her.

My advice was to keep trying to persuade her in a non-blaming, loving way but it didn't work.

She kept paying. In the last few weeks she's paid them another P10,000 and it's likely she'll keep paying them until she runs out of money and relatives to borrow from.

I've agreed with the victim's relative that we now must involve law enforcement. We all know that a serious crime is being committed and it's our duty to inform the Police. Just like we'd call the Police if we saw thieves breaking into our neighbor's house, we have a neighborly responsibility to let them know a crime is being committed and we need them to step in. Maybe someone in a uniform will have more luck than we've had?

I know it's easy to be dismissive of this situation and think she's been foolish but imagine it was your Mum or Granny. Wouldn't you want action to be taken to protect her from herself?

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They sold me a fake!

Long story short, I bought a toner cartridge from a store on 9th May in Gaborone. The toner is for an HP Laser Jet and is for my small printing jobs at home. When I bought it; I still had my remaining toner but since I live in Selebi Phikwe and this particular toner is not available there; I decided to buy and keep for future use. On Thursday the existing toner runs out, and I'm not worried since I definitely have the backup. Now imagine to my dismay, the printer is not 'reading' the toner. It gives a 'supply memory error' sign. So I decided to ask a technician to take a look if maybe the printer was the problem but he says the toner cartridge is counterfeit and showed me the difference with the original. There were visible size differences to the toners since it wasn't a genuine product.

I went to check the receipt since I had it after all this time, and on their receipt is written a disclaimer that they do not accept returns of toners and cartridges! Meaning that even if I had realized same day that they sold me a fake toner, their silly disclaimer says I cannot have my monies back when they are the once who are selling fake toners. Imagine a huge company making huge profits fraudulently off hard working Batswana. My P1047 for the toner that went to their pockets was not fake, why should I be stuck with their fake toner and P1047 poorer while they line their pockets with my money??!! This can't be right.

Anyway, I needed your advice on this. I realize from May has been a while, but their disclaimer would still have applied same day so I don't think the duration matters; but their selling of fake toners is very offensive and they should be told off. And imagine if they have a whole warehouse full of fake toners to sell to unsuspecting citizens then hide behind a disclaimer of no toner returns!! Bollocks!

I agree with you entirely. This is bollocks.

It really doesn't matter when this company sold you the cartridge, or what warranty they offered, this is much more serious. They haven't just broken the Consumer Protection Act (which they certainly have), they're selling illegal and fake products. I think you should contact them and ask them to explain themselves. I'll do the same. Hopefully they'll be too scared to argue and will either replace the cartridge with a genuine one or will refund you. However, whether they do or not, we also need to report them to the Police and to the legitimate HP representative in Botswana. Counterfeit goods aren't just troublesome to the real manufacturers, they're a problem for consumers as well.

Can I get a refund?

Kindly assist me here. I bought bails from a supplier in Commerce Park Gaborone at the end of June 2024 amounting to P3,500 only to find out that one bail I was given something that I did not want. I wanted to buy ladies coats but I was given fashion jackets. I was advised to return the bail to the store by the owner but I was not refunded. They said they will try to sell my bail for me to be paid back my P1,750. There is no clear communication on my payment, I am always calling to check on how far with the payment but I am not getting a clear answer on that.

It's been 5 months now and I haven't been paid or given any feedback and my business is suffering since July 2024. Looking forward to your positive feedback.

I think this is a very good example of where agreements need to be in writing. I've heard from so many people who buy these bails online but are then disappointed when the goods arrive.

The good news is that when we chatted you told me that the supplier agreed in a message to refund you. I think the best thing to do is to message or email them saying that unless you get a refund within 7 days you'll go to court for an order against them. If they fail to do this you should go straight to the Small Claims Court with all the messages you've saved and see if they can assist you.

I'll also contact them and see if I can influence them.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where are they?

I've ordered layer cages and layers and paid 100% in advance costing P440 000 and its been 4 months now telling me stories. They sent a quote then i paid accordingly. He kept calling and saying the cages are coming for the past 5 weeks and never responded. He claimed the layers arrived before the cages so they are waiting for the cages in the meantime he will keep the layers at his farm. That was on the 9th of October.

This Friday he said the cages are being loaded in SA only for him to call later and said the truck has died enroute to Gaborone on the South African side.

This sounds incredibly frustrating and also incredibly expensive.

