Sunday 31 August 2014

A question from "Anonymous" - Johnstown "University"

Someone without the courage to share his or her names asks the following question:
"Did you know the law of defame? I am not say anything; just wonder."
This relates to a story about yet another fake "university" calling itself "Johnstown University". You can see the post here.

Let's ignore the poor English that, to me, is possibly reminiscent of the Middle East or the Indian sub-continent where, surely not coincidentally, many of these fake universities operate.

Instead I'll answer the question. Yes, I do know about defamation. The Penal Code of Botswana defines defamation like this:
192. Definition of criminal defamation
Any person who, by print, writing, painting, effigy, or by any means otherwise than solely by gestures, spoken words, or other sounds, unlawfully publishes any defamatory matter concerning another person, with intent to defame that other person, is guilty of the offence termed criminal defamation.

193. Definition of defamatory matter
Defamatory matter is matter likely to injure the reputation of any person by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or likely to damage any person in his profession or trade by an injury to his reputation.
Clearly I HAVE helped to "injure the reputation" of this ludicrous, ridiculous and bogus establishment. I confess that. However, the Penal Code goes on to say this (the emphasis is mine):
195. Definition of unlawful publication
Any publication of defamatory matter concerning a person is unlawful within the meaning of this Division, unless-
(a) the matter is true and it was for the public benefit that it should be published
So it's NOT defamation if what I said is true (it is) and if the public need to know about it (they do).

Lesson over.

Friday 29 August 2014

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Dear Consumer’s Voice #1

Good day. I would like for you to check out a Canadian company that offered me employment. They initially sent me an email saying that they were hiring and that I should check out their website for available post. I went through the site and it seemed genuine. I emailed the contact provided on the site, and the sent me an e-interview to fill out, and send my qualifications through. I did that and they sent me an offer letter.

I would like for you to check if this company is real and that it is not just some scam. I will forward all the correspondence I have had with them as well as the documentation I sent through and what they gave me.

The job offer was received from Naheel Ismaeel Seyam, secretary/announcer email address nseyam@hmc.org.qa. The candidate questionnaire, was received from Dr Maxwell Delgado, manager HR department email address hrm1@victechdrillingltd.com. After I forwarded answers to the e-interview, they sent me confirmation of appointment and acceptance letter. The emails also came from Dr Maxwell Delgado.

I hope you will be able to assist me at your earliest convenience.


This is undoubtedly a scam. The first clue is that this isn't how recruitment companies operate. Genuine recruitment companies don't email strangers offering them jobs and they certainly don't hire based solely on "an e-interview". They also don’t offer people they’ve never met a package that includes things like $5,700 (P45,000) per month after tax, a pension, stock options, free flights, free accommodation and “Payment of your initial six (6) months upfront salary”.

This is the beginning of an "advance fee" scam. They want money up-front. In the small print it says: "You are to take responsibility for your ICC fees".

That's what it's all about, a fee you have to pay them before you get anything in return. There is no job, no company, no recruiter, nothing about this is genuine apart from the money they want from you.

Anyone who gets an email like this offering a fabulously well-paid job should just delete it. Don't waste your time or money.

Dear Consumer’s Voice #2

I would like to know the difference between "Best Before", "Sell By" and "Expiry Date".


The Labelling of Prepackaged Foods Regulations define what all of these terms mean and you can see a full description of each on our blog. However in simple terms the “Best before” and “Expiry” or “Use by” dates are the dates before which the food should be in an edible condition. The “Sell by” date is the last day the store can sell the item.

When you're in a store, you certainly shouldn’t buy anything that is at or beyond any of these dates. If you do see such an item it’s your right (and I believe your duty) to tell the store manager immediately to help protect other consumers.

Personally I wouldn't even buy something that's expiring within a couple of days, particularly if it's a high-risk item because I don’t know how long it’s going to stay in my fridge before I eat it. You should always think carefully about how long you’re likely to store something before buying it.

You should also use some common sense with "use by", "expiry" and "best before" dates. It depends very much on what the food is. If it's meat, fish or poultry then be very careful about the dates. On the other hand if it's an apple then you can be less fussy.

