Tuesday, 11 February 2025

Consumer Watchdog under threat from Facebook

FOR RELEASE

Consumer Watchdog under threat from Facebook


Consumer Watchdog Botswana, who operate a Facebook group with over 230,000 members is currently under threat from Facebook itself. Richard Harriman, one of the administrators of the group, has twice recently had his Facebook profile suspended after publishing a public warning about a scam. Facebook has also warned that the Consumer Watchdog group itself is "at risk of being disabled".

In what is a major failing of the measures designed to protect Facebook users against scams, the post was seen as promoting the scam, despite being a warning entitled "Scam Alert".

Harriman said:
"I think Facebook need to look very carefully at how they protect their users against abuse. We work very hard to warn consumers in Botswana about scams and have been threatened many times by the crooks running them for exposing their crimes. Scams like Ecoplexus were successfully stopped following these warnings and I worry that more scammers will be able to steal from their victims without these alerts. Instead of stopping us protecting consumers, Facebook should help us."
Consumer Watchdog is a fiercely independent consumer support, education and advocacy group and everything it does for consumers is entirely free.

Sunday, 9 February 2025

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They're still charging me!

Please kindly assist me with the matter of a cash loan. I took a 2 years loan from them on December 2022. The cut off date was last year November but they deducted in December. I logged in a complaint for my refund on the 18 December but till today they are not willing to assist with the refund.

They are saying their laptop is water damaged and until laptop is fixed that's when they can help me. The cash loan was recruited by our company and payment was made from work by HR. Our HR department said the cash loan has to pay me back for the refund.

So now they are not willing to assist with my refund.. um keeping on calling them.. only excuses after another. Is there anywhere I can report this matter for my refund of P1,533.71?


This is completely unacceptable. Firstly, you paid off the loan in full and they need to stop taking your money. It's not complicated. I'm also not impressed by your HR Department. Don't they realize that it's their job to ensure that the company workforce is fully motivated to do their work? If the microlender they invited into the company is misbehaving, they need to start doing their job and help fix this.

However, what's more concerning is the microlender and their pathetic excuses. Their laptop is water damaged? Is it possible they only have a single laptop? And no backup facility? No disaster recovery plan? No money to buy another laptop? They can't be trusted.

Actually this isn't surprising. Although the microlending company is still registered with CIPA, they are not on the list of regulated lenders held by NBFIRA. I contacted them and they made some excuses about the renewal of their licence and said they are entitled only to recover existing debts and not create new ones. They assured me that you'll be refunded very soon.

Is it worth it?

Hello Mr Harriman. Yesterday I bought a certain Forex booklet from someone for P300. However upon reading it I realised I wasn't satisfied with the information that it contained, more so I was expecting something different. I have a similar one I downloaded from Google. So I told him and asked for a refund of which he is refusing do give. I'm I wrong or right to ask for a refund because I'm not satisfied?


There's a lesson here for all of us. This is how many forex gurus and Get Rich Quick peddlers make money. They start by offering "education" and "training" on their particular money-making scheme, often in the form of electronic booklets like the ones you bought. However, your experience is a common one. The material many of them offer is either freely available on the internet somewhere, incredibly basic or both.

These days it's even easier. As an experiment, I asked my preferred AI tool to generate a forex guide and less than a minute later, I had a booklet better than the one you paid money for. All for free.

The lesson is simple. Anyone who invites you to join their money-making scheme wants to make money FROM you, not WITH you.

Saturday, 1 February 2025

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Is it legit?

Can you please check for me if a company called Tigris Capital UK is indeed legit. I heard from a friend who is selling me the idea that those are financial funders. They are investor who are willing to invest in Africa, that they are willing to invest millions to a billion dollars. I can send you documents for you to see.


I'm very glad you contacted me before you went any further with this. It's a scam. There is absolutely no doubt about it.

The first clue is that this is not how lending works. Lenders from foreign countries don't give billions, millions or anything to total strangers in foreign countries. It's hard enough getting a loan from a local bank so it's unbelievable that a company in another country will lend you so much money.

The second clue can be found in the material they sent you. This included South African company registration documents, BEE certificates, industry regulator compliance documents, copies of passports and even bank confirmation letters. These very convincing documents might have been persuasive if they'd been for the right company. Instead of "Tigris Capital UK", they were for a South African company with a totally different name. I suspect these are all genuine documents but for an innocent company with no connection to this scam.

However, the biggest clue was in the contract from "Tigris Capital" you were sent. Alongside lots of fancy contractual terms was this: "2.7 Facilitation Fee: A total facilitation fee of (6%) will be payable by the Borrower on disbursement of the loan."

That's what this is all about. As soon as you've agreed to accept the loan, YOU have to pay THEM a lot of money. That is the payment that gives this scam its name: an "advance fee scam".

Please spread the word to everyone you know so they, like you, can avoid this and similar scams.

Where's my refund?