I was concerned to learn when we chatted that you had non written agreement with this supplier that described the delivery times and what can be done if there's a problem. I know you have a quotation but I think that any agreement as expensive as this needs something more. But it's too late for that now.

I'm not an attorney but I think the time might be right to consult one. If I was in your position I'd start by getting a message to the MD or CEO saying that unless they either deliver the goods or refund you within 7 days, you'll start legal action for a refund. If that doesn't do the trick, you'll need to find an attorney who can support you.

I can also contact them. We don't have the same legal authority as an attorney and a court but do they really want to risk exposure in The Voice? Are they that brave?

They ruined my suit!

I was recommended a person who apparently runs a cleaning operation in Palapye to dry clean my suit and jacket. I gave them my suit and a jacket specifically telling this person about them to be dry cleaned. In the evening of the very same day they collected the items from me they called me and told me my items are giving out colour. I asked how was that possible, and I asked them to send me a photo. In that moment when I saw the photo I asked what they were using to wash the items. I was told they are using the washing machine, and when I asked why they washed my items with soap and water when I specifically asked for dry cleaning, and there was no answer.

The next day when I went to meet them at their place of work, I was approached with unpleasant attitude, and the story was that they have washed suits for many other people and never got complaints. I have since left them with the items to seek redress. They are giving attitude after messing up my clothes and now I have to incur the cost of taking the items to another cleaners to do a proper work of fabric revitalization.

Please advise who I can see to mediate this issue and settle the matter with this person.

There's a word for this. 'Incompetence".

Every man and every woman with a nice suit knows that they must be dry cleaned. They can't be thrown in the everyday washing with the t-shirts and underwear. Soap and water aren't good enough. They deserve specialist dry-cleaning.

But it seems that this cleaning company know a lot less than the rest of us. Obviously they don't understand how to do their business, how to clean expensive items of clothing.

Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act says that when:

"a supplier undertakes to perform any services for or on behalf of a consumer, the consumer has a right to … performance of the services in a manner and quality that consumers are reasonably entitled to expect".

Do you want to explain this to them or shall I? Let's both do it.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Can I get my money back?

I bought a car Mazda CX5 for P92,000 from a car dealership in Mogoditshane on 17th October and it immediately gave me problem of overheating. The salesman said we should bring back the car so he can attend to it. I left it with them on the 18th and collected it on the 21st then travelled to Gantsi.

On our way the car started losing power and could not reach 120km/hr. The salesman said we should observe it and give him feedback. On the 25th the car stopped with me in the middle of the jungle. We called the mechanic to diagnose for us and he said it was injectors. I asked if it we can drive it to Gaborone and he said its best we tow the car. On the 28th we towed the car to Gaborone and we paid for the expenses. We left the car at the garage and collected it on 5th November and travelled back to Gantsi. The car stopped 165km to Gantsi. It was overheating and speed not exceeding 80km/hr. We called the salesman again he said we should let it cool down before proceeding with our journey. The car refused to perform and we called him again and he said we should tow the car to Gantsi. So we towed the car to Gantsi and paid P1,800.

When we talk to him to refund and find a way to come get the car in Gantsi he started being angry and told us to bring back the car and get our money. When reminding him that he is responsible for the cost he said we should use the balance of P3,000 that is left with us but we paid for towing from where we were stuck to Gantsi. When telling him that last time when we towed the car to Gaborone we paid P8,000 after negotiating with the towing company. I need help to get my money back for the car and the money we used to tow the car.

I'm not an attorney, but I suspect there's a mixture of good and bad news for you. The good news is that the car dealership said they would repay you the price of the car, the P92,000. I hope you got that in writing, even if it's just a WhatsApp message.

However, it might be a challenge to get back the towing fees. I'm not trying to defend this dealership that sold you an unroadworthy car, but it's not their fault that you were so far away from them when the car broke down.

The most important thing when you buy a second-hand car is to always get it thoroughly inspected by a mechanic before you pay the dealer. The inspection might cost you a few hundred, but it might save you tens of thousands.

What can I do?

Someone close to me is claiming to have made over P4 million through Yellow Card and is busy paying money every day saying its clearance fees, income tax and I'm told she has been doing this for over a year now. I tried to warn her but she doesn't want to listen.

The victim was told her cheque is at FedEx and was taken to BURS who demanded P19,000 tax and then returned the cheque back to FedEx after the P19,000 was paid by the victim. This other relative tells me she is owed P90,000 being the money the victim keeps on borrowing to pay for those unending levies that are demanded by various financial bodies including the IMF, which are said to be clearance fees for the money to be deposited into the victim's account.

