The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They did me a favour?

Good day Richard. I bought a Bennet Read air-fryer in August last year. At the beginning of February the air-fryer stopped working. Unfortunately when I was looking for the receipt I could not find it but I did return it and they accepted it for fixing. OK fine it takes almost a month to be returned but when I got home it was not working again. I returned it again and they took it for 2 weeks with no communication until one of the workers sent me a message saying the product can't be fixed twice and the manager is on it.

Now today I was called to collect the old air-fryer and they say it can't be changed because I didn't have a receipt. I did ask them can't you retrieve the receipt because I brought it in its box which I believe has its serial number. They said they did me a favour.

I got the old one back but now my fear is if it doesn't work what's next? Please assist.

This store needs to make up its mind. Do they need a receipt or not? I don't think it's complicated. They already accepted the air-fryer and attempted to repair it once without a receipt, didn't they? I'm no lawyer but that's clearly an admission that they were responsible for fixing it. When they later changed their mind, I suspect it was because they had run out of excuses. That's not good enough.

Another good thing is that they admitted is that they accepted that they can't fix the product twice. Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act says that once a store has tried to repair an item, if the same fault occurs again within 3 months, they can then only replace it or refund the consumer.

I think it's time we both spoke to the store's Head Office, don't you?

Why won't it go down?

Please help me understand this. My younger brother has a hire purchase contract with a furniture store then he lost his job and he didn't tell them he lost his job he just said he is no longer working. They kept on calling him and our family decided to repay all those debts in instalments until they are done. Now I have a question. Every month I make those payments without fail but the balance doesn't go down. They keep adding interest even though the account is no longer in arrears. I made a payment when the balance was P1,800 and today I made another payment only to be told the balance is P1,300. So I asked why is it not less because we paid on time and they said it added interest. When I started paying it off the balance was P3,900, that was in December when I paid 1,200 then in January I paid P600 and in February P600.

Clearly this debt will never finish and this is what is depressing my brother. Now they keep adding interest and I want to know what the law says if you told me my balance is this much I calculate and budget according to that balance so when it keeps adding up its a problem.

This is about two things. The first is interest. Any outstanding debt will incur interest charges particularly if your brother was behind with his payments and his debt has probably increased massively from the interest that the store adds to his debt each month. Paying off relatively small amounts will reduce the balance by less than you think because every month they'll add more interest to the remaining balance.

The second problem is that hire purchase is a terrible way to buy things. I've mentioned before that goods bought on hire purchase don't belong to you until you've made the final payment, the warranty is void if you're behind with your payments, and if the goods are ever prepossessed, you probably still owe the store the remaining amount, even though you don't have the items you thought you'd bought.

I suggest your brother asks them for a full statement of his account and then for a settlement amount, the amount he can pay to get rid of this debt forever.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where's the bed?

I need your help. In 2024 I took a bed in order to pay it with installments. By then I was working but I lost my job in 2025 and I wasn't able to pay properly but I was trying to pay. In mid 2025 they called and asked me to return the bed because I wasn't able to pay well and I agreed with them to collect it. They did not come until February this year to take it. They collected it and I was given a receipt for the collection.

Then they called this week claiming they didn't collect the bed. After some days they called again saying I should pay over P7,000 or they will file a court case against me. Is it really fair for me to pay the balance even though I am not using it? Please help.

Firstly, it's really important that you keep that receipt safe. I suggest you take a picture of it on your phone and send it to several people as a backup, including me. If the store believes that you still have the bed, and you can't prove that it was taken back, you're going to have trouble.

More importantly, this illustrates how higher purchase works. It's important to understand when you buy something this way, it doesn't belong to you. Until you've made the final payment it's still belongs to the store. The money you were paying them each month was just to hire the item. If you check the small print of the agreement you signed, you'll see that it says that, even if the item is repossessed, you still owe the money you agreed to pay them, minus any amount they got from selling the repossessed goods.

I'll contact them and explain your side of the story, but you also need to sit down with them yourself to discuss exactly how much you owe them, and how you can best repay that debt. And don't forget to send me that receipt!

The second one was worse!