Either way, use your eyes and your nose with ALL foodstuffs. Millions of years of evolution have given us senses that can often tell us when things we want to put inside our bodies are likely to harm us. Ask your partner, relative, housemate or whoever is standing close enough, "Does that smell OK to you?" before you cook or eat it.

So read the dates and take care with them but above all trust your senses. If in doubt don’t eat it.

Wednesday 27 August 2014

The invisible machines out to steal your cash - Daily Telegraph

Image c/o Krebs on Security
An interesting story in the UK's Daily Telegraph on the card reading devices used to skim ATM cards.

The source is the Krebs on Security blog which you can see here. You can also see more pertinent advice from Krebs here.

Criminals are resourceful people and the only real weapon we consumers have against them is knowledge.

Lots of credit goes to professional like Brian Krebs but we really need a lot more information and action from the banks who we pay money to protect us. Yes, we do exactly that and I think we deserve more from them in return.

Monday 25 August 2014

Healer Nkunumbi - in his own words.


Our good friend, the self-confessed criminal (see below) "Healer Nkunumbi" now understands that he's a criminal as well as an abuser of women.

I phoned him earlier to explain why I thought he was a crook and you can hear his responses here. I'm not sure he enjoyed the first call because he seemed to hang up on me after a while. However I called him back and that's when he admitted he was breaking the law.

You can hear the first call here and the second call here. However if you just want to hear the excerpt in which he admits he's breaking the law click here.

Some people have no shame.

Saturday 23 August 2014

Healer Nkunumbi - an abuser of women

A crook, liar and abuser of women calling himself "Healer" Nkunumbi managed to sneak past our extensive Facebook group screening process and posted a message in the Consumer Watchdog group, selling his preposterous services.

His claims are certainly extraordinary.
"lost lover, Marriage problems, stop your partner from cheating on you, Men and women who can’t have Babies. Breast, Hips, Bums, penis cream/. Business boost, Penis Enlargement and power in all sizes. Win court cases, promotion at work. Is your situation getting worse? Find us in Gaborone, Botswana
Cell phone: +267 75988645"
The reaction from other members of the group was predictable. A mixture of outrage, surprise and sarcasm:
"This should be illegal"

"Move over you marriage counsellors, fertility specialists, plastic surgeons, business coaches/mentors, lawyers, etc., this Healer Nkunumbi fellow is all that and more."

"Lets see ur penis then we'll know u mean business lol"

"u got to give it to him though,he got balls,of steel nogal,advertising scam on a page that seeks to protect people from scammers,thats like selling weed in a court of law"

"and how did he manage to join this group? shld be arrested"

"This guy has solutions to some of people's biggest problems, he should be the world's richest person!"

"'Penis enlargement & power in all sizes' this 1 kills me,i cnt stop laughing"

"The irony of it is that end of the day not only he doesn't heal anyone but it's the naive people who fall for him that heal his pockets and solve his money problems"
Members of the Consumer Watchdog Facebook group are a smart bunch of skeptics. (They're also extremely good-looking and irresistible to members of their preferred gender.)

So we thought we'd call "Healer" and see what he said. You can hear the 4-minute call made by a colleague who pretended to be having problems conceiving if you click here.

There's nothing surprising here, just the mundane sound of a scumbag criminal about to extort money from a woman he thinks is desperate. That's why I think it's fair to describe him as an abuser of women. Guys, how would you feel if he abused your mother, sister or partner by mistreating them like this? And what exactly is he planning to do when he meets "Lebogang"? Is he going to examine her?

Even though there's a funny side to this nonsense, there's also a much more sinister element to it. We know he's a financial predator but what other type might he be?

Why not give him a call or send him a text message to tell him what you think of him and his services?

Fargo University - another fake

Fargo "University". It's the same old story, yet another self-styled "university" that offers fake degrees for nothing other than money.

