tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83416857043898747822024-03-16T19:34:39.162+02:00Consumer WatchdogConsumer Watchdog is a (fiercely) independent consumer rights and advocacy organisation campaigning on behalf of the consumers of Botswana, helping them to know their rights and to stand up against abuse. Contact us at watchdog@bes.bw, call us on +267 3904582 or find us on Facebook by searching for Consumer Watchdog Botswana. Everything we do for the consumers of Botswana has always been <b>and always will be</b> entirely free.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.comBlogger1971125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-10207566478625911152024-03-16T19:33:00.001+02:002024-03-16T19:33:49.690+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Must I pay?
</b><br />
<br />I need your assistance. I found out at my bank today that I was blacklisted by a furniture store. I have returned the bed I bought with high purchase from them on the 14 October 2022 letting them know that I am out of employment at the time. They now say I owe the amount P6,609 though they say they sold the bed too. I talked to the accounts dept who informed me that I owe more than P8,000. They say though I returned the bed they were still charging which was not what I was informed. I was told to return the bed so that the debt would stop accumulating. Please assist me. I need to know if this is right or wrong.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/s1600/SUFYR.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/w307-h320/SUFYR.png" width="307" /></a>Unfortunately, some of what you've been told is right and some is wrong. The bad news is that there is no good news. You almost certainly DO owe the company a lot of money.
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<br />One of the many horrible secrets about hire purchase is that the goods you receive and the money you owe are not connected. It's called 'hire purchase' because you are hiring the goods until you pay the final instalment. Only then have you purchased the goods. Until that time the goods still belong to the store.
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<br />What this means in practice is that if you fail to pay your instalments, the store can immediately repossess them (because they still own them and you don't) but you will still owe them the hire costs for the remainder of the period you agreed to. Some stores will sell the repossessed goods and deduct the money they get from your balance but others don't even do this. Either way, you'll still owe them a lot of money and that amount will only increase as they add interest and penalty fees.
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<br />The best thing to do is to speak to the store as soon as possible and try to negotiate a repayment plan that you can afford and that the store can accept.
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<br />And don't buy thing on hire purchase again. It's much better to save money and buy things for cash.
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<br /><i><b>What should they do?
</b><br />
<br />Good day Richard. I have a situation here, I bought a Tecno Pop 7 phone from a store in Game City about a month ago. After a system update the phone had a technical glitch, it went on Device Lock mode, I couldn't access anything. The instructions on the screen explicitly said I should return to the seller which I did. I went to check on them to get a status report or a replacement phone since I don't have a working phone at the moment.
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<br />I asked the owner of the store to replace my phone with another of the equivalent amount or to reimburse me with the amount I paid so that I buy a working phone, but he refused stating that according to the Consumer Protection Act, they are allowed 21 days to fix the phone but their warranty terms did not state this.
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<br />Richard, I need help with this matter urgently because I am greatly inconvenienced. I was not given a courtesy phone and I feel I am being taken for a ride. Please advise on the way forward.
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<br />Unfortunately the store is correct. The Consumer Protection Act does indeed say that the store has a right to attempt to repair a faulty item. In full, it says that the store can choose to repair it, replace it or to refund you. But it IS their choice which option they prefer.
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<br />However, it says nothing about a 21-day period, they're making that bit up. The Act suggests that there must be "timely performance and completion" of any services but it doesn't mention a particular time.
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<br />Something the store might not know, or perhaps chooses not to tell you is that if they repair the phone and then the same problem happens again within 3 months, they lose the option to repair it. Then they can only replace it or refund you.
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<br />Together, let's educate the store on what your rights really are and suggest they hurry up?Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-3583259272174612492024-03-02T14:58:00.000+02:002024-03-02T14:58:00.768+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>I want my locks!
</b><br />
<br />I went to a tile shop to buy locks for a normal steel door frame that they costed me P3,420. When I got home with the locks my carpenter realized that the locks are big for my door frames also the locks are for wooden door frames. But during the transaction the sales rep did not mention that the locks are for wooden door frame therefore I feel deceived because of no transparency. They also did not explain to me about the refund policy of 15%. </i><div><i><br /> Kindly look into this matter before lot of people fall into the trap. I even gave the shop chance to find locks that are suitable for my door frames they refused. My intention is to get the service not a refund.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCY0nWLavqq3VeogNtRQ3WzN9vhhfFxt_cPIuWAZD9RMQ28h2RqbX_6egML2V3THo7hGVW_CIff2raGN4tRgt_MmbbOM8JcnURNIvImKBcg1Oro8coO_gchr-pSYwz07n5DkqOTKenlxCuBq6Kj2iu7cQ19tod9VRH94Z-nEixgGRIXQsfq2doxh0/s838/BadNews.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="838" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCY0nWLavqq3VeogNtRQ3WzN9vhhfFxt_cPIuWAZD9RMQ28h2RqbX_6egML2V3THo7hGVW_CIff2raGN4tRgt_MmbbOM8JcnURNIvImKBcg1Oro8coO_gchr-pSYwz07n5DkqOTKenlxCuBq6Kj2iu7cQ19tod9VRH94Z-nEixgGRIXQsfq2doxh0/s320/BadNews.jpg" width="320" /></a>Unfortunately I don't think I have any good news for you.
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<br />When we buy goods from a supplier we're entitled to goods that do the job and that are correctly sold. If they sell us something that's faulty we have a right to return the goods and the supplier can choose whether to offer us a repair, a replacement or a refund.
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<br />A supplier also isn't allowed to lie to us about what goods can do or if they're suitable for a particular purpose. They must be honest about that. But this is the tricky part. It's up to us as customers to ask if the goods we buy are suitable for our needs. For example, if we buy a laptop we need to ask the salespeople whether it's the right model for our needs. If we buy building materials we need to ask similar questions. If we buy door locks we need to ask them if they're the right locks for our doors.
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<br />My understanding from when we spoke on the phone is that you didn't ask them about this. You selected the locks, paid for them and took them home. It was only later, after your carpenter tried to install them, that you discovered they were the wrong type.
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<br />We need to ask this. Did the store do anything wrong? Did they mislead you in any way? Did they sell you faulty locks? I don't think so. The good news is that the store has said they can take them back, even though they don't have to, but the bad news is that they want to charge you a fee for reversing the transaction, restocking them and repackaging the ones your carpenter opened. I suspect 15% is a fair price for that.
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<br /><i><b>Will they pay?
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<br />Please I need help I don't know even what to do. I recently bought a car from a garage in Mogoditshane with the promise that the car has no fault. I tested the car myself and since I have no mechanical knowledge I took the car. A few days later I realized the aircon is not working so I went to the aircon specialist because I thought it's a minor thing. I only realized that I was now spending a lot of money on the car because I needed to buy new parts.
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<br />I told the garage and the guy is telling he we will give me something when he gets money so I requested for proof that I will get refund for the amount I used to fix the car but he is refusing to do so.
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<br />Please advise on what I should do in a situation like this.
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<br />I think you're right to insist that the car dealer puts their offer to refund you in writing. However, it's no surprise that he's refusing to do so. I think the best thing you can do is to approach the <a href="https://www.competitionauthority.co.bw" target="_blank">Competition and Consumer Authority</a> and lodge a complaint with them. They've had some success with car dealerships and they have the power to get this guy to answer their questions.
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<br />However, there's a really important lesson here. Some of us have enough skill to give a second-hand car a good test before buying it but most of us don't. That's why it's really important to get any second-hand vehicle, no matter how cheap it is, inspected by a mechanic before you hand over the money.</div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-45912941551570146572024-02-25T11:16:00.000+02:002024-02-25T11:16:39.907+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>I spent someone else's money
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<br />Hello Mr Richard. Sometimes last year my bank sent P4,000 into my account without reason. I called them frequently asking them about the money but they told me its my money. I waited for 3 days without waiting for them to talk to me again but they failed. I used money on the fifth day. In May I received a call from them telling me the money wasn't for me and I have to come to their office. They told me I must pay the money back. I told them that I don't have money but they told me to pay money via instalment.
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<br />I managed to pay 800, 350, 1,000 but it still reflects that I'm owing them 4,000 in my account. What can I do?
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<br />The first thing you should do is to ask the bank why they haven't updated your account correctly to reflect the payments you've made towards the debt. That's a simple thing for them to do and they're negligent for not doing that already.
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<br />The second thing you can do is think carefully about how this situation happened. You know now, and you knew then, that the money that was paid into your account wasn't yours. I know it wasn't your fault and I know the bank told it was yours, but you knew that wasn't true when you spent it.
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<br />The best thing you can do is keep talking to the bank and repaying the money you took. They've already agreed to accept the money in instalments so it's incredibly important that you keep to that agreement.
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<br />The lesson from this is never to spend money you know doesn't belong to you. If money ever does appear in your account that you weren't expecting, tell the bank immediately and do NOT spend it.
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<br /><i><b>Should he be in prison?
</b><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s892/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s320/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" width="320" /></a>In August last year, a judgement in Francistown High Court was given that my brother can use his pension to pay his debt to his bank. He took all the required documents to the pension administrators and up to now they have not paid the bank. The only time they gave him updates is when he either called or when we went to the office on his behalf to follow up since he is in Francistown and unemployed.
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<br />As I am talking to you now, he got arrested by deputy sheriffs of the same bank on Monday as the pension administrator has not made a payment to the bank. He will be at Francistown State Prison until his debt is paid.
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<br />Is this a fair treatment from people who have kept his pension money and have not been able to assist him on time when he needed them the most?
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<br />No, this certainly is not fair. In fact, this is a disgrace.
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<br />I know your brother owes money to his bank, but that isn't the real problem. The bank should know by now that your brother has the money to pay his debt to them, just not now. They know that his pension will pay off the debt and it's not his fault that the administrators have taken their time. So they should have sat down with him and asked him to sign some sort of agreement that when the pension pays out they'll get their money. And then they need to be a little more patient.
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<br />We spoke to senior managers at both the bank and the pension administrators when we heard this and, to their credit, they were just as shocked about what had happened. They both recognized that they had failed badly. The pension administrators have assured us that they'll get the pension process done as quickly as possible and they also promised an investigation into why the process took so long that it led to their client spending time in prison. The bank told us they'd make sure your brother was set free as soon as possible.
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<br />However, two days later, he's still in prison. You can find out if he's released in the Consumer Watchdog Facebook group. One final word on civil imprisonment for debt. This system is being over-used and often punishes the wrong people. Of course there are some people who deserve it, those who willingly, deliberately avoid paying their debts. They deserve to face the consequences. But very often it's the wrong people who are punished this way, people like your brother. We need a new approach.<div><br /></div><div><b>Update</b>: The guy was finally released a few days later. He's now back home, recovering from a traumatic experience he didn't deserve. Both companies should be ashamed of how long they took to sort this matter out. </div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-34885113523435403712024-02-18T17:24:00.000+02:002024-02-18T17:24:36.913+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<b><i>More scam alerts
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1XFkcp2fI60MkjMcmJoEq_AN5C5zFltJJpwOqP1cvAZbfdNts5b7O74END2vIMyCc6WM510EqPXN8FTMrMpb-KjZpbZaUwPizwC_a14vTZtlDpY9PvsS3EqbPcjLF_A9jSvbA7vQWfhqhLHwoaoOSkYCtyEPccWX56uDh-ebVF-1U6JM_48ncFoM/s579/ScamStamp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="579" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1XFkcp2fI60MkjMcmJoEq_AN5C5zFltJJpwOqP1cvAZbfdNts5b7O74END2vIMyCc6WM510EqPXN8FTMrMpb-KjZpbZaUwPizwC_a14vTZtlDpY9PvsS3EqbPcjLF_A9jSvbA7vQWfhqhLHwoaoOSkYCtyEPccWX56uDh-ebVF-1U6JM_48ncFoM/s320/ScamStamp.jpg" width="320" /></a>Maybe it's the time of year, I don't know, but there's a lot of scams around right now.