Last week Saturday I bought a headboard at a furniture store and paid P7100 cash. They told me that they will deliver it on Sunday the following day. I waited for them the whole day on Sunday and they didn't deliver it. On Monday they told me that they don't have that headboard in stock even at the warehouse so they had to refund me. I've been calling them the whole week for my refund and they are telling me that they are still trying to raise my money because they don't have any cash.


This is ridiculous. This is a major chain of furniture stores who claim they don't have any money? And why do they even need to pay you in cash? If they had any sense they'd get your bank account details and they could refund you in a moment. That's surely the simplest solution?

I contacted senior management at their Head Office and alerted them.

Update: They contacted the customer and promised to refund them the next day.

Sunday, 26 January 2025

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where was it damaged?

Hi. I need your help I bought a couch from a furniture store in August last year. I transported it myself. No assessment on the couch was done but upon arrival the couch was broken, and it shows that the couch got damaged at the shop. I informed them the same day I found out. They told me they will assist me. Till now It's only back and forth with them. They are not willing to help me. They are not answering my messages.

Finally, they contacted me and they said I should bring the chair to them. For me to bring the chair it means more costs. I already transported it from Maun to my place and it costed me P500.


Unfortunately, this is a complicated situation. I contacted the store and their position is that the furniture was fine before it left them and because you elected to transport the goods yourself, whatever happened while they were being transported was your responsibility, not theirs. You sent me a photo of the damage, saying that it proved it was damaged while at the store but they claim that the same photo shows that it was damaged while with you.

The store suggested that they will inspect the furniture if you can return it to them but I know this will cost you even more in transportation costs. The manager suggested if they have another delivery in your area they might be able to collect it but there's no certainty when that might be.

The lesson here is to inspect any major items before you take them from a store and refuse them if they show any signs of damage. Another lesson is that transporting goods yourself isn't always a good way to save money. This store told me that they charge less than the P500 you paid someone else and if there is a problem, they collect and redeliver things for free.

Can I return the phone?

I humbly need your help. I bought a Huawei Y62 phone on the 9th of January 2025 at a store in Pilane. I bought it because I used to have it in the past and I thought I knew everything about it, but upon reaching home I realized that the phone does not have the same features like the one I used to have. The next morning I returned the phone to the store but they refused to accept the phone telling me that they don't accept cellphones that are being returned. Now, when I bought this phone, they didn't tell me about their policy of returning goods, I would have maybe bought it at my own risk. I will be keeping the phone in the box until you guys help me.


Firstly, I think there might be some misunderstanding about the phone you bought. I checked and the Huawei Y62 was only launched in January last year. Are you sure it was the same model as your previous Huawei phone?

If you had your previous Huawei phone a few years ago, it's possible that what you're seeing is the change Huawei had to make when they were forced by the US government to stop using the Google App Store and moved to their own app store.

Either way, the question that matters is whether the phone works. Remember that we only have a right to return things to a store if they are faulty or if they were mis-sold. If they made any promises about the phone being the same as your last one, you can argue that it was mis-sold but I don't think that's what happened? I think the best thing to do is accept your new phone as it is. From what I read online it's a very nice phone.

Saturday, 18 January 2025

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

New Years Resolutions

It's that time of year again, when we think about New Ideas for the New Year. In 2024, as with previous years, we've seen people make serious, costly mistakes and we need to stop making the same mistakes in 2025. None of these ideas are actually new, but they are really important.

Technology
Change your passwords. Do it right now and do it again in the future. Do it often. Just as importantly, choose passwords that are hard to guess. Don't use your birthday or the names of your children, use a phrase that contains numbers, upper and lower case letters and symbols.

Contracts
Read all contracts BEFORE signing them. If you don't understand something in a contract, don't sign it. If necessary, ask for advice from someone who knows more and who cares about you. Remember that contracts are often one-sided and designed to protect the large company that can afford lawyers, not to protect you and me. One we sign a contract, we're committed and there's no way out. Saying we didn't understand it after we signed it is too late.

Ask questions
Don't ever be afraid to ask 'stupid' questions. Whether you're buying a house, a car, a laptop or a cellphone, ask as many questions as you need to understand what you're buying and what it means for you. The question you think is 'stupid' is often the smart question that the company doesn't want you to ask because they don't want to answer. They know that if you knew the answer, you'd walk away and take your money somewhere else.

Slow down
Don't make impulse decisions, particularly with expensive items. No matter how tempting and attractive it is, that item will still be there tomorrow almost certainly at the same price. Don't give in to pressure from the sales staff, particularly if they say you'll only get the special deal today.

Insurance
If you're thinking about getting a funeral plan, consider life insurance instead. A funeral plan covers just one thing, burying you or your loved ones in a hugely over-priced coffin. A life insurance policy, even though it can be more expensive, it covers a lot more. If you pass away, your children will be better looked after with a life insurance policy

Change companies
Don't be afraid to change banks, network providers, insurance companies, any service provider. They need to know that you'll be willing to move to one of their competitors. And then, if necessary, do it. Maybe, if you're feeling like having some fun, tell them company that you're looking to move and see if they can't get you a better deal. Make them work for their fees.

Alo, understand that the large service providers you think you love don't love you in return. They just want your money. Loyalty must be earned, not given.