The clues are in the online conversation I had with them.
Shawn McGill: Hello
[Me]: Hi
Shawn McGill: How are you ?
[Me]: I'm good thanks, and you?
Shawn McGill: I am good thank you.
Shawn McGill: How may I help you ?
[Me]: I need to get a Masters degree in Psychology as soon as possible to get a promotion.
Shawn McGill: Sure
[Me]: Is that possible with Fargo University?
Shawn McGill: What is the highest level of your qualification ? and how much working experience do you have in total ?
Shawn McGill: Yes it is possible
[Me]: I have a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Rochville University and I've been working for 10 years.
Shawn McGill: Great.
Shawn McGill: I believe you are looking for a life experience degree is that right ?
[Me]: Whatever it takes, I really need to get this promotion. The position requires a Masters degree in Psychology.
Shawn McGill: Ok
Shawn McGill: Let me explain you how the life experience program works .
[Me]: How long does it take to get a Masters degree from Fargo University?
Shawn McGill: 20 to 25 days
[Me]: Really? That quickly? Must I sit exams?
Shawn McGill: the program that you will be going through is know as PLA (Prior Learning Assessment)
[Me]: I don't have to sit any exams?
Shawn McGill: no you do not have to attempt any classes , courses or examination you will be awarded with a Master's Degree on basis of your working life experience.
[Me]: How much will this cost?
Shawn McGill: The official fee is $899 but after Appling the 50% Scholarship it will be $450
So for just $450 and no "classes , courses or examination" I can get a fake Masters degree in Psychology.

Anyone who buys one of these degrees is as much of a fraud as this bogus establishment.

Friday 22 August 2014

Contempt

It was a bit of a let-down after the excitement of the Consumer Watchdog conference to get back to some old-fashioned contempt from suppliers. You know the type, the ones who don’t seem to give a damn about their customers, who show little interest in fixing problems when they arise.

A reader posted a complaint on our Facebook page.
“I took an inverter for solar power to a technician and he advised me it had blown 2 capacitors which he advised me to buy. I did. They both cost me P95. He advised he would fit. No quotation for the job was raised. My logical assumption was a reasonable charge not more than P200. After fixing, I am slapped with an invoice of P18,000. The inverter was imported from China and it cost me USD1,600 (P14,000 approx). Now to replace 2 capacitors I am made to pay more than its cost. I am held at ransom as I have to pay in order to get the inverter back.”
This is completely unreasonable. Firstly the technician should have offered the reader some sort of estimate or quotation for the work he planned to undertake. Instead he delivered an invoice for repairing the inverter that was even more than the price of buying a brand new one. All in return for installing two capacitors worth less than P200?

Yes, I know electrical devices require specialists to maintain them but this amount is ridiculous. Even if the cost is justifiable the technician should have notified his customer as soon as he realized it was going to be so expensive. Either way he should do his best to be a normal human being as well.

When I contacted him by SMS to see if reason could prevail I was disappointed. I asked him for his side of the story and his response was simple: “I dont have time for that”. I invited him to give a response to readers of Mmegi could understand his conduct better but his response was equally dismissive: “What ever”. I then heard from the reader who said the technician had been in touch saying that he "will not be intimidated by anyone" and is approaching attorneys about the situation. I tried one last time to see if he would see reason and asked if he had indeed threatened no longer to cooperate. His answer was direct. “Its not a threat but a fact”. He concluded by saying that I should “Go to hell”.

Clearly he’s not interested in decent behavior.

Another reader got in touch to tell a familiar tale. In April she received a call from someone calling on behalf of Deetha Leisure who say they have “a vision of offering travelling needs at an affordable rate and make travelling easy and affordable”. The caller and later his colleague offered her membership of their scheme for a mere R5,999.

You’ll have heard this story before, not with this particular company but with others in the same line of business. Despite not getting the explicit permission of the customer they’ve called they persuade them to disclose their credit or debit card details and before they know it the money has been taken from their account. If they’re lucky they then have a lengthy fight to get their money back. Sometimes they don’t.

She was very clear about how she felt.
“Much as I was interested in the product, I no longer want it due to the sheer dishonesty and unprofessional conduct of the two gentlemen and would therefore demand all my money back. I believe it is not right to take money that you and the customer have not agreed on.”
That’s perfectly reasonable. She deserved her money back as soon as possible, whereas in fact four months later they still haven’t repaid her. Last month one of their representatives emailed her admitting that they were late repaying her.
“Sorry for the inconvenience caused but I assure you as per our telephonic conversation the matter it's been dealt with yes I agree it's taking long and I must sincerely apologize for not being in contact or send you any correspondence regarding the matter at hand”.
So far, so good. But still no refund.