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<br />Last week we warned readers of The Voice about a scam called <b>Miracle Farm</b> which is a replica of Ecoplexus. Luckily a lot of people are more aware these days but people are still falling for it, depositing money into a local bank account that is being used to channel the money to the crooks running the scheme overseas.
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<br />But Miracle Fam isn't the only scam going around. There are other, including Ace Car Rental, Ceptual Trade, Crystal Queens and Forzza Odds. They all operate primarily from WhatsApp groups full of promises of massive and quick profits. They all ask for relatively small amounts of money but if lots of people fall victim to them, they still make a lot of money. You can be sure that anyone who gives them a little will soon be encouraged to pay them a lot more.
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<br />So how can you tell if something is a scam? Here are some ways to help you decide. Firstly, ask the person who invited you to join, why they did so? Did they do it because they're just a kind and charitable person? If they say Yes, then you know it's a scam.
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<br />Next, ask them if the scheme is a registered company. Hopefully they'll tell you that it's registered somewhere but if so, ask for proof. Then check if it's true. If you don't know how to check, ask us.
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<br />Ask them how money is generated by the scheme. People marketing a legitimate investment scheme will talk about share or commodity prices, dividends or the income a company can expect from selling products and services. People marketing a scam will be less specific. They'll talk about cryptocurrency or forex trading, Bitcoin mining or they'll say it's a motshelo or 'gifting' scheme. If you ask them how profits are generated they'll do their best not to answer. Because they have no answers.
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<br />Those promoting a genuine investment will welcome questions. They'll happily give you complete answers to every question you ask. However, scammers will very quickly become defensive and ask you why you're asking so many questions. "Just trust me", they'll say. Anyone who says this is trying to scam you.
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<br />Above all, scammers will make incredible claims about how much money you can make from their scheme. They'll tell you that small 'investments' can earn a great deal of money. They'll also ask you to invest more and more money, encouraging you to 'upgrade' to higher levels with promises of even greater profits. That's a sure sign of a scam.
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<br />A common trick they'll try is to show you bank payment messages. These are almost always faked but a few will be genuine because they do sometimes pay the victims a little money to make the scam seem legit. It's not, it's a criminal enterprise and the law makes it just as illegal to join a scam as it does to promote one.
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<br />Finally, remember this simple truth. Anyone who invites you to join their money-making scheme wants to make money from you, not with you.
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<br /><i><b>Will they fix my TV?
</b><br />
<br />Mr Harriman I need your help sir. I bought a 58 inch smart TV at a store in Tonota last year July. On the 14th December I found the screen cracked. I reported it to the manager they took it but they don't want to refund me for the television. They say its my fault I broke it while it was mounted on the wall.
</i><br />
<br />I think we need to ask one simple question. Who caused the damage to the TV? The problem is it's hard to say. It's possible that the TV was damaged before it was installed at your place or during the installation. However, the store have already suggested that there's no evidence they broke it and it's more likely that it was broken while you had it. From their point of view, the fact that you took 5-6 months to report it to them supports that.
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<br />I'll contact them for you but honestly, I'm not optimistic.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-43863267391709863412024-02-10T15:33:00.000+02:002024-02-10T15:33:15.532+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<b><i>A warning – "Miracle Farm"
</i></b><br />
<br />We all remember Ecoplexus. That scam started just over a year ago and promised people massive profits from a mysterious "investment" in solar power technology and generation. They were very smart. They used the name of a genuine, legitimate company based in the USA that does a lot of work in the solar business. But the scammers had no connection with this company. They were just exploiting the name.
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<br />I don't know how many people fell for this scam but it must have been thousands and between them they gave the scammers tens of millions of Pula. We warned people here in The Voice and on Facebook as early as January 2023 and luckily, many people took the warnings seriously. But many didn't. In May last year the scam finally collapsed but not before much of the money people had paid into local bank accounts had left the country. However, some was left here and that has since been frozen until the authorities can work out who deserves some money back. I think it's good that some people get some of their money back but personally I believe that anyone who actively promoted the scam shouldn't get a single thebe returned to them. They were willing participants in a criminal scam.
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<br />The bad news is that the scammers are back. There's a new scam that just started that calls itself Miracle Farm or Miracle Farm Capital or Miracle Farm Management and it's very similar to Ecoplexus. This time they make claims about making money in farming. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlpGzEsvD7TWR29AEQmR1mC7nH9mF8oqJohT0z3R1iK8_rjrEAgAFHQpHTWf6CxJ4TzwG9HDsg7KC4xBBopCtjVNRuqPAzDL45Mq9C7pRD9qjdS0haYpITmSD7w25sCQwb7twIqWC6xhbC-5pJtxsdqvVY7JfHkn0XZkbdAV6xbXEWUKlRZvGocwavsB8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1274" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlpGzEsvD7TWR29AEQmR1mC7nH9mF8oqJohT0z3R1iK8_rjrEAgAFHQpHTWf6CxJ4TzwG9HDsg7KC4xBBopCtjVNRuqPAzDL45Mq9C7pRD9qjdS0haYpITmSD7w25sCQwb7twIqWC6xhbC-5pJtxsdqvVY7JfHkn0XZkbdAV6xbXEWUKlRZvGocwavsB8=w400-h224" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>For example, they say that if you invest P100 in peanut farming you'll make profits of P140 after 20 days. If you invest P12,000 in wheat, you'll make profits of P84,000 after 9 months. Like Ecoplexus, they have an Android app but it's all lies, just like the lies the Ecoplexus crooks told us.<div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbWI7JBaRxvXMK-aVV4fJwV80YqVwr8YHFa5He3L-V-XDw4r8I7i3q2EEdHG_ji-uEA_4TiX6zvwx0m2yJmN9vdgCl92nWP-dNNBw955QmI2K_KUS6VSCXwekodJ-Z97ZV9QkzUh2TkzE3OCaDaoxVPjVAleYW74MfbKi_NaUfdYHvoC7QubWXCN4WLu4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1280" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbWI7JBaRxvXMK-aVV4fJwV80YqVwr8YHFa5He3L-V-XDw4r8I7i3q2EEdHG_ji-uEA_4TiX6zvwx0m2yJmN9vdgCl92nWP-dNNBw955QmI2K_KUS6VSCXwekodJ-Z97ZV9QkzUh2TkzE3OCaDaoxVPjVAleYW74MfbKi_NaUfdYHvoC7QubWXCN4WLu4=w400-h274" width="400" /></a></div>These Miracle Farming scammers claim to be based in New York but the fake registration documents they send people can't decide if they're registered in New York, California or Colorado. The people promoting the scheme refuse to communicate by video or voice, just like Ecoplexus. That's for a very simple reason. They don't want us to hear their real voices because we'll spot their accents immediately.
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<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDxgUzSHaeTUPxO4oNeIQLSy3JQOWMlgTQtoFpLsdf4hN4beYnnzsbDeBqwA-MTCr-VY1ky0It9XvhUgIg4z_96EZ8zgN19TTHH7XiarLo73LtnSIzRewNrk8iVZe2-_GcJH4KvwNpRQu_JzcDYIeYZSRus2j3kW5f2cfmsk2G0UB72Cnk3uTZyHhH95M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="701" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDxgUzSHaeTUPxO4oNeIQLSy3JQOWMlgTQtoFpLsdf4hN4beYnnzsbDeBqwA-MTCr-VY1ky0It9XvhUgIg4z_96EZ8zgN19TTHH7XiarLo73LtnSIzRewNrk8iVZe2-_GcJH4KvwNpRQu_JzcDYIeYZSRus2j3kW5f2cfmsk2G0UB72Cnk3uTZyHhH95M=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br />Please don't fall for this scam and don't allow anyone you know to fall for it either. Spread the word as far as possible. The lesson from Ecoplexus is that only by standing and fighting together as a community can we beat these criminals.
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<br /><i><b>Can I get a refund?
</b><br />
<br />Hello Mr Harriman. I really need your help. I bought school uniform from the other lady in Mochudi and I'm not happy with her service. She gave me girls trousers instead of boys trousers and she refused to exchange for me nor give me my money back. I ended up going to police but I didn't get help. I went to the byelaw people where she took the trousers and told me that she will send my money during the day but she didn't do that till now. I posted on Facebook asking for help asking if people can buy the trousers so that I can buy the one for boys but she went to report me at the police and court. I'm waiting for the court to call me.
</i><br />
<br />This is <b>insane</b>. This sort of business person, someone who delivers the wrong products, refuses to exchange them, promises a refund, then fails to do so and then reports their customer to the Police for complaining doesn't deserve to be in business. They deserve to fail.
<br />
<br />I'm happy to contact this lady and suggest various ways that she can fix this issue if you like?
<br />
<br />I think she needs to understand that she has a very simple obligation to deliver what you paid for or give you a refund. She also needs to understand that complaining in public about this sort of experience is a reasonable thing to do. Any complaints we post in public are a form of free speech, so long as they're reasonable, polite, true, not malicious and expressed in good faith. You gave her several opportunities to fix the problem nicely. She's the one who needs to be held accountable, not you.</div></div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-76261187940716092052024-01-27T11:18:00.002+02:002024-01-27T11:18:33.685+02:00The Voice - Consumer Voice<i><b>Where's my compensation?
</b><br />
<br />Hello Richard. I kindly need your assistance. It is about my workers compensation claim that has been going on for long. The insurance Company is not committed to paying the money though I have done everything they requested. They are really failing me. I gave them the claim form last year November and they replied this year that they need me to do a second medical opinion of which I did. They keep going back and forth. 2 weeks back they wanted another medical opinion and I did and gave them the quotation. Right now they are not responding or taking my calls, a whole big Insurance company for that matter. I've spent a lot of money on transport due to this matter but no progress.
<br />
<br />The accident was in 2020 and I haven't found help ever since then I tried everything. I tried to enquire to them once and they told me that they can sue me for placing a query at Consumer Watchdog.
