Saturday 12 September 2020

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where’s my company registration?

My friend and I took a decision to use a consultancy to do for us company registration packages this year March 2020 for P1,000. Since then we paid the first half then after lockdown went to pay the remaining balance but still we do not have our package. When we try to search our proposed name on the CIPA website no name appears even to date.

We have tried to call him and visit his office countless times but he doesn't answer or respond to our texts. It seems we are not of value but we are clients who paid the full amount for the packages. we are not being taken seriously as customers more so that after 5 months of enlisting their services nothing has been fruitful as such we are looking for a refund because they have wasted our time, money and resources following them up which we could have used on other projects and avenues.


I think we all understand by now that Covid-19, the various lockdowns and the distancing restrictions the authorities have implemented, while obviously necessary for public health, have disrupted many aspects of our lives. That’s the price we’ve paid for Covid having such low impact on us. So far.

I’m sure we all also understand the impact it’s had on business. It’s made life MUCH harder for us all, companies and their customers.

However, the lockdown and other restrictions are no excuse for companies stealing our money and that’s what this company has done. Firstly, you should report them to the Competition and Consumer Authority so they’re aware that they have a rogue company to deal with. I can also get in touch with them to make them understand that not only have they offended you and me but they’ve also offended every reader of The Voice. You should then also inform CIPA so they know as well.

By the way, you know it’s really a LOT easier these days to form a company with CIPA online?

Where’s my settlement letter?

Good afternoon. I need to make an inquiry. I bought furniture through hire purchase and due to financial constraints I have sought to apply for a personal loan from my banker. My banker has since asked me to avail a settlement letter with their account number which I ought to get from the furniture shop so that the bank can clear my account with the shop.

Getting the settlement letter has proved futile because I get given one story after the next and now a month has since passed without getting any help. I am at my wits end and I feel the furniture shop is delaying deliberately so as to score more monies (via interest as well as monthly instalments) at my expense! Kindly assist me if this should really take this long?

Thank you in anticipation.


I think you’ve explained very well why furniture stores are so keen to sell things on hire purchase. It’s because they make LOTS of money from it. Many years ago, I had a conversation with the Regional Manager of one of the South African furniture store chains. He made me promise never to identify the company but he told me “We’re not really in the furniture business, we’re in the money-lending business.”

There are two possibilities here. Either you’re right and they are deliberately delaying giving you the settlement lesson you requested so they can keep you paying them for as long as possible or they’re incompetent. Either way you have a right to expect better from them. Either way you deserve a reasonable level of service.

Let’s both approach the store and remind them that Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act says that
“where a supplier undertakes to perform any services for or on behalf of the consumer, the consumer has a right to … the performance of the services in a manner and quality the consumers are reasonably entitled to expect”.
That part of the Act makes it clear that we can’t expect miracles but we ARE entitled to a reasonable level of service. It doesn’t say what ‘reasonable’ means but we ALL know when it’s ‘unreasonable’. Your case is definitely in the “unreasonable” category. Let’s help them to understand that as well.

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