The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Dear Consumer’s Voice #1

I would really like your advice on the following matter. Two weeks ago I lay-byed a bag in a shop in Game City for P200. The following day my husband bought me the same bag from the same shop. I went back to the store and told them my story and asked if there was a way they could help me. The owner told me to look for another bag worth P200 but I couldn’t find one. She suggested that maybe I should look at the other items in the shop worth P200. She told me its not possible to give me a refund. I tried to plead with the woman who in turn just walked away and I was left with the shop attendants so I gave up.

I will really appreciate if you could advise me on this issue.

I’m sorry you’ve had this bad experience, particularly after your husband was so generous!

Technically of course the store hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s not their fault that this mistake happened. However they ARE being a bit mean in my view. My understanding is that you haven’t yet picked up the bag you lay-byed? If this is true it surely would cost them nothing at all to refund you the money you’ve paid so far. It would be really very inconsiderate and unfriendly of them not to give you your money back.

However if you have already picked up the lay-byed bag as well as the one your lovely husband got you the situation is different. Your bag is now second-hand and the store will suffer a loss if you return it because they can’t sell it as new any longer.

Let me know whether you have the lay-byed bag and we’ll see what we can do to assist.

Dear Consumer’s Voice #2

Hi I would like to know if Paynize is legitimate, I believe its a scam and please notify people about it.

Paynize.com is yet another web based “opportunity” to make money by visiting web sites. Before any techies complain that some web sites can make money by having lots of visitors, people should know that the amounts are incredibly small and there’s no way that people like you and me can make any money from the process. The arithmetic simply doesn’t work out. Just ask yourself why the owner of a web site would pay a total stranger to visit it? It doesn’t make sense.

In fact Paynize is one stage more irritating than that. Paynize require you to refer other people to the web sites they suggest. That’s how they claim you’ll make money (although you won’t). Their web site is clear when it says: “Registration is Free, you have to refer your friends and users via your referral link and complete tasks to earn.” How do you think your friends will react if you start bombarding them with pointless links?

As with any other get-rick-quick scheme I suggest you give it a miss and focus on real work instead.

Dear Consumer’s Voice #3

I received an email from DHL saying I had a delivery notification. The email had an attachment. I read your warnings about these things before, should I open it?

No, you certainly should NOT open any email attachment from people you don’t know. The attachment in the email you sent me contained a Trojan, a type of virus that remain on your computer perhaps allowing someone else to gain control of your computer and then getting up to all sorts of mischief.

The lesson is simple. Don’t trust emails form people you don’t know. Don’t trust emails from people you DO know if they contain unexpected attachments. Also, if you don’t have an up-to-date antivirus package on your computer then you are asking for trouble. Despite what some companies and PC manufacturers will tell you antivirus protection does not need to cost money.