</i><br />
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AJLKfnVJTPAaPUM1HgzYUEgatUoSm2JXmOb8TaBEePQ5Ls0pXTP85E5SG1Gr65jRpplqMNL5z2onkSNiG_exQVEcj7gHFb9ZIsELudahs7GBspDGp5nD3Nyzwt8_rSXElseENbWO-U3gKZhkb4lnH1Pa53NgFQdGak7VuDtHocF0Uy5L4tFKhostIgc/s1196/SueMeIDareYou.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1196" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AJLKfnVJTPAaPUM1HgzYUEgatUoSm2JXmOb8TaBEePQ5Ls0pXTP85E5SG1Gr65jRpplqMNL5z2onkSNiG_exQVEcj7gHFb9ZIsELudahs7GBspDGp5nD3Nyzwt8_rSXElseENbWO-U3gKZhkb4lnH1Pa53NgFQdGak7VuDtHocF0Uy5L4tFKhostIgc/s320/SueMeIDareYou.png" width="320" /></a></div>This is ridiculous. You had an accident more than 3 years ago and your compensation claim still hasn't been processed? That's not acceptable. Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act says that "where a supplier undertakes to perform any services for or on behalf of a consumer, the consumer has a right to … timely performance and completion of those services (and) timely notice of any unavoidable delay". Clearly this insurance company, or perhaps the insurance broker used by your employer, don't understand what "timely performance" means, or they don't care. Or they just want to delay you until you give up.
<br />
<br />I contacted the insurance company about your issue so let's see what they say.
<br />
<br />And their suggestion that if you consult Consumer Watchdog they'll sue you? Here's my message to them. Don't sue your customer. Sue me. Go on, I dare you.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Is it too late to get my money back?
</b><br />
<br />I reported a fraud case on the 12th of December 2023. We were scammed by fraudsters pretending to be from BURS and they gave us a purchase order and we then procured from the "Supplier" via EFT to their bank in SA at an amount of ZAR61,835 on 8th December. After 3 days we discovered this Supplier works with the fraudsters in South Africa. As soon as we found out it was a scam two working days after the transfer we went to our bank with a Police Report and asked them to freeze the funds before they reflected on the scammers account. They followed their normal protocol and said in 30 days they will give us a response.
<br />
<br />I have been following up with them and they keep saying the other bank in SA says they will give them feedback and they don't even know if the funds were frozen or not. Their 30 days elapses on the 12th of Jan and they can't even tell me if the funds were frozen or not!
<br />
<br />I'm had a meeting with the fraud department head, they said the issue was assigned to an investigator with the bank in SA and they are still awaiting their response since its 2 different banks in 2 different countries.
</i><br />
<br />This is going to be complicated. I think you should also prepare yourself for disappointment.
<br />
<br />We've seen many of these supplier scams in the last few years. It usually starts with an email from what appears to be a major state-owned enterprise like BURS inviting you to supply them with expensive products. However, the strange thing is that the invitation tells the victim which company can supply these goods. The victim then contacts this fake company and is offered a cheap deal on these products. They then transfer the money to them. That's all there is to it. The victim's money is gone, never to be seen again.
<br />
<br />In your case you were very wise to inform your bank as soon as possible but the way these scammers work is they transfer any money they get from victims overseas as soon as possible. In the 4 days between your transfer and you alerting the bank, it's possible the money disappeared.
<br />
<br />Let's hope you were in time.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-5623836221596268662024-01-13T14:04:00.001+02:002024-01-13T14:04:08.306+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>This phone isn't new!
</b><br />
<br />On the 29th December I purchased a phone, got home and the phone was not charging and it has photos inside that I found in it and it overheats when you switch it on and that's after hardly 24 hours of purchase. The next day on the 30th I returned to the store to lodge a complaint and was told that no exchange or refund will be made. Instead they just swapped chargers and gave me a Huawei charger while the phone is a Vivo brand. Since they had already taken my money the guys didn't even want to listen to my complaint, but if you purchase a mere pie from grocery store and it's not fresh you are given a refund.
<br />
<br />I asked them to at least change to the other one and they refused saying I should have brought a better phone instead of crying for cheap one.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/s1600/SUFYR.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/w307-h320/SUFYR.png" width="307" /></a>I wish you a very Happy New Year and I wish this cellphone store a very Unhappy New Year. I wish most businesses, the ones that work hard to serve their customer well, the very best of luck and I hope they prosper. But occasionally I hear about companies that I hope fail. Maybe this is one of them?
<br />
<br />It's not too much to ask to expect a product that works. The law says the same thing. 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". Simple. But too difficult for this store to understand.
<br />
<br />Section 13 of the Act says that a store that sells second-hand goods (like a phone containing the previous owner's photos) "shall inform a consumer that the goods sold are used goods by … placing a label on the goods that indicates that such goods are used goods" and "placing a notice on the invoice issued to a consumer". Again, simple. Again, too difficult for this store.
<br />
<br />Section 16 says that if goods are faulty within 6 months of purchase the consumer can return them for a repair, replacement or refund. The store can choose which they offer but they can't just decide to ignore their offences.
<br />
<br />I contacted the store and they haven't yet replied to my messages. I'll let you know if they do but meanwhile you can all join in the conversation about this in the Consumer Watchdog Facebook group.
<br />
<br /><i><b>The repair didn't work!
</b><br />
<br />My daughter had a problem with her iPhone on 22 December 2023 and she took it to be repaired. She was charged P800 for fixing which she paid and later given the phone same day on the pretext that the phone is ok. The next day the phone gave her the same problem. She went back to the store and the repairer refused to assist. He refused and was too arrogant. She took it to another repairer who told her that the screen which was installed is not an iPhone screen and promised to order a new screen for the iPhone.
<br />
<br />So the first guy remained with P800 just like that. He should refund us so that we pay for the repairer who promised to order a new screen. Please help.
</i><br />
<br />Another company that deserves to fail. I understand, like I'm sure you and your daughter understand, mistakes happen and repairs aren't always as easy as we might think. However, if what you've been told is correct, the first repairer is either incompetent or a liar. Or both. I don't think it's unreasonable to have an iPhone screen replaced with an iPhone screen, is it?
<br />
<br />The good news is that the Consumer Protection Act also includes the quality of repair work. Section 17 says that a company that repairs something must offer "a warranty on every new or re-conditioned part installed during any repair or maintenance work, and the labour required to install it, for a period of three months". One day isn't enough.
<br />
<br />I tried contacting the first repair guy but he's not answering calls or replying to messages. Maybe a call from the Competition and Consumer Authority would encourage him more?Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-14204805632538948092023-12-23T13:39:00.002+02:002023-12-23T13:39:54.872+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Will they finish the building?
</b><br />
<br />I was building a house with this company and the guys have just disappeared. I don't know where but I paid them all the money they charged because it was a turnkey program. I paid them a total of P220,000 in cash but they left my house at the roofing stage and it's not done yet but now it's raining. I don't think they will ever come to me because they told me they will start my house on the 5th so on the 6th I called them and they told me another story that their carpenter is not around so the hoping to start on the 16th. So this Sunday we were supposed to meet but they didn't show up again and since yesterday they are not taking my calls again. I'm so depressed.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>I don't blame you for being depressed. You've spent a huge amount of money, almost a quarter of a million Pula and you've also wasted time and effort on all the phone calls. And let's not forget all the emotional energy and disappointment. Shady suppliers like this guy forget about that. Either that or they don't care.
<br />
<br />I think the time has come to get firmer with this guy. I messaged him a few weeks ago when you first contacted me and I was hopeful. The owner of the company told me:<div><blockquote>"Good morning Mr Richard. For now we can give you the executive time but we are organizing with our team to go and finish up will keep you posted".</blockquote></div><div>They promised to contact you.
<br />
<br />I'm not 100% sure what their message meant but it seemed like a promise that they would continue the job. But they lied. Since then they've gone completely quiet on both of us. So it's time to get tough. I suggest you complain about them to the <a href="https://www.competitionauthority.co.bw" target="_blank">Competition and Consumer Authority</a> and also threaten the builder with legal action. I've also contacted them saying that we will identify the company if they don't start cooperating. It's not something we normally do but these people took a vast amount of your money from you. You need something in return.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Must I do this?
</b><br />
<br />Apparently my ex boyfriend who we dated many years ago made me his one of the beneficiaries of his life insurance policy. He later got married and he passed on this year in March. Now someone called me on behalf of the insurance company saying I should go to and write an affidavit to withdraw from the policy by confirming that I had moved on and I have nothing to do with the late ex-boyfriend..
<br />
<br />They told me I have nothing to do with the benefits and it's just the procedure. They need me to go to the police to make the affidavit with a certified copy of my ID which then I send to them so that they may close the case.
<br />
<br />How legit is this?
</i><br />
<br />It's legit. I checked out the company you mentioned and they exist and they seem to be genuine. They trace beneficiaries of insurance policies like this and check if they're still the right people.
<br />
<br />BUT, this is where things go wrong. You're a good person who accepts that you have no claim on your ex-boyfriend's estate. You and he moved on and he had new commitments. Yes, he forgot to update his insurance policy beneficiaries but that's a mistake many people make. I respect that you're not trying to exploit this situation for your own benefit.
<br />
<br />However, I think this company has forgotten what their job is. Why are they making your life difficult when you've done nothing wrong? Why are they demanding you spend your valuable time swearing affidavits and copying you ID? Isn't that their job? Aren't they the ones being paid to do all the hard work? They should be making life easier for you as well as their client.
<br />
<br />And there's a lesson for all of us here. Make sure you keep your insurance, pension and medical aid providers up-to-date with who you want protected.</div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-62279917457295910462023-12-17T12:49:00.001+02:002023-12-17T12:49:18.232+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<b>How long should insurance claims take?
</b><br />
<br />Two emails recently came to us. The first said:<div><blockquote><i>"On 19th January 2022 I got injured at a store by their employee while I was buying food. The wrapper fell on my right toe and I got an injury. The lady was trying to wrap the food, it happened that the wrapper fell on my toe. The supervisor has the whole information, he was the supervisor when it happened."
</i></blockquote>The second said:</div><div><blockquote><i>"On the 5 July I bought samp and chewed a stone that broke my 2 teeth."
</i></blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoJPOxrDgNccKd9aIFFi4uFpKD-6E3ptKHJd2AQxuuxfjJD7kJ_IBu8tgjDkzH095qGyvL_54thrHDahf8cF3oCv9To8bCWK-U7rGUIhc_ZOMXNU45c8vn9WqrNMc7Ob6he_zzZJE7Fg/s1600/SmallPrint.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoJPOxrDgNccKd9aIFFi4uFpKD-6E3ptKHJd2AQxuuxfjJD7kJ_IBu8tgjDkzH095qGyvL_54thrHDahf8cF3oCv9To8bCWK-U7rGUIhc_ZOMXNU45c8vn9WqrNMc7Ob6he_zzZJE7Fg/s400/SmallPrint.png" width="400" /></a>These two people went to different stores but they were part of the same chain. Both victims complained to the store management and were asked for documents including medical and dental bills. The stores then passed over the details to the same insurance broker to process their claims for compensation. That's when more problems started. Delays. LONG delays. The first victim has now been waiting for nearly two years and the second for 5 months. Is this good enough? I don't think so. It was the job of the insurance broker to help these victims by processing their claims as quickly as possible.
<br />
<br />The lesson here is if an accident happens in a store, speak to the management as soon as possible. Gather as much evidence as you can, take as many pictures and keep copies of all medical and dental bills and also your costs for transport to and from the clinic or hospital. Then keep up the pressure.
<br />
<br />Also, be very careful what you sign. The victim who damaged his teeth was paid only for his dental bills and he was forced to sign a document agreeing he would never claim anything else from them, despite a statement from his dentist saying that he will never be able to eat properly again. He deserved a lot more but it's too late now.