Please can you help me? I bought a tablet from one of the shops in Gaborone on the 26th of February but on the 15th of March it started to shut down on its own regardless of it having a fully charged battery. I took the tablet back to the shop and they exchanged it and gave me another tablet of the same brand. This one my son used it for less than a week and it was worse than the first one. I went back to the shop and they told me that I'm overusing the phone but my son used it for 3 hours only and they told me there is nothing they can do because the tablet is a Chinese brand. What can I do?

This store understands nothing about customer service and even less about consumer rights. Clearly this device was faulty when you bought it. However, I'm sure we all understand that this happens sometimes, but the Consumer Protection Act and common sense both make it very clear what a supplier should do in this situation. Section 16 of the Act says clearly that they must either repair the faulty item, replace it, or refund the consumer. They were within their rights to replace it with another device of the same brand but it's completely unacceptable that the second tablet was even worse than the item it replaced.

And then they start making up stories about over-using the device? That's nonsense. Also, their excuse that because it's Chinese, they can't do anything? That's just as silly.

I'll contact the store and politely tell them to stop making up stories and to stop being so silly. I'll also explain a little bit about Consumer rights and customer service. Clearly they need some education.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They charged me again!

Am sending you this with a heavy heart. I have been paying a loan from my bank and my loan was supposed to finish February 2026. As am sending this message I am from the bank because there is a deduction made for month of March. To my surprise when I get there, am told that from the beginning there was supposed to be a certain charge, which was not added to the calculations and upon noticing the mistake the payment was extended with my knowledge. Is this the proper thing? Kindly help.

This charge is probably the "proper thing", but it wasn't done in the proper way. Clearly the bank made a mistake when they first set up your loan but you'll probably find in the small print of your loan agreement that it says that you are responsible for ensuring that the full amount you owe is repaid to the bank. I understand and agree with you that they should've made this very clear in the beginning and they failed to do so but this doesn't change the amount of money you owe them.

I'll contact the bank and ask them to get in touch with you to explain in more detail what happened. I'll also suggest they give you a complete statement of your account so you can double check that the amount you paid was the correct amount.

Can they repair it again?

I bought a defy fridge on 18 December 2025. In the beginning of January the fridge was over freezing top and bottom. I went to report the fridge and Defy technicians came by the house to fix it. A week later It was still over freezing. I called the shop a couple of times but they didn't assist until I went to the shop and then last week Tuesday the Defy workers came and took the fridge.

So yesterday they called to say they have fixed the fridge and they will deliver it. I called the shop to tell them that I'm not accepting the fridge because I want a fridge that won't give me a problem since the unit they have given me has proven to be problematic.

Am I entitled to a refund or replacement because I don't want the unit that has already given me problems?

As readers of The Voice will know, Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act says that a consumer may return faulty goods to a supplier within six months of purchase. It says that the supplier can then choose whether to repair the faulty item, replace it, or refund the consumer. It goes on to say that if they repair the item and the same fault happens again within the next three months, they can then only replace the faulty item or refund you. They don't have the option of repairing it again. In your case it was just a week before the same problem happened again.

I contacted the store and reminded them of this and the good news is that they're going to replace your fridge with a new one.

Update. The replacement fridge was delivered.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Must I pay?

In February last year i went to my bank in Maun and paid the due balance on my credit card and asked them to close it. They said all is well and its closed. In June last year I get a call from collections from a lady telling me I haven't been paying for my credit card. I told her that according to my understanding the account is closed. I did not have the copy of the letter I wrote at the bank nor the receipt when I made the deposit for the outstanding balance but she suggested that I write a letter and I will get help. I did that the very same day. I kept on checking progress from her but she reassured me that i will get help.

In December I got a call from a law firm saying that I owe them. I explained to them what had happened and they advised me to go to the bank. I did just that on the 16th December. They made calls and promised me he will get to the bottom of it and give me feedback. As promised sometime in January he called me back telling me that it was their fault and he even said the name of the lady who was assigned to close it therefore they will reverse all the charges and get it closed.

Up to now they are still charging me P300 monthly and the law firm is still calling. I work in a remote area and I cannot manage to do follow up in person at the bank all the time. Please assist me.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience and stress this must have caused you. Even though you knew you'd done the right thing it was surely very frustrating to be hassled by the bank and then a law firm alleging you'd done something wrong.

Perhaps you didn't know that they also registered you as a bad payer with a credit reference bureau? However, that's now sorted out. I contacted someone at their Head Office and they told me that:

"the balance will be absorbed by the Bank and the client's file recalled from the law firm. We will also delete the credit listing for the customer. We will send the customer confirmation of account closure once the process is completed."