I emailed them asking when she would get her money back but things didn’t get any better. I was told that “this matter will be settled its only a matter of time as soon as we have finalized the date on our side she will be notified of the reimbursement”. When I asked when this was likely to be the answer was less than impressive: “as soon as the date is set for the reimbursement she will be notified”. Then they went silent.

This really isn’t good enough. We’ll keep applying pressure and see if they can summon up the decency to do the decent thing.

And finally yet another complaint about wedding and events suppliers. A reader asked:
“What action can one take in a case where you hire a photographer to take pictures and video at your event, You pay 80% in advance and he attends the event as agreed and did the job and promised to bring the package in two weeks. Three months passes without him showing any signs of delivery. I make follow-ups and he makes false promises and I get nothing. What action can one take in this scenario?”
What is it about people who supply services to weddings and events? Why are so many of them so unreliable? Luckily our recent experience during the conference was fantastic but that was only because we chose people we already knew were the very best available.

I don’t know yet how this photographer is going to respond but I get the impression that it’s going to a series of excuses. I suspect it’ll be nothing more than contempt.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Dear Consumer’s Voice #1

I took a funeral policy from a certain bank. I paid for 3 good years without skipping a single premium. My employer then introduced a much cheaper group scheme and I decided to cancel the bank policy. I went to cancel two weeks back but I am not getting a cent for all the monies I paid. I haven't even claimed for a single life I covered. Thanks.


I’m sorry to sound unsympathetic but would you be happier if one of your relatives had died?

If one of the people who you covered by the policy had died in those three years then the bank would certainly have paid out. That’s what you were paying the bank for. They were taking the financial risk on your behalf that one of your loved-ones would die. During that period they WOULD have paid for any funerals instead of you being forced to do so.

Think of a comparison. Imagine you sign a 2-year cellphone contract where you pay P500 every month but you don’t actually make any calls. After two years would you expect to be able to reclaim the 24 payments of P500? No, of course not. You had the chance to make calls if you needed to. In the same way, you COULD have claimed against this funeral policy if someone had died. You were lucky (or unlucky) enough not to have a tragedy. You received the benefit you paid for.

Dear Consumer’s Voice #2

I received a call from a salesperson from Deetha Leisure in South Africa by the name of Oscar on 10th April 2014 inviting me to purchase a special package for R5,999. I asked him to call me again on 14th which he did. I again asked him to explain the product and how I will be paying. He said I could pay about R500 a month if I agreed, he then said one of the managers will call me later that day and indeed I was called by a certain Doctor in the evening who instead offered me an even better package for R9,999 with more benefits and he said I could pay for that over 24 months at around R500 per month.

To my utter surprise and disgust, I realized that an amount of R7,800 and another one of around R900 was taken from my account on the 15th April 2014.

Much as I was interested in the product, I no longer want it due to the sheer dishonesty and unprofessional conduct of the two gentlemen and would therefore demand all my money back. I believe it is not right to take money that you and the customer have not agreed on.


Here we go again. Another holiday discount club that takes potential customer’s money without their permission.

We’ve heard many times from consumers who have been “cold-called” by such companies and who have been asked for their credit or debit card details, to “check eligibility”, or to check if they are “eligible for Gold membership”. If asked, they assure them that they won’t actually charge them but within minutes of giving out their card number and hanging up the phone, their cellphone beeps and they see money has been deducted from their account.

On their web site Deetha Leisure describe themselves as “focused on Travel, Loyalty Programmes and Consulting” have “a vision of offering travelling needs at an affordable rate and make travelling easy and affordable”.

In an email sent to this reader in July by their representative, Jabulani, he said that he was “Sorry for the inconvenience caused but I assure you as per our telephonic conversation the matter it's been dealt with yes I agree it's taking long and I must sincerely apologize for not being in contact or send you any correspondence regarding the matter at hand”.

When I contacted him, Jabulani told me that “this matter will be settled its only a matter of time as soon as we have finalized the date on our side she will be notified of the reimbursement”. That seemed rather vague to me so I asked for a bit more clarity about when she would get her money back. He told me that, “as soon as the date is set for the reimbursement she will be notified”. Unfortunately Jabulani didn’t respond to any further emails I sent him.