Her debts are mounting every day because she claims the P4 million cheque is waiting for her somewhere. Unfortunately she is keeping this to herself because she thinks soon she will be P4 million richer. I found out the money paid to these guys is over P200,000.

This is tragic. As most of us will know none of what she's been told is true. She's not dealing with Yellow Card, Fedex, BURS or the IMF. She's dealing with scammers.

Thankfully, she has people like you who are skeptical and who are trying to persuade her that it's a scam. However, very often in situations like this, the victim is so emotionally committed to what they hope will happen that they can't see the truth. I think the best thing we can do is report this to the police. We know that a crime is taking place, and we need law enforcement to do their job.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

How does it work?

Good day sir I want clarity on something. I took a bed and TV from a furniture store then I had challenges to pay so last year around May then they came and repossessed their belongings. Then I was told I was blacklisted. Ok it's then then I went to the shop to ask for my credit scores and they told me to pay them P8,000 to settle the credit. So sir I want to understand how it works?

I also want to know what are the procedures to be removed from ITC. Does it mean banks won't help me with a credit record still in the system?

Unfortunately, as we've explained here many times before, this is how hire purchase works. If you don't pay your monthly instalments the store can do several things. Firstly they can ignore any obligations they have to fix any faults the item develops because the item doesn't belong to you, it still belongs to them. That's why it's called 'hire' purchase. Until you've made the final payment, the goods aren't yours. That leads to the second problem if you're behind with your payments. They can repossess their goods immediately and without going to court. That's because when you signed the hire purchase agreement you gave them permission to recover their goods from you.

Then you encounter another problem. Even though you no longer have the goods, you still owe them the money. They might sell the repossessed goods for a small sum and they might deduct that amount from your debt but it's not guaranteed. This debt will never easily go away.

Finally, the company is likely to increase your debt with penalties, interest payments, and charges for every letter they send and phone call they make. They will then register that debt with a credit reference bureau and that record will remain there until you repay the debt completely. Even after that, it will still be there for a couple of years so other lenders can then decide whether or not to lend to you based on your recent history.

I contacted the store and asked them to check how much you owe them and explain it to you. Then you'll need to negotiate a repayment plan that you can afford.

Can they repair it?

Hi Richard. I recently purchased a washing machine from a certain store in Gabs brand new but it was faulty on the first attempt to use it the same month I bought it in. I only used it once and its been 3 weeks. I requested for a refund or them to fix the machine they are telling me they don't offer refunds but rather fix the machine. How do I deal with the store or where do I report them? Sometimes I think these people sell faulty things and that there is like a loophole for consumers and I think it should also have a duration as to how long they should take action more especially with electrical gadgets.

Readers of The Voice will probably know by now that Section 15 (1) 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". That's simple. The next section of the Act, Section 16, says that if goods are faulty the consumer can return them within 6 months of purchase for a repair, a replacement or a refund. Those are the three Rs. That's regardless of the warranty that the store offers.

However, the store can choose which of these options they prefer and in many cases a store will try to repair a faulty device first before offering us a replacement or a refund. That makes sense for them because it's probably the cheapest option. But what these stores often forget is that they only get one chance to repair it. Section 16 also says that if "within three months the same problem recurs" they can no longer try to repair it and they only have two Rs left, a replacement and a refund.

Finally, it's important to know about Section 14 of the Act which says that we are entitled to "timely performance and completion" of any services a supplier offers us. So let them try to repair it but make sure they don't take too long about it.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Must I agree?

I have an inquiry. So a customer bought a phone from me. The payment plan was monthly instalments. Now after month 2 they started saying they don't have money to pay for the phone asking if it could be returned and wanted the first instalment to be used to fix the broken screen and then return it.

I take it I'm not supposed agree to these terms right?

(I thought it would be good to take a question from a store rather than a consumer because I think this question says a lot about some consumers.)

No, you are NOT supposed to agree to these terms. Let's be kind and assume this customer is unsure about their rights and not just a bad person.

Let's think about this case step by step. They bought a phone from you and you were generous enough to sell it to them on instalments. (You might want to reconsider this idea.) Then they broke the phone and couldn't pay the second instalment. Neither of these were your fault. Then they asked you to take back the broken phone and use the money they'd already paid you, which was now YOUR money, to repair the phone. In other words, they want to turn back the clock and simply borrow the phone from you, break it and ask you to repair it.