<br />
<br /><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9uNlGpz-RUkX7QPD560lGuYLmRoREW6kNiVh4fIDQ0kHdHGQJFTI0U3vIvpHPLCkDro34JgOMLpBy7e-21Pguni9srraiy3ctIAzIMS1htdAi203bf_Ax8f0bulerbMnk86FESOlzNM/s1600/ScamAlert.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9uNlGpz-RUkX7QPD560lGuYLmRoREW6kNiVh4fIDQ0kHdHGQJFTI0U3vIvpHPLCkDro34JgOMLpBy7e-21Pguni9srraiy3ctIAzIMS1htdAi203bf_Ax8f0bulerbMnk86FESOlzNM/s320/ScamAlert.png" width="320" /></b></a>Scam warning (Yes, again)
</b><br />
<br />That scheme you've been invited to join. Is it legit or not?<br />
<br />Here's a simple guide to help you decide. Firstly, ask the person who invited you to join, why they did so? Did they do it because they're just a kind and charitable person? If they say Yes, then you know it's a scam.
<br />
<br />Next, ask them if the scheme is a registered company. Hopefully they'll tell you that it's registered somewhere but if so, ask for proof. Then check if it's true. If you don't know how to check, ask us.
<br />
<br />Ask them how money is generated by the scheme. People marketing a legitimate investment scheme will talk about share or commodity prices, dividends or the income a company can expect from selling products and services. People marketing a scam will be less specific. They'll talk about cryptocurrency or forex trading, Bitcoin mining or they'll say it's a motshelo or 'gifting' scheme. If you ask them how profits are generated they'll do their best not to answer. Because they have no answers.
<br />
<br />Those promoting a genuine investment will welcome questions. They'll want you to get complete answers to every question you have. However, scammers will very quickly become defensive and ask you why you're asking so many questions. "Just trust me", they'll say. Anyone who says this is trying to scam you.
<br />
<br />Above all, scammers will make incredible claims about how much money you can make from their scheme. They'll tell you that small 'investments' you can earn a great deal of money. Anyone who says this is a scammer. They'll also often ask you to invest more and more money, encouraging you to 'upgrade' to a higher level with promises of even greater profits. That's a sure sign of a scam.
<br />
<br />A common trick they'll try is to show you bank payment messages. These are almost always faked but a few will be genuine because they do sometimes pay the victims a little money to make the scam seem legit. It's not, it's a criminal enterprise and the law makes it just as illegal to join a scam as it does to promote one.
<br />
<br />Finally, remember this simple truth. Anyone who invites you to join their money-making scheme wants to make money from you, not with you.</div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-67748837832571196902023-12-09T17:08:00.001+02:002023-12-09T17:08:57.088+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Should they refund me?
</b><br />
<br />Hi Richard. I need your help. I bought a dress on the 19th of November, and in buying the dress, I told the lady assisting me that I am buying for my mom and would like to make a video call so she sees. She agrees and I end buying the dress. My mom got back yesterday, she fits the dress and it doesn't fit. Today I take back the dress hoping for an exchange or refund. I am told if I exchange there is a 30% penalty fee, but there is no refund. Their explanation is I could have changed the same day. That was not communicated initially. The receipt as well has no clause of that. In trying to get an explanation, the lady rudely tells me that it does not matter, its their boutique rules whether I was told or not. I have tried to reason that at least if this was communicated when I was buying the dress because no one literally said anything. How is that blamed on us. Kindly assist.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCY0nWLavqq3VeogNtRQ3WzN9vhhfFxt_cPIuWAZD9RMQ28h2RqbX_6egML2V3THo7hGVW_CIff2raGN4tRgt_MmbbOM8JcnURNIvImKBcg1Oro8coO_gchr-pSYwz07n5DkqOTKenlxCuBq6Kj2iu7cQ19tod9VRH94Z-nEixgGRIXQsfq2doxh0/s838/BadNews.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="838" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCY0nWLavqq3VeogNtRQ3WzN9vhhfFxt_cPIuWAZD9RMQ28h2RqbX_6egML2V3THo7hGVW_CIff2raGN4tRgt_MmbbOM8JcnURNIvImKBcg1Oro8coO_gchr-pSYwz07n5DkqOTKenlxCuBq6Kj2iu7cQ19tod9VRH94Z-nEixgGRIXQsfq2doxh0/s320/BadNews.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm sorry to hear about this. However, I'm not sure there's much you can do.
<br />
<br />As you know, consumers have a right to return faulty items within 6 months for a repair, replacement or a refund. However, in this situation, the dress isn't actually faulty, it's just the wrong size? The problem for you here is that the store has done nothing wrong as I can see it.
<br />
<br />It's unfortunate but your mother really should have tried the dress on before you paid for it. A video connection isn't a good enough substitute. Looking back, it also would have been better if you'd asked the store if you could exchange the dress later if it didn't fit.
<br />
<br />Given the circumstances, I think it's reasonable for the store to charge you a fee for returning the dress. 30% seems high to me so it might be worth trying to negotiate but prepare yourself for having to pay them something.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Must I pay for the broken door?
</b><br />
<br />My son accidentally shattered the glass door to a store and they say I am to replace the door. What's the law saying on this one? They are saying they don't have the insurance policy. Can you help me out?
</i><br />
<br />There's a general rule that I'm sure we all agree on. If you break something belonging to someone else, you pay for it. If I came to your home and broke something valuable clearly it's my responsibility to replace it or pay for it to be repaired. We can all agree about that.
<br />
<br />But this situation is slightly different. Any reputable store will have an insurance policy that covers losses like this. Like most insurance policies there might be an "excess" amount that the policyholder pays before the insurance company pays out but it's worth finding out how much it is. But the store staff told you there's no insurance policy? Can that really be true?
<br />
<br />I contacted the Head Office and their story was different. They told me that the staff asked the children's grandmother, who was with the children, "to stop running around the store to avoid getting injured or bumping into fixtures". After one of the children ran into the door and broke it, the manager "requested for details from the grandmother so that she could log an incident for the Insurance claim".
<br />
<br />They said that these details were refused and the staff were told that it's like "when a customer breaks a bottle of mayonnaise and that they are never requested to pay."
<br />
<br />So there IS an insurance policy. I think you need to contact the store and help them complete an insurance claim before the insurance company says it's too late to claim and you need to pay for everything yourself.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-3715364421684098302023-12-09T13:29:00.000+02:002023-12-09T13:29:02.183+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>They took all my money!
</b><br />
<br />I work as a nurse in a Government hospital and sometime in September I met an insurance agent based in Palapye. The agent took me through all her policies and we agreed to a P300 savings policy. Fast forward this month end I received my payslip and it was on 0 net. Some deductions made were a P1000 from one insurance company and P2000 from another.
<br />
<br />I further investigated on the matter and more skeletons tumbled that there had been countless unauthorised policies opened under my name which I never agreed to.
<br />
<br />I took the matter up thru CID in Francistown CPS for investigation on the matter. I then went to the 2 insurance companies for cancellation of the policies on which it was discovered that there were more policies opened and bounced because there was not enough money to cover for them. Upon cancellation I was told there is a 3 months waiting period. Why am I being punished for an internal fraud and forgery case? Those policies were not opened with my consent and information written is all wrong and my signatures have been forged in all these.
<br />
<br />Kindly help on this matter and both insurance companies should be held liable because I am asking myself how big companies like them can process claim without verifying documents UNLESS this is how the agents and brokers have been swindling customers and also the companies at the expense of commission.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>This is horrible. I'm incredibly sorry for the stress and hardship this must be causing you. Clearly the person presenting themselves to you as an insurance agent is a criminal and they must take the blame for your situation. They need to spend time behind bars. However, I believe very strongly that the two insurance companies also must take their share of responsibility. They didn't commit the crime, but they should have realised something was wrong when they were asked to set up multiple policies in your name. It was THEIR job to double check everything before they took all of your income.
<br />
<br />I contacted both companies and one of them responded very quickly promising to investigate. Let's see if the other can be as helpful. <div><br /></div><div><b>Update</b>: One of the insurance companies has refunded this victim of a crime, the other is taking longer. The CID in Francistown has identified the criminals who did this and is taking action against them.<br />
<br /><i><b>What can I do about this car?
</b><br />
<br />I bought a second hand Mazda Demio from a dealer in Mogoditshane. The car gave me sleepless nights, first it was gear box problem, it was not changing well as it was sometimes sticking in 1st gear. It has AT light on dashboard which comes and goes off, it lost the fan belt. When I bought it I asked why its temperature is staying at one place and I was told its not working as it does not have a temperature switch. I asked them if it is not risky to drive it in that condition, they told me it is doing best in that condition as the fan is always running direct and it won't overheat. In less than a month after buying it, it has overheated. Now I wanted to be refunded or given another car but they are reluctant and saying I should repair it myself. My suspicion is that I'm being cheated and suspect unfair business practice.
</i><br />
<br />I agree with you. I think you've been cheated. I'm not a mechanic or an engineer, not even an amateur but I am quite good at spotting someone who's talking nonsense. And this car dealer was talking nonsense when they told you your car wouldn't overheat. The lesson from this situation is that we must always have a second-hand car inspected thoroughly before making any payment. Almost everyone knows someone who they can trust to help them inspect a car. Even if we don't, offer some cash and a six-pack to a friendly mechanic you or your friends trust and ask them to guide you.
<br />
<br />I think you should approach the <a href="https://www.competitionauthority.co.bw" target="_blank">Competition and Consumer Authority</a>. They have a good record of dealing with shady car dealers and I suspect that even just a phone call from them to this dealer might scare them into doing the right thing.</div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-62178447333558500262023-11-25T17:05:00.001+02:002023-11-25T17:05:51.263+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Both cars were bad. What can I do?
</b><br />
<br />In September I found this Nissan March advertised on Facebook. I inboxed the owner. The price was 16k and I negotiated to 13.5k. I stay in Palapye and the car was in Mogoditshane. Before I paid I asked the owner if the car had any faults and his answer was "No faults". I asked my brother who is staying in Gabs to go and meet the guy so I can send the money and he can collect the car. I paid and he collected the car. He complained about the worn out tyres so I sent money for two tyres and petrol so that he can drop it here at Palapye for me.
<br />
<br />The car arrived the following day, when checking it the doors were not locking, windscreen was cracked, left indicator was not working, boot was not closing, the lights were bypassed by a cable (both the front and the back), shocks, CVs, stabilizers were dead, sensor cable was dead. So I started buying all these things and fitted them.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s892/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s320/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" width="320" /></a>I inboxed the owner and he said ok let me give you a Mazda 3 hatchback but with top up of 5k. I asked him about the faults and he said no faults. This time around I asked him to drop it here in Palapye because my brother was not around and he agreed. He requested 500 for petrol and I sent but after sending it took him 2 days to deliver the car. The car arrived 16th October at around midnight and he instead of him coming he sent someone. The guys arrived, handed the car and took that other one then left for Gabs, but before leaving he told me I should replace the bolt for the left back shock because on his way to Palapye they came out and the car was making a terrible noise on that shock and also the other front wheel was replaced with a very small spare wheel. So I refused to give him the agreed 5k instead I gave him 3k because I had to fix the shock and tyre.