I’m sorry but this is simply not good enough. Deetha Leisure have had this lady’s money for four months without her permission. She should have received her refund within days, not months. Until they do the decent thing, I suggest you immediately hang up if Deetha Leisure ever contact you.

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Woolworths pricing adjustments - are they illegal?

What do all of these labels from Woolworths have in common?





They're all illegal. This is why I think so.

Everyone who shops at Woolworths will have seen that they are reducing their prices but their current technique is simply to erase the "R" symbol from the price in Rand and charge the amount in Pula.

For instance you can see that one label originally stated the price was R29.99 which is approximately P24.99. By removing the “R” and selling the item for P29.99 the price has been increased from a cheaper Rand price to a more expensive Pula price.

Section 9 of the Control of Goods (Marking of Goods) Regulations 1974 says:
"9. Prescribed details not to be altered
Except in the case of a genuine mistake or with the approval of an authorised officer appointed under the Control of Goods (Authorized Officers) Regulations, no person shall alter any of the prescribed details in respect of any goods when such goods have been displayed if the result of such alteration would be either—
(a) to increase the price of such goods; or
(b) to reduce the quantity to which the price relates."
The Regulations define "prescribed details” as “the cash price of such goods; and […] the quantity of goods to which such price relates”.

By simply removing or hiding the “R” the stores are altering the prescribed details in a way that increases the prices. They're breaking the law.

I've contacted Woolworths in South Africa and we're awaiting their response.

Victech Drilling - another recruitment scam

A reader was suspicious about a company who had offered him a job.
"I would like for you to check out a Canadian company that offered me employment. They initially sent me an email saying that they were hiring and that I should check out their website for available post. I went through the site ant it seemed genuine. I emailed the contact provided on the site, and the sent me an e-interview to fill out, and send my qualifications through. I did that and they sent me an offer letter."
 First clue. This isn't how recruitment companies operate. Genuine recruitment companies don't email strangers out of the blue offering them jobs and they certainly don't hire based solely on "an e-interview" that looks like this:


And they certainly don't offer people they've never met in the flesh a job that includes:

  • $5,700 (P45,000) per month after tax
  • Pension
  • Stock options
  • Child daycare assistance
  • Education assistance
  • Health, dental, life and disability insurance
  • Profit sharing
  • Sick leave
  • 30 working days annual leave per year
  • Flights to and from Canada
  • Free accommodation
  • "Payment of your initial six (6) months upfront salary"
It's just not credible.


This is all a scam, specifically an "advance fee" scam. This is really all about a fee they want up-front. In the small print it says:
"You are to take responsibility for your ICC fees"
That's what it's all about, a fee you have to pay them before you get anything in return. There is no job, no company, no recruiter, nothing about this is genuine apart from the money they want from you.

If you get an email from these people, or any others offering you a fabulously well-paid job, just delete it. Don't waste your time.

Sell by dates etc

A reader asked:
I would like to know the difference between "Best Before", "Sell By" and "Expiry Date"
This is what the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods Regulations say.
"best before date"
“the date which signifies the end of the period under any stated storage conditions during which the product will remain fully marketable and will retain any specific qualities for which tacit or express claims have been made"
“expiry date” or “use by date"
“the date which signifies the end of the estimated period under any stated storage conditions, after which the product is unlikely to have quality attributes normally expected by the consumers, and after which date, the food should not be regarded as marketable"
"sell-by date"
“the last date of offer for sale to the consumer after which there remains a reasonable storage period in the home"
My suggestions.

When you're in a store, don't buy anything that is at or beyond its "sell by date". If you do see such an item it’s your right (and I believe your duty) to tell the store manager immediately to help protect other consumers.

I wouldn't even buy something that's expiring within a couple of days, particularly if it's a high-risk item because I don’t know how long it’s going to stay in my fridge. Think carefully about how long you’re likely to store something before you eat it.
Staphylococcus aureus. Image c/o Wikipedia

Be pragmatic about "use by", "expiry" and "best before" dates. It depends very much on what the food is. If it's meat, fish or poultry then be very careful about the dates. On the other hand if it's an apple then you can be less fussy.

