Do they care about me?
I need advice. I bought a couch from a furniture store in April. I only used it for a month and half or 2 months and it started being uncomfortable. I reported it and they came and took it for fixing. In a week it was back to its uncomfortable state. I went back and reported again. I think it's been two months now and I haven't got any help from them. Mind you i bought this couch on hire purchase when I go there they tell me they have to take it for fixing again they will call even today.
On Friday 3rd I decided to go there and have a conversation with the manager who still insisted that I let them take the couch for fixing. I told him I'll never agree to those terms since it was once taken for fixing before and this is not fair at all because once this couch reaches its guarantee they will not help me. I gave him an option to exchange of which he never agreed to.
I then received a call from South Africa. The man said he heard about my complaint and I should confirm my availability so can they can come get the couch for fixing. I tried to explain that the couch was once fixed before and all he cared about is when will I be available for them to take the couch for fixing. These people are forcing me to comply with them and they don't care about me as a customer.
What are my rights as a customer? I don't want this couch any more because I got no assurance that I will use it for a while in a good state.
I completely agree. This company doesn't care about you and they don't care about your rights. Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act says that consumers have:
"the right to receive goods which are of good quality, in good working order and free of defects".
But obviously sometimes things go wrong, we all understand that. Section 16 says that when we buy a faulty product, we can return it to the store and they can choose whether to:
"repair or replace the defective goods; or (…) refund the consumer".
What stores often forget is the next section of the Act. Section 16 says that if:
"within three months the same problem recurs"
they can then only replace the goods or offer a refund. They don't get to repair it again. Once is enough.
But this store and their South African Head Office don't seem to care about our rights. I've emailed them several times explaining our law to them in very simple terms but I don't think they want to listen. They need to see that consumers in Botswana need to be shown the same level of respect they show their customers down South. I'll keep telling them until they understand.
Dealing with South African suppliers
There's nothing wrong with buying things from South African stores. Some of the South African retailers we have in Botswana are extremely good. They sell excellent products and offer world-class service.
However, there are also some, like with the complaint this week, where the geography makes it VERY difficult to deal with them when something goes wrong. Unlike the good companies, these companies often don't have someone here in Botswana who take local responsibility for local problems. It' very frustrating dealing with some of these companies across the border when they don't seem to understand that we have our laws that are much more important to us than the laws governing them in SA.
My suggestion is always to ask a store, before you pay for something, how they deal with problems. Will there be someone in Botswana who can take charge or is it all done from down South? Then we can take an informed decision about whether we can rely on them or not.
But this store and their South African Head Office don't seem to care about our rights. I've emailed them several times explaining our law to them in very simple terms but I don't think they want to listen. They need to see that consumers in Botswana need to be shown the same level of respect they show their customers down South. I'll keep telling them until they understand.
Dealing with South African suppliers
There's nothing wrong with buying things from South African stores. Some of the South African retailers we have in Botswana are extremely good. They sell excellent products and offer world-class service.
However, there are also some, like with the complaint this week, where the geography makes it VERY difficult to deal with them when something goes wrong. Unlike the good companies, these companies often don't have someone here in Botswana who take local responsibility for local problems. It' very frustrating dealing with some of these companies across the border when they don't seem to understand that we have our laws that are much more important to us than the laws governing them in SA.
My suggestion is always to ask a store, before you pay for something, how they deal with problems. Will there be someone in Botswana who can take charge or is it all done from down South? Then we can take an informed decision about whether we can rely on them or not.
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