<br />
<br />In just a week I already found the car was giving me more problems, the oils were leaking, water bottles were broken, CVs were dead, door locks are damaged, handbrake not working, some front lights not working, the left back light broken, the car looks like it has had an accident before. So I replaced CVs, water bottle, gearbox oil, handbrake oil, bolts for shocks. I did this in just one week. The second week I inboxed him to come get his car, I don't want it anymore. His response was I stayed too long with the car. Last week I went to Gabs I called the guy, he did not answer, so I called the guy who delivered the car. He refused to give us the location of their garage in Mogoditshane. When we were just about to give up the guy answered and he said he was on his way to Zim and he will come back this coming week.
<br />
<br />Yesterday I Inboxed the guy again, I asked him to give my money and get back his car or give me Toyota Vitz and the guy said I should bring the car so that he can sell it for me, but he can only sell it for 23k, but I've spent around 29k on his cars, I even bought new tyres for this car because the tyres were dead and the wires inside were visible. Help me please.
</i><br />
<br />I'm really sorry to hear about this, honestly I am. But you need to forgive me for what I'm about to say. Obviously this car dealer is shady, we can all see that from what you've reported. However, you've made almost every possible mistake you could have made.
<br />
<br />Firstly, on two occasions you paid for vehicles you hadn't test-driven or had inspected. Even an amateur would have spotted some of the obvious faults with both of these vehicles if they'd just taken a look before paying. I know you live far away from the dealer but you should have organised a friend or mechanic to take a look at the vehicle. Secondly, you accepted each vehicle and paid your own money to have the many faults fixed. You should have rejected the vehicles as soon as they arrived and demanded a complete refund instead of trying to fix them.
<br />
<br />I think the best thing you can now do is approach the authorities. The <a href="https://www.competitionauthority.co.bw" target="_blank">Competition and Consumer Authority</a> have had some success in the past dealing with shady car dealers so maybe they can perform come magic?Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-13135357416158336652023-11-18T15:10:00.001+02:002023-11-18T15:10:46.153+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>How much can they charge me?
</b><br />
<br />We hired certain lawyers in back in 2017 for a court case. We had paid all the money which was agreed. The was no written agreement. We verbally agreed on the amount.
<br />
<br />Till today the matter is still before court so the lawyers have started billing us the money we didn't agree from the start (hidden costs). They have never called us to the table to enlighten us about the bill.. When we ask them they threaten they will take our bill to court and so forth. So in this matter how do I handle it? Please kindly help.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>It's very important to understand that like every other profession, lawyers offer a range of different qualities. I've met some attorneys who are highly intelligent, educated and understand their area of the law in the greatest detail. They're also completely committed to their clients' welfare and offer only the very best advice and service.
<br />
<br />Then there are others. I've met some who clearly have no real understanding of the law, some whose legal understanding is very poor indeed. I've also met some that are only in the job for the prestige. And the money.
<br />
<br />I don't know the lawyers you engaged but they should know how important it is to have agreements in writing. Unless they don't want that for some reason? Also they need to learn to communicate better. They need to be constantly updating you on the progress your case is making and the costs they're incurring. I suggest you write or email the Managing Partner asking for a summary of the fees charged so far and what they anticipate charging you in future. Copy your message to the Law Society as well.
<br />
<br />The lesson for the future is that legal agreements need to be in writing. And lawyers that don't insist on that are acting very suspiciously.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Where's my refund?
</b><br />
<br />On 26th September I ordered a table from a company I discovered on Instagram. I made a deposit of P600 for it. The order was to take 9 days to complete. I was in contact with the owner of that establishment.
<br />
<br />On 9th October I asked for progress and was told the delay is because we had Independence holidays so that week I should expect my table to be delivered on the weekend. Then I was told they experienced a lot of power cuts which slowed down the time for material turnover so I'll have the table Tuesday 17th, latest Wednesday 18th. On Thursday 19th I was then told the supplier was having a problem with their machinery so I am to be refunded.
<br />
<br />So Tuesday 24th October I made a follow up on my refund and from then up until now I'm tossed to and fro about my money to the extent that I am getting different stories. I am asking that you help me get my refund because they have been giving me stories which are not consistent.
</i><br />
<br />As I've said before, we all understand that businesses often have delays beyond their control. However, it is the job of suppliers to keep us informed when these delays happen. It's also the law. This supplier clearly either forgot about this or doesn't care. They should have told you when the delays first happened and then when the refund was delayed.
<br />
<br />I contacted the supplier and he promised to refund you within a few days.
<br />
<br /><b>Update</b>: The refund was paid.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-72937865581951898542023-11-18T10:46:00.000+02:002023-11-18T10:46:20.756+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>When will it be finished?
</b><br />
<br />I need your advice. There is this interior company. I engaged him in 2021 to do my house interior in Letlhakane. He was to do everything inside the house, electrical works, plumbing, tiling, wardrobes, and kitchen. I had paid everything in full because I wanted to ease it on my side.
<br />
<br />He started it well, but during the course of 2023, he started giving me bad service. The job was not done properly, and some not finished. I approached him and complained, and he will promise better service of which he didn't fulfil. I have been patient enough with him. To date, he is still promising to come and finish up, he comes up with stories every time. Where we are now, the ceiling is complete but left with painting and closeups, the lighting is complete, the floor tiling is 80% done but poorly, the wardrobes, TV stands, headboards, and kitchen sides are at 0%.
<br />
<br />He said he is coming Friday after missing Wednesday but he didn't, he keeps promising like that. I told him if he doesn't honour his promises I am seeking help.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/s1600/SUFYR.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/w307-h320/SUFYR.png" width="307" /></a>I agree 100%. You've been patient enough with him. Perhaps too patient. I'm sure we all understand that businesses sometimes have unexpected problems that cause delays but we pay contractors because they're experts and should know how to deal with these problems. At the very least we deserve what Section 14 (1) of the Consumer Protection Act says we should get: "timely performance and completion" of the services we pay for and "timely notice of any unavoidable delay".
<br />
<br />I contacted the supplier and explained your concerns. To their credit they responded very quickly, saying that they: "have an small issue with the our sub contractor who was supposed to have left yesterday" and that they "will surely close this as soon as we can". They asked that you "give us this month to complete the works".
<br />
<br />Hopefully now they'll get things done?
<br />
<br /><i><b>Why won't they fix my bed?
</b><br />
<br />Kindly assist me here. I purchased a bed from in May this year. Two weeks later the bed started having some funny noise. I immediately notified the store assistant who seemed to be responsible for complaints. He then told me that he would send a report to the manufacturer and he promised me that I would get a call from the manufacturer who unfortunately did not call. I then did a follow up again with the store. Fortunately this time around they called and asked me to send videos of the bed and the pictures of the bed of which I did. Ever since then I haven't heard from them but in a dire situation as this bed poses a threat to my health.
</i><br />
<br />I think the staff in this store need a good night's sleep on a comfortable bed because clearly they're tired. Tired of customers, tired of complaints and tired of doing the right thing.
<br />
<br />What they seem to have forgotten is that you didn't buy the bed from the manufacturer. You bought the bed from the store, the retailer. Section 16 (1) of the Consumer Protection Act says that when we buy something, "the producer or importer, the distributor and the retailer each warrant that the goods comply" with the obligation to sell goods of good quality. So the retailer can't say it's the manufacturer's responsibility to fix the problem. It's everybody's responsibility. In particular it's the retailer's responsibility.
<br />
<br />I'll contact the store and remind them that they sold the bed and it's their job to come and collect it and fix it, replace it or refund you.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-44263690346472087552023-11-06T17:41:00.000+02:002023-11-06T17:41:39.054+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Where are my licenses?
</b><br />
<br />I saw one post where you helped one lady with a consultant issue and I'm hoping you could help me also.
<br />
<br />I gave one lady money amounting to P1,900 as a deposit for cleaning and supplies commercial licenses in November 2021. I never received any documents till today. I tried it all to get help from the police to different ministries with no help. Right now there's a cleaning license accumulating arrears in my company name at Gaborone city council. I can't close the file because they need the original license of which I don't have.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s892/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s320/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" width="320" /></a>Yes, if you search you'll find that we've had many complaints about 'consultants' over the years. Almost always it's the same story. They take your money, promise to do the work and then there's a mixture of delays and silence.
<br />
<br />There' s nothing wrong with using consultants. A good consultant either knows things we don't, or they just have enough experience to know how to get things done quickly and efficiently, particularly if it involves government bureaucracy. Anyone who's tried to get business permits and licences knows that it can be a time-consuming and confusing experience. That's why it's sometimes worth spending money to get an expert to do it for us.
<br />
<br />But, like in all industries there's a range of skills, talent and reliability available. There are good consultants and there are bad consultants. I think I know which type you've got.
<br />
<br />I contacted this consultant and they said they'll "check files" and come back to me.
<br />
<br />The lesson? Before you engage a consultant, ask around. Ask your family, friends, neighbours, workmates, anyone with experience if they've used a consultant and would they recommend them. You might even find that these days you don't need one. If you do, maybe suggest a 50/50 payment plan. 50% up front, the balance on completion. That's always a great incentive to be reliable.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Do I need the packaging?
</b><br />
<br />I bought a tv, I used it for a period of two weeks and it was working just fine. After two weeks it stopped working. I called the store and alerted them about same. They requested me to furnish them with the details of the tv which I did and they came collected the tv. Then when they had already collected it they said I should take a photo of the box all sides. By that time I had already disposed the box. Now even to date they have not assisted me with the replacing or repairing the same tv. They are saying they are waiting for a technician from the supplier and also they say the box should be availed for them to assist me so I humbly seek your assistance regarding the matter. What should I do in the matter?
</i><br />
<br />What do readers think? Is it reasonable for a store that sells an item like a TV to demand that you keep the packaging it came in? Personally I don't think so. However, it IS a reasonable thing to do if you have some storage space. I recently bought a small Smart TV (it's amazing what bargains you can find if you shop around) and I have kept the box in case I need to move it. But that's because I had some space available.
<br />
<br />But unless the TV has somehow been damaged, which I doubt because you said it worked ok for the first 2 weeks, it's up to the store to identify what the problem is. The box isn't relevant.
<br />
<br />I contacted the store to see what they suggest. I think the first thing they should do is identify what's wrong with your TV before making unreasonable demands.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-49196619783234654532023-10-28T15:02:00.000+02:002023-10-28T15:02:29.001+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Does he owe them?
</b><br />
<br />Good day Richard, my boyfriend needs your help.
<br />
<br />He had a loan from and he got retrenched last year June. He went to their office in Kanye to ask them about his balance so that he could make the payment. They did print the balance for him and he paid it. After some months he received a call that he has an outstanding balance but he told the caller he paid. Recently he requested a loan at his bank and he was told that his name is with ITC. He checked and it says he owes P15,000. He was in shock knowing he paid but they said he was supposed to pay P4,000 settlement when he paid the loan for clearing the loan before the agreed time. Now the P4,000 has accumulated interest monthly and it's now P15,000 and there is nothing they can do. Does he have to pay?
</i><br />
<br />What a mess. Your boyfriend seems like a sensible guy who has done his best to manage his debt situation when he lost his job. Clearly he deserves better than this.