Either way use your eyes and your nose with ALL foodstuffs. Millions of years of evolution have given us senses that can often tell us when things we want to put inside our bodies are likely to harm us. Ask your partner, relative, housemate or whoever is standing close enough, "Does that smell OK to you?" On several occasions I’ve opened a pack of meat that is within the sell-by date and it still smelled putrid and had to be returned.

So read the dates and take care with them but above all trust your senses. If in doubt don’t eat it.

Tuesday 19 August 2014

More contempt

This is the entirety of a recent email conversation I had with a guy who had apparently promised to buy a reader a cellphone in the UK. Only the names of the people have been removed.

Clearly some people don't give a damn.

My comments are in blue, his are in red.
"Mon, 4 Aug 2014 18:56:29
Hi

I represent a consumer advocacy and support service in Botswana called Consumer Watchdog. We have weekly newspaper columns in local newspapers, The Voice and Mmegi and weekly radio slots on local radio stations GabzFM and DumaFM. You can see more at www.bes.bw and then clicking on Consumer Watchdog, by reading our blog at consumerwatchdogbw.blogspot.com or by joining our Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/ConsumerWatchdogBW.

We were recently contacted by [name removed] who says she sent you P2,000 to purchase a phone on her behalf. She claims that this has never been delivered. Can you let me know when you will be delivering the phone or a refund?

Regards

Richard"

"4 Aug 2014, at 19:17
Goodday

Did she mention to you that this purchase of a phone was on a business service basis or entirely a personal basis.
I suggested I would add on to her money and buy her a better phone that what she wanted ,but not a problem let's clarify that as I didn't know that she was a consumer as that may than relate to charges as a business service .
On any not I have never said I will not pay her back.

Regards"

"Mon, 4 Aug 2014 19:37:21
Hi [name removed]

Many thanks for getting in touch.

I’m not sure whether it matters if it was a business issue or a personal one? Anyway, can you give me an idea of how long it will be before she gets her phone or refund?

Regards

Richard"

"4 Aug 2014, at 19:45
Well

I believe that reporting me to a consumer watchdog it would clearly mean I offered her a business service in getting her a phone,personal and in this case very personal I doubt one would report such at a consumer watchdog .Should I now take what we had personally got into as all business transaction and start invoicing her including assisting her getting to england ..
Anyway let me not batter over this I will get her money soon as possible give me till the 14th.
Do I forward it to you ?

Regards

[name removed]"

"Mon, 11 Aug 2014 16:46:48
Hi again

Will you still be able to refund her by the 14th?

RH"

"11 Aug 2014, at 17:48
Hi

Yes it will still be ,but please tell me again how does consumer watchdog interfere with personal matters?this is simply as being in a relationship she asked for a phone,can you relate?
How do you cover this in a blog?would you put it as some kind of scam put through by individuals or companies in the uk?

On her contacting you what did she say as in how I was to get her the phone.This could be very intersting in that if she came up to and said I was to purchase on behalf of my company as a chargeable service and this comes up in a blog not only would it be fiction....
If personal cases are brought to you as well good grief I have more than 3 ex partners there that still need to pay what's owed to me.

Please do advise ,I belive I have been in contact enough to deserve an honest reply

Kind regards

[name removed]"

"Thu, 14 Aug 2014 22:20:17
Did you refund her the money today?
I’m covering the story in The Voice next week and would welcome your response.
Regards
Richard"

"15 Aug 2014, at 07:56
I didn't get the money paid in by customers there as was meant to be ,sadly I don't have a consumer watch dog to report to ,soon as I get it I will forward it to her ,regarding your story on the voice for her sake I do hope you write what is not fiction in order not to slander
Do you suppose I invoice as well for my services in assisting getting her here as you suggest that may be a contract as well,wasn't sure that for example giving my brother couple of quids to get a round if pints at a pub would be deemed a contract liable to prosecution if not upheld by him.soon as customers from there make their payments I will gladly send her money to her .
Regards
[name removed]"

"Tue, 19 Aug 2014 22:40:00Hi again
Have you refunded her money yet?
Richard"
Someone has contempt. Not for Consumer Watchdog, that genuinely doesn't matter, but what used to be a friend. That's a lot worse.