Money-making schemes
It's critically important to understand that anyone who invites you to join their money-making scheme wants to make money FROM you, not WITH you. It's the same with so-called 'miracle money'. The miracle they talk about is taking money FROM you, not giving it TO you.

And anything that's offered for free? Ask yourself why would they do that? What do they really want in return?

Finally
Please be very careful. Way too many people still fall for scams and we need to stop it. Please spread the word to your family, friends, workmates and neighbours and then we can beat these criminals in 2025

Sunday, 22 December 2024

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Must I pay?

I was renting a flat in Gaborone since January 2022. The initial lease was for 1 year which was subsequently extended twice to January 2025. In September 2024 my employer wrote me a letter of transfer from with effect from 1 October 2024. On the 23rd September 2024, I gave the property administrators one calenda months' notice to terminate the lease agreement with effect from 31 October 2024 and provided them with the letter of transfer from my employer. I vacated the premises on 26 September 2024 and in October 2024, I repainted the flat as per the lease agreement at my own cost and carried the required maintenance. I paid the October 2024 rent and paid my water bill and then applied for termination of the water account which was in my name. The property administrator then informed me that my lease agreement had no termination clause and I am liable to pay rent for the remaining period of the lease should they fail to get another tenant. They even asked me to look for tenants as well.

I need your advice in this matter. The administrators have sent me statements for the 3 from November 2024 to January 2025, which I am reluctant to pay since in my view I gave adequate notice to vacate the premises and terminated the lease.


You don't need to be a lawyer to understand that this all depends on what's been put in writing. You sent me a copy of your lease and they are correct, there is no termination clause. Also, in both the extensions you had to the lease, it said that the previous conditions would continue. Realistically, I think you're committed to the end of the lease period. It might be worth trying to find another tenant who can take it over from you but it's critical that you keep talking to the property administrators so they don't think you're trying to evade your responsibilities.

The lesson from this is that whenever you sign a lease, no matter what it's for, whether it's residential or business, always insist that there's a termination clause. And always read the lease agreement thoroughly. And then read it again. If necessary, talk to someone who knows about these issues who can advise you on whether the lease is reasonable for both parties.

It's been patched!

I need your help. I bought items at a furniture store in November 2023 a set of sofas and a king double bed. When sweeping I realized that one single sofa seems it has been patched. Meaning might have teared and was patched. The other one the staples are visible and around the staples the fabric is already tearing. I called them and sent the pictures of the sofas. They sent someone to look at them and said they'll help even today they are not helping.


No, this is not acceptable. You are being mistreated.

Section 15 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". 
A sofa that has been patched clearly isn't "free of defects", is it?

But I'm not surprised. You told me the store you'd visited, and they have some history of ignoring the rights of their customers. I contacted them about another consumer's complaint and they assured me that they only offer a warranty of three months on the goods they'd sold. I'm sure by now that all readers of The Voice know that the law says a consumer can return faulty goods within six months, not three.

I think it's time I contacted this store and remind them again about how they need to treat their customers.

Saturday, 14 December 2024

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

What do I owe them?

Greetings, may I kindly request advice.

My story is, I hired this company to do a deck for me. They quoted P45,000 and required me to pay 50% deposit to commence work, which I did in July 2024. They then did a deck frame but could not complete the job. In October they confessed they have difficulty with cashflow and asked me to pay the remaining balance so that they finish the job. I did but they did not complete the job.

It's been 5 months waiting but still no progress. I now don't know what best action to take. Please advise. Thank you.


I think you need to escalate this situation and give them a deadline. They've done some work already so they deserve to be paid for that but they need to understand that they can't just abandon this project without consequences. Tell them that they must either complete the job or refund you a suitable amount. They must understand that if they fail to fix this problem, you'll take legal action against them to recover the money they owe you. Then, if they fail to fix it, you can go to the Small Claims Court for an order against them for the money you paid them, minus the value of the work they've done so far.

This is an example of how it really helps if you have the agreement in writing that explains when and how they will get paid for the work they do. You'll then have evidence to use if you start legal proceedings.

I'll also contact them and see if they can avoid any unpleasantness.

Who broke it?

I don't know how you can help with this one. I bought an 86 inch TV on Friday for P22,000. It was switched on and everything seemed alright. It was when I got home and switched it on to find out that it had a crack on the top left corner. This is so surprising in that the TV never fell nor mishandled at any point in time, even the road I used had no bumps and it was tightly secured on the bakkie. I'm so devastated since I bought it for cash and they can't believe my story. I don't know what to do at this point. I might go mad.


I'm really sorry for how frustrated and disappointed you must be. After spending all that money, it must be incredibly irritating.

I suspect that once you took the TV from store it became your responsibility to care for it and the store will then deny any responsibility, particularly as the TV was working before it left the store.

It's probably no help to you but this might have been different if you had paid the store to deliver the TV and install it for you. That way they would have taken responsibility for any damage that might have been caused while it was being delivered. It might have been worth a few hundred Pula to avoid this difficulty.