<br />
<br />The first thing he should do is demand that the lender check their records and find out what's gone wrong here. If they find that they've made a mistake and he doesn't owe them anything they need to correct his credit record immediately so his history is as clean as it should be. And then they need to apologise. Sincerely.
<br />
<br />If it emerges that he does owe them some money they need to explain why it's taken them so long to tell him and then they need to agree a reasonable repayment plan.
<br />
<br />The lesson here is that lenders can't always be relied on to get things right. That's why, when you settle a debt, make sure you get something in writing from the lender confirming that you've paid everything you owe and the debt is closed forever. Then take a picture of that letter and send to someone you trust as a backup.
<br />
<br />I also contacted the lender and they said they're investigating. I'll let you know what they say.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Will it happen again?
</b><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>Is it possible for an investigation to take a whole month when your salary just disappeared in your account the day the money was transferred to you but you didn't have any links to deduct from your account? A friend of mine has the same issue he asked me to ask for him on his behalf. He got paid and the same day all the money was gone before independence. Right now they saying the matter is still at Head Office and they are still investigating. He asked them how safe it is now to get paid again on the same account. He said they told him they have cut the links that might be linked to his account and they gave him a new card. Is it possible that the bank will give him his salary back?
</i><br />
<br />No, I don't think it's acceptable for a bank to take an entire month to investigate something like this. Don't they understand that very few of us can cope without our salary? A month's salary is probably trivial to them but it means a lot to you and me.
<br />
<br />I suspect that they've done all they can to prevent the same problem happening again this month but your friend is still entitled to know where their money went.
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<br />I contacted the bank and I'll let you know what they plan to do.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-32279782240916348872023-10-21T19:36:00.000+02:002023-10-21T19:36:23.088+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>It's too hard!
</b><br />
<br />I bought a bed from a store at Airport Junction and I used it for 2 weeks but now the bed is too firm for me. I went to the shop and they told me I can top up with P2,000 plus for me to get the more comfortable bed I want? Is this fair?
</i><br />
<br />Unfortunately for you I suspect it is fair.
<br />
<br />As consumers we have a wide range of protections and perhaps the most important is that we don't need to accept faulty goods. If a product is faulty we can return it to the store within 6 months for one of the three Rs: a repair, a replacement or a refund. However, it's important to remember that the store can choose which of the three Rs they choose. It's up to them to decide. They are, for instance, entitled to repair something they sold you that's faulty. However, it's also important to know that if that repair fails within 3 months and the same problem occurs again, they lose that R. Now they only have two Rs: a replacement or a refund.
<br />
<br />But your case is different. From what you've said, there's nothing actually faulty about the bed. It's just a matter of taste? Some people like really soft beds, others like them really firm and most of us are in between. The lesson here is to do whatever you can (within reason, don't get arrested for public indecency!) to test a mattress before you buy it.
<br />
<br />I suspect in this case the best option is to see if you can upgrade the mattress to one that's more suitable for you.
<br />
<br /><i><b>Who should I pay?
</b><br />
<br />I recently got Transunion feedback that I am owing a furniture store. I called their office for payment arrangements and I was told my file has been handed over to a certain debt collection company which I contacted. I was then told my account is now into them and any payment arrangement should be done to them not the furniture store. I went back to the store for a proof that I am now paying a certain company which I don't have any agreement with. I was requesting for either a letter or anything that I will use as a confirmation but they refused to give me any proof. Now my question is how can I trust that company with my money and after clearing the debt who is going to clear my name from Transunion?
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<br />I haven't yet visited their office, they were only communicating through phone calls and WhatsApp. Kindly advise, thank you.
</i><br />
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-oer_g7qj_86u82BqhdzvwvL8lL0qxbH9aXq-0o6ssh8NjcaBDNgUbSA2NJTW2SyZTw5KWUvQBEXEDW5VkbgAhvC-gS6XYmq-2mDVAT_E0n7ldplywxGdZdcZ9IHJuRwl0b1iIE7GHpHcw4E6V7ckbed5OVVdx-Teij-BEnc5z3AEBoidM7C8R1efBs/s898/DebtDoesnt.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="898" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-oer_g7qj_86u82BqhdzvwvL8lL0qxbH9aXq-0o6ssh8NjcaBDNgUbSA2NJTW2SyZTw5KWUvQBEXEDW5VkbgAhvC-gS6XYmq-2mDVAT_E0n7ldplywxGdZdcZ9IHJuRwl0b1iIE7GHpHcw4E6V7ckbed5OVVdx-Teij-BEnc5z3AEBoidM7C8R1efBs/s320/DebtDoesnt.png" width="320" /></a></div>You have my respect for being cautious. However, this seems legit to me. Firstly wasn't it the furniture store that told you that the debt was now with the debt collection company? You gave me the name of the debt collection company and they seem to check out ok. They are a registered company and are public about the work they do.
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<br />However, I also think you're right that the furniture store should have told you officially that they were transferring the debt to this company. You were right to be cautious and when debt is involved there needs to be some trust and responsibility by everyone involved.
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<br />As for your last question, I suspect the answer is that you now deal entirely with the debt collectors. Obviously I don't know the details of this arrangement but often a lender like a bank or furniture store will give up chasing a customer who owes them money and sell the debt to a debt collector, often for a fraction of the outstanding amount. But now it's the debt collector to whom you owe money. The full amount.
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<br />In this situation the best thing you can do is meet with the debt collection people and negotiate a repayment plan that you can afford and they will accept.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-48864485898762798792023-10-14T14:44:00.001+02:002023-10-14T14:44:37.374+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>How do we deal with these fraudsters?
</b><br />
<br />I need to know how to deal with fraudsters who claim to trade forex for you and vanish into thin air with your money. And you can still see their number being in use...even still advertising. How do you deal with them and to stop them from victimising others?
</i><br />
<br />I don't want to sound like a preacher but the bad news is that sin will always be with us. Some of our neighbours are less moral that you and me and will do their best to take our money. Thieves and con-artists have always existed and always will. The only weapons we have to fight against them are knowledge and the law.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1XFkcp2fI60MkjMcmJoEq_AN5C5zFltJJpwOqP1cvAZbfdNts5b7O74END2vIMyCc6WM510EqPXN8FTMrMpb-KjZpbZaUwPizwC_a14vTZtlDpY9PvsS3EqbPcjLF_A9jSvbA7vQWfhqhLHwoaoOSkYCtyEPccWX56uDh-ebVF-1U6JM_48ncFoM/s579/ScamStamp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="579" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1XFkcp2fI60MkjMcmJoEq_AN5C5zFltJJpwOqP1cvAZbfdNts5b7O74END2vIMyCc6WM510EqPXN8FTMrMpb-KjZpbZaUwPizwC_a14vTZtlDpY9PvsS3EqbPcjLF_A9jSvbA7vQWfhqhLHwoaoOSkYCtyEPccWX56uDh-ebVF-1U6JM_48ncFoM/s320/ScamStamp.jpg" width="320" /></a>Let's start with knowledge. These forex scammers rely on our ignorance of how forex works. They suggest that by trading foreign currencies online the average person like you and I can make fabulous profits. What they fail to mention is that the only people who make consistent profits from forex trading are huge multinational companies like banks and investment companies who have vast amounts of money to trade with, enormously skilled forex specialists and supercomputers that do all the work for them. Can you and I compete against that?
<br />
<br />More commonly these days the scammers will claim that they're offering the ability to trade in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but that's just another way they try to exploit our lack of knowledge. Like forex, very few of us understand how cryptocurrencies work and it's silly for us to think we can profit from them.
<br />
<br />Finally there are the self-styled "gurus" who claim to offer advice to others on how to trade. But ask yourself this question. If they are so skilled at making money from these tools, why don't they just do it themselves? Why are they sharing these "opportunities" with us? It's simple. Because they don't actually make money from trading, they make money from us. We are the product that makes them money. Remember that anyone who invites you to join their money-making scheme wants to make money FROM you, not WITH you.
<br />
<br />And the law? The Consumer Protection Act can protect us but <a href="https://www.nbfira.org.bw" target="_blank">NBFIRA</a> can also take an interest if someone is offering financial or investment advice. Even <a href="https://www.bankofbotswana.bw" target="_blank">Bank of Botswana</a> can intervene if they see an "illegal deposit-taking scheme". What we need is for them to take action when they see wrongdoing. We need to see some of these crooks in handcuffs and then in prison.
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<br /><i><b>Can't they check their records for me?
</b><br />
<br />I need help I made a lay bye in mid-June this year at a store in Selebi Phikwe and I failed to pay my remaining balance. Honestly I forgot about the lay bye. I just found out from my journal book that I have a lay bye with them. Today I went to the store to be told the only way I got use my money it's only when I produce a receipt which I might have misplaced. I requested them check on their records but the sales assistant refused.
</i><br />
<br />No. This is not good enough. Ok, I accept that you forgot to make a payment. But we're all human, we make innocent mistakes sometimes. You're not a criminal for making a mistake. Secondly you might have lost your receipt. Again, that's a mistake but again, hardly a crime. Remember also that many receipts fade after a few months so you might only have a blank piece of paper by now. The trick is to take a photo of all important receipts and then send them to a friend or relative as a backup.
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<br />However, I agree with you. Can't they check their records to get all the necessary details? Surely it's not that complicated? Maybe we should contact them and introduce them to a new idea they seem not to have heard of before? It's called 'customer service'. It involves going out of your way to help a customer when they need it. It involves not being difficult and lazy. It involves being a good person who helps their neighbours, their customers when they need it.
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<br />I contacted the Country Manager for this chain of stores and he asked for more details. He's a reasonable guy and I'm sure he'll understand that you are a customer who deserves some courtesy and assistance. If the store staff still don't understand I'm sure readers of The Voice would volunteer to explain it to them. Do they really want that?Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-10461339019741761162023-10-07T11:04:00.000+02:002023-10-07T11:04:51.538+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Where's my refund?
</b><br />
<br />I bought a couple of things from a furniture company including a bed frame. One of their workers offered to assist me to buy a mattress for the bed. Before sending him the money, I called their boss to confirm if I could trust his guys of which he said I could. I sent him P2,000 for mattress on the 31st of July and to this day, I am still waiting. I ended up buying a mattress elsewhere. I met up with them at their warehouse earlier this month and I was promised my money back month end but now the story has changed and I am told that I should just go ahead and report the issue.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>This is very suspicious. Why would an employee offer to help you buy something "on the side" like this. Why would the employer encourage or support one of their employees doing a deal themselves rather than through the company? Why would a furniture company that sells bed frames not be able to sell you a mattress as well?
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<br />I'm not an attorney but I think it's the company we should be talking to, not their employee. From what you say they approved of this side deal while you were on their premises and while you were buying the bed frame from them.
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<br />I think the best thing for the store to do is sit down with both you and the employee and identify a solution to this mess. If not, then we might need to escalate this to involve law enforcement and a possible charge of obtaining by false pretence?
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<br /><b>Update</b>: I contacted the store and the manager proposed exactly what I was going to suggest to him, that he gets you and the employee together to sort this out. Let me know what happens?
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<br /><i><b>Won't they cover me?