It's a shame they took so long to sort this out. It's also a shame that we had to involve their Head Office to fix something that should have been fixed almost a year ago.

Can they only refund 30%?

Hello sir. I need help. I bought a hair clipping machine but when I got home and try to cut my boy's hair the machine didn't work. When I wanted to return the machine they said they will refund only 30% of the amount not the full amount. Is it ok to do that because I wanted to buy elsewhere?

No, it's certainly not OK to do that. As readers of The Voice will know, Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act says that if goods are faulty within six months of purchase, a consumer can return the goods to the supplier. The supplier must then either repair the faulty item, replace it, or refund the customer. It certainly does not permit a store to charge a fee for this. Obviously, if a consumer just changes their mind, then a store can decide whether to accept the returned item or not but when it's faulty, the situation is very clear.

I suggest you speak to the store again and explain to them in very simple terms so that even they can understand it. They need to know that you understand the law better than they do. I'm also happy to speak to them to make sure they understand what they need to do.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They created a fake policy!

There are two insurance companies where their agents are busy committing fraud and theft and they seem to approve all that. There is a syndicate of agents who have my documents. How they stole them from their systems I am still trying to find out but they are using them to open policies without my knowledge or authorization.

I have now had two incidents. Last month I just saw money being deducted from my account to the first company, yet at that time I did not even know that I had a policy with them. I went to their offices, they listened to my story and said they would refund me and cancel the policy, but this month they debited me again. Now I am forced to go back to their offices again.

Then the following day the second insurance company also debited money from my account, and I still do not have any policy with them. Furthermore, they told me that three policies were opened, and they were opened by the same person.

Unfortunately, you're not the first person who's contacted us about this situation. I've heard from several people in the last few weeks with very similar stories. Somehow, an insurance agent has obtained the personal details of a consumer and then fraudulently created insurance policies in their name. The first time the victim hears of this is when money is deducted from their bank account. When I contacted the insurance companies, they've explained that they received an instruction to open a policy, which to them seemed genuine, but which was, in fact, fake.

One of the problems is that it's then sometimes difficult for the consumer to prove that they didn't open this policy. It can take a while for the insurance company to investigate and then to reverse the transactions and this can take a couple of months. Another problem is that the insurance companies are sometimes reluctant to treat this as a crime and to report it, in conjunction with the victim, to the Police. And that's what we need to do when this happens. A crime has been committed and the insurance companies need to treat this situation more seriously.

In your case, as with the others, I've alerted the insurance companies and I'm waiting to see what they're planning to do to fix the situation.

They took 3 times!

I have a loan with a microlender. Their last deduction was in December. In January they did not deduct the money so I sent them an email telling them to deduct the money but they didn't respond to my email and the did not deduct the money so I used the money. Yesterday they deducted 3 times taking all my salary. How best can you assist me? I know I skipped 1 month?

I think you skipped more than one month, at least two, maybe three.

Yes, I understand that it was the microlender's job, and probably your employer's, to do the deductions each month but it was also your responsibility to ensure that the payments were made.

You said "so I used the money". Unfortunately that was a very serious mistake. You knew that the money hadn't been deducted and you spent it on other things, knowing that it didn't belong to you any more. You should have set that money aside so you could afford to pay your debt.

You must contact the microlender as soon as possible and negotiate a repayment plan that you can afford.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where's my phone?

I bought an iPhone XS Max from a store in Gaborone Main Mall and after a day of purchase it gave me problems. I called them and they asked me to bring it and they changed it for me. The second iPhone is also giving me problems again and they want to change it again and give me the third phone but I no longer want their phones it's like they sell fake ones.

Every time when I call them the owner of the shop doesn't want to talk to me rather he gives the phone to his employees to talk to me but again when I tell them I want my money back they say it's beyond them. They say I should talk to him and he won't answer his phone

The worst part is I have to travel from Mahalapye to Gaborone to return the phone and at my own costs. We only shared the traveling costs when I returned the first one. Can you please help me?

This store doesn't just offer cell phones, it offers disrespect and contempt for its customers.

Let's begin with some basics. This iPhone model was first released in 2018 and was discontinued the following year in 2019 so it's likely that this phone is second-hand. Of course it's possible it's been in storage for the last seven years, but I doubt that very much, don't you?