I hope you're a courteous person because I think you need to take a deep breath and politely tell them to pay the second instalment and then fix the phone themself. You had a sale agreement in writing I hope?

Can they charge me to repair the phone?

I bought a brand new phone a REDMi A3 on the 3rd of September amounting to P1,600. Since last week the side buttons on the phone are not working. I went to them for help since they told me that the phone have 3 months guarantee only for them to refuse, saying its not a technical problem and if they repair the phone i will have to pay P150?

This store clearly needs some education. They need to know that Section 15 (1) 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". That's simple. Surely it's completely obvious that the buttons on a phone must work?

The next section of the Act, Section 16, says that if goods are faulty the consumer can return them within 6 months of purchase for a repair, a replacement or a refund. The store can choose which of these options they prefer but they can't decide to do nothing. They must choose one of those options. For those stores that find this difficult to understand, let me repeat one thing. It says six months. Not a week, not a month, not 3 months, not any other period the store decides. It's there, in plain text in the law. Six months.

I think you should go back to the store and tell them this. It's important to understand that most shady stores are really afraid of customers who know about their rights. Just mention these sections of the Consumer Protection Act and most likely they'll suddenly become much more friendly.

If you want to go a little further you should tell them that Section 16 also says that if the store decides to repair the faulty item and "within three months the same problem recurs" the store can no longer attempt to repair it, they can only replace it or refund the consumer. They only get one chance to repair it.

I suspect that faced with you and your knowledge of your rights, they'll treat you better. If not I'm happy to get involved and help you educate them.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Can they take these details?

I want to ask if its the correct procedure for these institutions to request a bank card for a loan application?

No, it's not and it shouldn't be. You sent me a copy of the conversation you had with this microlender and they wanted various things from you. Some were reasonable, including copies of your ID, 3 months bank statements, , your latest payslip and a confirmation letter from your employer. However, the last item they wanted was "5. Bank Card". That's where I have a problem.

I contacted the company and they were very polite and explained how legitimate they were. However, they said that sometimes: "we need to make use of a so-called card-not-present transaction, similar to when such client will do an online e-commerce transaction" and that "we need to capture the card number, as is physically displayed on the card – exactly the same as when buying online".

But I don't understand that. That's not how online purchases work. When we buy something online using our debit or credit cards we also enter the CVV number on the back of the card. Does this microlender do that? I asked and they said "No, we don't." If what they say is correct, they can't use the card for an online transaction.

I don't know for sure why they want the card number but speaking personally, I wouldn't trust any company that asked for it. I suspect they might only do this to know that you have a bank account and help prove your identity. It's easy enough to forge a payslip or bank statements. But they should just be honest about it. I also spoke to a very senior banker and he said that this was deeply suspicious. He couldn't think of a reason to take it. My worry is what can be done with the number and how carefully they're storing it.

My advice is to be very careful how and where you disclose sensitive information like your card numbers. Please treat them as carefully as you would your cash.

Can they charge this much?

My mother purchased some furniture items; a bed, TV and fridge on a hire purchase agreement. Beginning of this year her work contract came to an end apparently because of no funding from their donors. She notified the store of this, however the shop has consistently called her requiring her to pay.

My issue is in that now the shop (being owed around P8,300), apparently having involved or in the process of involving sheriffs have indicated that with the involvement of the said sheriffs, my mother will have to pay double that amount plus an additional fee of P2,500 for the sheriffs to leave Gaborone and go to Masunga (where the hire purchase was made). The supposed reason for this process is because the shop does not give the sheriffs my mother's "profile", they have to travel all the way to get it. I don't know or understand what the additional P8,300 which is 100% of the outstanding amount is for.

It cannot be said to be ethical how hire purchase stores make their money, my question, is what is happening here?

What's happening here? It's hire purchase happening here. Hire purchase can be a reasonable way to buy things if you recognise and accept how expensive it can be but it only works well if nothing goes wrong. Even just a single missed payment can suddenly make your hire purchase debt a terrible burden. This is because of the small print where it describes the interest and penalties you can face and also that the store can repossess the goods whenever they like if you're in arrears. And even if they repossess the items you bought, you still owe them the money.

The best thing your mother can do is to discuss this with the company and negotiate a payment plan that she can afford and that they will accept.