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!