</b><br />
<br />Mr Harriman, I am writing this on behalf of my wife. She insured her car but unfortunately on the 23 July 2023 the unfortunate happened whereby she bumped in a parked car which belongs to me. After all the necessary steps taken and the relevant documents required were provided the insurer declined to attend to the car she bumped into as a third party their reason being that since we are married they can't cover the other car. We have since taken the issue to NBFIRA, we now waiting for the verdict.
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<br />My point of contention here is about the other car which they have taken for maintenance. Sir it is now almost three months with any development whereas they have taken the car telling us that they have found all the parts needed to maintain it. After some times having taken the car without any feedback we inquired why the delay. To our utter disbelief we were told they are no parts and that they have ordered them. All these was from garage where our car is. The owner of the garage took us from pillar to post. All these times we were contacting in insurer about our displeasure and they always promise to intervene but to no avail. Now we are told to wait for another 3 months for the parts to arrive. Imagine half a year waiting to be assisted I feel hard done by. Can you please help Sir.
</i><br />
<br />This is something I've not heard before. The insurance company claims that a wife's policy doesn't cover damage to her husband's car? I think this will depend on the small print in your insurance policy. If there's a clause that says that then it's simple. But I'd be surprised if there was. The first thing you should do is get your policy document and read it very carefully. I assume you have a copy? The <a href="https://www.nbfira.org.bw" target="_blank">NBFIRA</a> Policyholder Protection Rules make it very clear that you should have received a copy of the policy and if you've lost it they must give you a replacement.
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<br />As for the garage and their delays, you should mention to them that Section 14 (1) of the Consumer Protection Act says that a supplier must offer "timely performance and completion" of services you're paying for and "timely notice of any unavoidable delay" if they happen.
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<br />I think you deserve better from both of these companies and I'm happy to contact them both for you.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-70121901289380846332023-09-30T11:22:00.002+02:002023-09-30T11:22:39.510+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Why the delay?
</b><br />
<br />I need your help. I sent an email to my insurance company cancelling my policy on August 14th 2023. I made an enquiry on the cancelation on the 18th of September and the responsible people do not respond to my emails. I managed to get hold of a lady yesterday and she said the procedure is that when they receive the email they print and hand to a certain department. Just now I made a follow up and she was surprised that the department never called me. She checked my email and she just said it had no attachment. Something that I believe could have been communicated on the 16th of August when she read my email as per the read receipt that I received. How do I go about this because the service provider did not advise me accordingly on time and they are still deducting money on my account.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/s1600/SUFYR.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqozeQN60YNhcP79VVmrydiQEsGqHjGys0jAKfBavPWk8d_rf7c06QQqdk1832mf7QNxhfsscLOBIkDlwYR6iRjjPwbeFUUnUt_evUhVZi6xIaLfKgrUgFAz9pa9OP-gqNvJTNT2TIs/w307-h320/SUFYR.png" width="307" /></a>Firstly, I like the fact that you set up your email to them to include a read receipt. That way you could be certain if they received the email and that someone read it. Smart move!
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<br />I think we need to remind this insurance company who their customer is? Who's paying for the service? Who deserves some reasonable customer service? Yes, you admit that you forgot to attach a document to your email, but we've all done that. You've probably received an email with a missing attachment as well and I bet you replied immediately and told the sender what happened? It's what polite people do.
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<br />I'll get in touch with the company and see if they can't recognise that they owed you much better treatment than this. I also suggest that you write them another email (with a read receipt request) and demand that they backdate your cancellation to August. I think it's only polite and reasonable.
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<br /><i><b>What can I do with this slow laptop?
</b><br />
<br />I need help. I bought my daughter a HP Laptop at certain shop in Gaborone for P4,000. When we tested it it was slow. We end up taking it but the child suffered to use until we returned it. When we get there they wanted to give us another one it took time to be on so I decided I need money since it's doing the same thing. They are refusing to give money just because in their papers I signed I can't return it and if I do I have to get something else and there is nothing I need in the shop. I need money to go buy somewhere else. They said the laptop is new but I think it's not. How may I get my money back since my daughter needs a laptop for her course? Those are crooks they knew and admit the laptop is not working well but they don't want refund.
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<br />Please help I'm so frustrated by this issue.
</i><br />
<br />Unfortunately I suspect this might be difficult. It's incredibly important, whenever you buy something technological, to do your research first, before you hand over your money. That applies to cellphones, cars and computers, anything that isn't understood by most of us. Every time we buy anything like this, if we're not an expert, we must get advice from someone who is.
<br />
<br />When buying a computer it's really important to make sure the model you choose matches your requirements. Your friendly expert will ask you what you plan to do with the device, what you can afford to spend and they'll be able to point you in the direction of the right device.
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<br />I suspect you didn't have the chance to do this and you're paying the price for that. It doesn't help that this store seems unhelpful and untrustworthy. I also suspect that the laptop isn't new. Even the cheapest of modern laptops will allow the average user to do most things. This sounds like an older model.
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<br />I'll contact the store and see if they can explain themselves.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-34614212647326030142023-09-23T15:07:00.001+02:002023-09-23T15:16:23.086+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Is this laptop legit?
</b><br />
<br />I recently bought a laptop on the 23rd of August, then returned it on Friday so they could install windows since it wasn't activated. When I followed up the progress they came up with another issue claiming that the hard drive is damaged. For them to give me my laptop back I need to contribute P500 to install the hard drive. The matter was reported to CCA in Main Mall on the 31st and they promised to get back to me within this week but they haven't called. I really need the laptop for I have presentations to prepare for within the following week.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s892/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5Jx6lPW03CAi_GeYaY65Vi82ttzGaTaRAQ4TcDZtAcXQ8JPs6rbBhQ4oXAxClKjJZ4T2zNlJH5qCdHwtZh7AiUf8kg4KUuyTCo21dEwM_cAqotVZpEwY1ydJkGTuX5Uu6NLDRrO0Y3If90jdWWFEc9isSTLSqRBd1SbfIFI5VSBBP7LoFWVEOSA/s320/ItsTimeToGetAngry.jpg" width="320" /></a>This is incredibly suspicious. Almost all new laptops come with Windows already installed and operational. The only thing you need to do when you start it for the first time is to enter your personal details to register it with Microsoft. The most suspicious thing you wrote is that your version of Windows "<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-help-with-windows-activation-errors-09d8fb64-6768-4815-0c30-159fa7d89d85#:~:text=0x80004005-,Select%20Start%20%3E%20Settings%20%3E%20Update%20%26%20Security%20%3E%20Activation%20%2C%20and,see%20Using%20the%20Activation%20troubleshooter." target="_blank">wasn't activated</a>". I think that probably means that the version of Windows on the laptop you bought had been pirated. That's illegal.
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<br />The second issue is that the hard drive was damaged. Again, that suggests to me that the laptop isn't new. It's almost unheard of for a new laptop to have a failed hard disc. I think it's obvious that you've been sold a second-hand laptop with pirated software.
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<br />I contacted the owner of the store and they weren't very helpful. Firstly they suggested this wasn't a big issue. But it is. They were also very unhappy that you'd contacted us and suggested they would contact the Police and demand an investigation into us for asking questions. Clearly they have something to hide.
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<br />I suggest we continue to apply pressure on the Competition and Consumer Authority because they have the power to compel this store to do the right thing. And also perhaps face punishment for selling used goods as new and installing pirated software. I wonder if the Police might also be interested? But not in us, in the store.
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<br /><i><b>Do I deserve rewards?
</b><br />
<br />Hello Mr Harriman. Please I need to ask something privately regarding cellphone network providers in Botswana. I have been a loyal customer using one number since 1998 (26 years) and that was the time when they were basically new as well. Ever since from my first cell phone to this date buying airtime, buying and using their internet for years and years. Don't I get to be appreciated somehow or be recognised for being a loyal customer be given at least a t-shirt or something? Are service providers not supposed to give out appreciation freebies?
</i><br />
<br />Unfortunately not. Like you, I've been with my cellphone network almost since the day they started. I'm slightly scared to calculate how much I've paid them in total. And what have they given me in return? Just what I paid for. I've paid them every month and they've given me the ability to make calls, send messages and connect to the internet. But that's all I can demand from them. What I paid for.
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<br />As for extras, for freebies and gifts, those are just luxuries. And here's a secret they want you to overlook. Freebies aren't free. We pay for them. Every time we buy airtime a small percentage of that payment pays for any special offers, discounts and freebies they give us. You don't think they're charities, do you? It's not their money they're spending on the gifts, it's ours.
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<br />It's not just cellphone network providers that do things like this. Think about so-called store 'loyalty cards' as well. These cards don't reward loyalty, they try to create it. The occasional discounts they offer us are just tricks to persuade us to keep shopping with them rather than their competitors. The prices they charge include the cost of any rewards they offer us. They're also there to track us, to analyse how we spend our money and then to target advertising to us. If you're happy with this that's fine, but remember it's a choice we make, whether we participate or not.
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<br />Above all, remember this. Very few things in life are truly free.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-71156230675668666832023-09-16T11:05:00.001+02:002023-09-20T17:49:03.810+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Why can't I install apps?
</b><br />
<br />Can you please assist me in this issue. I bought a Huawei Y70 phone in Maun for P3,000. After buying the phone I realized that it doesn't support other apps. I tried to download Showmax and Netflix but the phone was acting up. There is an error message saying the device does not support the app.
<br />
<br />Upon realizing this issue I contacted the shop but the guy told me that he is able to install them but the issue is this phone is going to be a problem to me because they gave me 1 month warranty I wonder what will happen after one month if I want to install another app.
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<br />They are refusing to change the phone. So I was asking how best can the shop help me.
</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>I think we need to teach this cellphone store some basic lessons about customer service and consumer rights, don't you?
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<br />Firstly, this is just rude. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I think that if a store sells something that isn't working right, no matter what caused it, they owe the customer some courtesy and should try their best to help them fix the situation.
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<br />Perhaps more importantly I think suppliers should obey the law. As readers of The Voice will know by now, Section 16 (2) of the Consumer Protection Act says that a consumer:<div><blockquote>"may return goods to a supplier in their merchantable or original state, within six months after the delivery of the goods, without penalty and at the supplier's risk and expense, if the goods fail to satisfy the requirements and standards (that the Act demands)"</blockquote></div><div>It's not complicated. A cellphone should be able to make calls, send messages and load apps that are right for that type of phone. A quick Google search suggested that there's nothing that would prevent this model of phone loading these apps. However, I think it's the job of this store to help you fix this issue. If there's a reason why the apps can't be loaded they should have told you this before you spent your money. If it can run them they need to help you load them. Either way it's their job to help you.
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<br />I contacted the store but haven't had a reply yet. I won't give up.
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<br /><i><b>Must I pay for a refund?
</b><br />
<br />I'm not sure if this is the right platform but I need assistance on what to do with an electronics store in Airport Junction. I bought a phone there in May, an iPhone Pro Max 13, now the battery is already down to 92% which is unusual for a brand new phone.
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<br />I went to see them today and they said their warranty doesn't cover the battery and if I want a refund they will deduct 40% of the price paid, which is 6.6k.
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<br />So I told them that I'd just check in with you guys if that is the right way because honestly I believe I was sold a refurbished or second hand phone instead of a new one. Please advise.