There's nothing wrong with selling second-hand or used phones, the law just requires that the store must be honest about this. You sent me a copy of the receipt they gave you when you bought the phone and it doesn't mention that it's second-hand, as the Consumer Protection Act requires.

We all understand that occasionally cell phones are faulty, but it's too much to believe that the replacement would be faulty as well. I suspect that if they gave you a third phone, that one would probably be faulty too. I messaged the store a few days ago and they don't want to talk to me. It's not the first time I've dealt with them and on each occasion in the past, the story has been the same. I think you should contact the Competition and Consumer Authority and I'll do the same. Maybe together we can encourage them to do the right thing.

Must it take so long?

I need your help. I bought an HP laptop at a furniture store in Francistown on hire purchase. The laptops RAM chip got damaged and I took it back to them and told them it's the only gadget I'm using for my classes and that I've exams the same week I took it to them. They sent the laptop to their technicians in Gaborone and said it would take 21 days.

They called last week to say that the RAM has been ordered and it will take two weeks to be delivered. My question is since the damage wasn't my fault am I not covered by warranty since the PC is only on its 4th month? Are they not supposed to lend me a PC to use in the meantime or alternatively give me a new PC since their turn around time is more than 3 weeks?

The first thing you need to remember is that this laptop doesn't belong to you. It still belongs to the store. That's how higher purchase works. Until you've made the last payment, it still belongs to them. That means they can do what they like, they can take as long as they want to fix it. It also means that they are under no obligation to offer you a temporary PC, no matter how important it is to you. However, taking 21 days to replace the RAM in a laptop is absurd. I'm no expert, but I could do it in 30 minutes. I'll contact them for you and see if they can go faster.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Must I pay the bank?

I am currently experiencing an issue with my bank account and would kindly appreciate your assistance. I opened the account in September 2025 and only deposited money during that first month. Unfortunately, I lost my job shortly thereafter, and the account remained dormant from October until now. When I recently went to the bank to close the account, I was informed that I needed to settle the accumulated maintenance fees amounting to P470, which reflected as a negative balance. I paid this amount in full. However, when I proceeded to close the account, I was told there was still an outstanding balance of P339. The consultant assisting me mentioned that there may have been an error where some charges were doubled and assured me that they would investigate and get back to me. Unfortunately, I did not receive any feedback.

Yesterday, I received three SMS notifications from the bank indicating that a total of P298.58 had been debited from my account. As a result, my account balance is now -P557.32. I am confused about how these charges continue to accumulate, especially after I had already settled the previous amount. I kindly request your assistance in resolving this matter, as I would like clarity on these charges and guidance on how to stop further deductions. Thank you in advance for your help. 

Unfortunately, as many people have discovered, bank charges are often a mystery.

Banks display their charges in a variety of places, in particular in their branches, but also on their website. But that doesn't mean they're easy to understand. As you discovered, this account includes a monthly maintenance charge, and that has accumulated over the last few months when you weren't using the account. However, that should've stopped after you gave the bank an instruction to close the account and you paid off the balance you owed them. I suggest that you don't pay anything more until we've both had a chance to talk to the bank and find out what's going on. 

Why won't they cover me?

I bought a TV from a furniture store in November 2024 by hire purchase on a 12 month period. I finished paying in November 2025 and in December I lost it through a house break in. Now they are telling me that since I finished paying I'm not covered by insurance which I feel is very unfair. What can I do?

This really is extremely bad luck. Almost always a hire purchase contract will include some sort of insurance policy. This usually covers you and the store against the item being stolen or destroyed or damaged by fire. However, as you discovered, and it is explained in the contract you signed, this insurance only lasts as long as the repayment period. So in your case, it only lasted a year.

This is a very good example of how important it is, if you can afford it, to have your own household insurance policy. This would cover everything in your house in case of damage, fire or theft. The most important thing to understand is that your own policy would certainly be much, much cheaper than the insurance included in your hire purchase contract. If you'd had your own policy, you could've told the store that you didn't want to take their insurance, you already had your own.

I know that times are tough for all of us financially, and a household insurance policy can seem like an unnecessary expense. However, we only fully understand the value of insurance when we need it. It's worth talking to a trustworthy insurance broker to see what sort of policy might be best for you and most affordable.