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<br />I agree with you. Something here isn't right. You sent me a screenshot from the phone which shows that the Apple warranty has already expired which shouldn't be the case for a new phone bought in May. And then there's this nonsense about the battery not being covered by the warranty? That's not acceptable. Requiring you to pay to get a refund is also nonsense and I'm happy to tell them about Section 16 (2 ) of the Consumer Protection Act. I'll also tell them about Section 13 which forbids a supplier from selling used goods without being honest about it and Section 23 which says they can't force consumer to waive their rights, like the right to a working battery in their expensive cellphone.
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<br />Why is it that some cellphone stores are allowed to behave like these two? The bad news is it's because we allow it. We all need to be a lot more demanding.</div>Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-55893619935218454712023-09-09T11:02:00.000+02:002023-09-09T11:02:04.488+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Can I get my money back?
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<br />How long does it take to get your money back from an investment policy that you have cancelled? Does it require the same agent you signed up with?
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<br />I opened it in Maun through an agent in April 2022 and was effective starting 1 May. Maturity date is on 30 April 2047. I paid P350 for 3 months and ended it because my employment contract had ended. The agent told me that they will freeze my account for a year in good faith that I will find a job and continue but I never did. In April I communicated with him and he told me that in 4 days I will get my money. He told me I should have given him my account number and wait for 10 days. When I ask he always tells me that he is not in the office and will get back to me.
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<br />I contacted the insurance company. They haven't replied yet but I think I know what they'll say.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoJPOxrDgNccKd9aIFFi4uFpKD-6E3ptKHJd2AQxuuxfjJD7kJ_IBu8tgjDkzH095qGyvL_54thrHDahf8cF3oCv9To8bCWK-U7rGUIhc_ZOMXNU45c8vn9WqrNMc7Ob6he_zzZJE7Fg/s1600/SmallPrint.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoJPOxrDgNccKd9aIFFi4uFpKD-6E3ptKHJd2AQxuuxfjJD7kJ_IBu8tgjDkzH095qGyvL_54thrHDahf8cF3oCv9To8bCWK-U7rGUIhc_ZOMXNU45c8vn9WqrNMc7Ob6he_zzZJE7Fg/s400/SmallPrint.png" width="400" /></a>The problem is that you signed a 25-year investment policy and asked to cancel it after just 1 year. I suspect that if you read the small print of the policy document you'll find that you can't do this and expect your money back. This is partly because the insurance company was expecting 25 years of premiums and you've cancelled that agreement. It's also partly because of what is sometimes called 'front-loading'. When you sign a long-term investment policy the agent who sold it doesn't want to wait for 25 years to get their commission. They want it now. What happens is that their commission is paid in the first year or two of the policy. That means that your early premiums don't go into the policy, they go to the agent. It's only after a few years that you actually start to save money and earn interest. That's the 'front-loading'.
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<br />Let's wait to see what the insurance company says but I'm not optimistic that you'll get any money back. Meanwhile the insurance company needs to get some better agents. This one seems to know or care very little.
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<br /><i><b>Where's my refund?
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<br />Please assist in reaching out to a drilling company for my refund. The company started off well with a site visit to my farm and did the point confirmation for the borehole as promised. They were to send me the report after deposit and this never came. On request for this the director kept saying he will share this but it never came.
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<br />He later gave me a confirmation date for the drill appointment which was the 21st Aug and on the 20th I reached out to him in order to prepare for the drilling but he never responded. Fast forward he missed the drilling dates and to this day he only reads my Whatsapp and doesn't respond. He is a tough person to reach on voice call and he always has excuses like the truck had a break down and they are trying to rectify. His last comms to me was a letter stating he will attend to my drilling before the end of September and am wondering if he feels I should wait for him while there are other guys who can assist sooner.
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<br />I sent him a letter demanding my refund because I no longer want to work with his company so I can seek help elsewhere and still he reads my emails and Whatsapps with no response.
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<br />I think you've done everything right so far. And he's done everything wrong. I'm sure we all understand that companies sometimes have problems, things that delay them but that's no excuse for going silent. Section 14 (1) of the Consumer Protection Act says that consumers are entitled to "timely performance and completion" of services they've paid for. It goes on to say that we're also entitled to "timely notice of any unavoidable delay". It's really very simple. Suppliers should keep to their promises and let us know if they can't.
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<br />In your case the company are being rude. They can't just tell you that they've picked a new date, they need to be negotiating with you. They need to be asking politely if they can come on a later date. They should be the ones offering you a refund, not you asking for it. I contacted the company but so far all I get is blue ticks. I'll keep you informed.
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<br /><b>Update</b>: The owner of the drilling company says I can "expect to hear from my lawyers". I look forward to it.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-50942060976542285492023-09-02T15:42:00.002+02:002023-09-11T21:40:42.732+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Must I pay him?
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<br />On the 6th August around 9 am I parked by the shops and one guy came and parked behind me. When I wanted to go out there was no space and which resulted in me scratching his car below the plate number. The guy took me out of the scene while waiting for police because he was called by his friend who is a police officer. I was charged and paid the fine. Now the guy wants me to pay him money for insurance of even the damage of the car is not the one on his quotation.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioX5BIV9u9PrrovWoxouprDE55oVad3AftBHSrYdVFEoGWCNGosKw7BHlzm7n0PoH__WYoPOgf9qSVxChlmV-UEM_wyzoYrWScpdlDHO11T9zI0Gp5XU9iOPvJe330MAcu3yIzQyWzjHU/s1600/InsuranceExpensive.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioX5BIV9u9PrrovWoxouprDE55oVad3AftBHSrYdVFEoGWCNGosKw7BHlzm7n0PoH__WYoPOgf9qSVxChlmV-UEM_wyzoYrWScpdlDHO11T9zI0Gp5XU9iOPvJe330MAcu3yIzQyWzjHU/s320/InsuranceExpensive.png" width="320" /></a>Unfortunately I don't think I can give you any good news. This is what happens when the victim of a collision has insurance and the guilty party doesn't. The victim will have submitted an insurance claim and the insurance company will have paid the costs needed to repair the vehicle, except an amount they call the 'excess'. This is a relatively small amount the insured person pays towards the repair costs.
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<br />The bad news is that the guilty party isn't the one the insurance policy protects. That's just the policy holder, the one paying for it. Now the insurance company will want to get back the money they lost when they paid the repair costs and it's you they'll approach to get it from. The other bit of bad news is that the owner of the damaged vehicle is also entitled to demand their excess payment back from you.
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<br />However, it's only fair that the amounts they demand from you are reasonable and correct. I think you have a right to see the invoices from whatever repair shops they approached to make sure you're being charged a fair price for the repairs and not being exploited. If you like I can contact the insurance company for you.
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<br /><i><b>Can I get anything back?
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<br />Kindly looking for help just recently bought a second hand car from a pawn shop in Maun. On Thursday afternoon then the following day which is Friday morning it started to show more problems mainly the engine and those problems were not mentioned and the guy knew about the problems. I was denied to test drive the car, they got me to pay P15k for car before leaving the yard.
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<br />I called them yesterday to asking for help but they say said they can't help me with anything. What I really wanted was for them to reduce the price of the car so that I can get the engine fixed or buy a second hand engine from the spare shops.
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<br />Please help me.
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<br />The first important point is that you can't trust these people. Anyone selling a car that doesn't allow you to test drive it has something to hide. It doesn't matter if it's an individual, a car dealer or a pawnshop, if they're too scared to let you inspect the vehicle they're keeping something from you. Something you need to know. The lesson is simple. Only ever buy a car you've test driven or which comes with a written, dated, signed guarantee that it's in working order.
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<br />The second important thing here is that these guys are regulated. I suggest that you contact both the Competition and Consumer Authority and NBFIRA, the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority who oversee pawn shops and ask both bodies to take a look at this company. I think NBFIRA will be particularly interested because the company name you gave me doesn't appear on their current list of pawn shops.
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<br />These guys seem more and more shady. It's time they explained themselves.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8341685704389874782.post-424503910371225572023-08-19T15:50:00.000+02:002023-08-19T15:50:06.638+02:00The Voice - Consumer's Voice<i><b>Where's my bed?
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<br />Greetings Mr Richard. I come to you with an issue which I believe you will help me.
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<br />I bought a bed from a store in Selebi Phikwe on 6 months instalment which I long finished but before I finished paying I reported a fault which I was promised to be given a new bed but I have not received any. Every time I go to the shop I'm promised that the bed will be by my house in less than a week but its never the case.
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<br />Kindly help me with this issue since its draining me. The manager no longer answers my calls and I'm always forced to knock off early or take leave to attend the issue without results.</i><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s594/No.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TRdU3rb8CSMvd3CMotKDlSH7ya3S8J-ITcKzjoQvnIaRrNXKVoEmNFPXAoiAbG6i_YpXiE1R1FSYMBpD4Wk5FhUIxxjpwlXvTtx0n0anl0FJLYsYC3qa5QDSVDjhXfCCHfGPLElNxrc/s320/No.png" /></a>I think you've done exactly the right thing so far. Within the repayment period you reported a fault with the product you were buying. That's an incredibly important thing to do. Many people fail to do that, they fail to report a problem as soon as it occurs. Then they often find that the warranty has expired and they're left without any rights.
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<br />The problem is that some stores decide to ignore a complaint within the warranty period and hope the customer will forget. As soon as the warranty expires they claim it's too late. Luckily you're one of the smarter consumers.
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<br />I messaged the store manager and his response was predictable. Blue ticks but no response. I then emailed the Country Manager who has a very good history dealing with consumer issues. I suspect he'll be much more responsive. My recommendation to the store manager is to listen to what the Country Manager says and learn some lessons from him. If you want to keep your job.
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<br /><i><b>Where's my phone?
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<br />I really need your help regarding a cellphone store. I bought a Samsung A14 on the 19th July and on Friday 21st upon setting the phone up with my passwords, fingerprint and face id the phone started acting up, the password, fingerprint and face id would not work at times like at one moment it will work and the next moment it will not. I took the phone back to the shop because I really needed that phone for work and now my work was at stake. They said it was the sim card and they did what they know best and I took the phone since I was in a hurry and really needed it for work. When I complained they said it was sealed but they are the ones who opened the box and gave me the phone. So all these is the reason why I asked for a refund or a new phone, it wasn't even unlocking when I was at their shop. I even provided my passwords to them as they claimed I might have forgotten it or at least how about my face id and fingerprint, did I forget them too? They refused to help me and they kept the phone till now it's been 3 weeks. I asked for the manager, made several calls, texted them on WhatsApp several times but they are ignoring my messages. I even went there and I didn't get any help, they don't even bother to keep me updated but they are keeping the phone and my money since Sunday the 23rd of July.
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<br />I have a confession to make. Your comment "my face id and fingerprint, did I forget them too?" made me laugh out loud. How dim-witted are the people at this store?
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<br />I think this store needs an urgent lesson on the Consumer Protection Act, basic customer service and common sense. They've let you down completely and now they're making up stories and ignoring you?
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<br />It's simply not good enough. I contacted the owner of the store and he promised action. Let's hope.Richard Harrimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709540868409193767noreply@blogger.com0