MLM Basics: Why are there so many names for MLM?

Image c/o Wikipedia
Another excellent analysis by Kasey Chang: "MLM Basics: Why are there so many names for MLM?"
"I think this is also a symptom of how the decentralized nature of MLM became a sin, not a virtue. People are just appropriating terms that sounds SOMEWHAT similar to multi-level marketing, and in some cases, inventing them out of thin air."
More evidence of the deceptions inherent in any pyramid-structured selling mechanism. It's well worth reading.

Saturday 16 August 2014

Dare to be different - the conference

It’s been more than a week since the 2014 Consumer Watchdog conference and we’re still recovering. It’s not the tiredness or the stress we need to recover from, it’s the excitement and the fun we had.

We did our best to construct a conference that illustrated a number of things about excellent customer service.

It started with a desire to have fun. Here’s a secret about conferences that traditional conference organizers don’t want you to know. Conferences are staggeringly boring. A seemingly endless parade of speakers present monotonous Powerpoint presentations (that they often insult delegates by reading out loud) about boring subjects the attendees frequently couldn’t care less about. More often than not the people attending the conference are only there to have a day out of the office at someone else’s cost.


But delivering customer service should be fun as well. I know it’s hard sometimes to look happy when you’re managing long queues, have impatient customers and your boss is being an ass but it’s still possible to at least present yourself as being happy if you choose to.

That’s why we wanted to make our conference fun from the moment every person arrived. If you take a look at our blog you’ll see the results of the videoed dance session we held before people even entered the conference hall. I guarantee that if you watch you’ll have a smile on your face for four minutes.

However, even though we wanted to present a conference with a difference, conferences are nevertheless about speakers and that was where we triumphed. We had the best possible speakers and they all had one thing in common with each other.

Every one of them is someone who is prepared to be different.


It started with Stuart White from HRMC who we’ve known for years as someone who thinks about recruitment and people in general in novel, creative ways. His talk on the Johari Window and how it can be used to think better about working relationships made everyone think again about such things.


He was followed by Jitto Kurian from BancABC who has a great story to tell. I’m fascinated by the role played by smaller organizations like BancABC who have entered existing markets dominated by much bigger players. Their ability to be a bit more adaptable is something you should be watching.


Catherine Lesetedi-Letegele from Botswana Life was next one, talking from exactly the opposite position. How can organizations like hers, that currently dominate the market, still be reactive and flexible? She spoke from personal experience about how she, as the CEO, can “make an elephant dance”.


If you don’t know the next speaker by now you should do. Adam Jones from Wealth magazine is an inspiration. His energy, passion and drive are astonishing. On stage he was more like a motivational speaker and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you he had delegates dancing. Honestly.


Pinkie Setlalekgosi from Sprint Couriers then told their story. After a mere eight years of operation, Sprint is now the largest courier company in the country. This local company, started by women, is an astonishing thing to hear about. Then we had a first. In almost 30 years of working I saw something I’d never seen before. Pinkie received a standing ovation as she left the stage.

That simply doesn’t happen. It says a lot about Pinkie, Sprint Couriers and their team that it did.


Kabelo Binns from Hotwire then did some more to make us think about the things we take for granted. Are the things we think are true really true? He pointed out that science is a very strong metaphor for our approach to service. The laws of motion, even of quantum physics are very good analogies that we can use in business. And he did a strip show. With babes. Yes, really.


Then we had another big one. Pele Moleta, the CEO of BotswanaPost has a real story to tell. A decade ago people like me didn’t believe that postal services had a future. We didn’t believe that BotswanaPost would still exist but we were completely wrong. When they hired Pele to take the reigns I wonder if the powers that be realized quite how much he and his team would transform the organization. Posting letters is just one of a multitude of things they now do. Pele’s achievement really is extraordinary. Hearing him talk about it was a treat.


Finally we had another powerful woman. Rose Tatedi from Symphony Health is another business leader who has had the courage to enter an existing market dominated by big players. Her passion is astonishing to see.


As well as thanking all these speakers I have to thank our incredibly generous conference sponsors who made it all possible. Our Gold Sponsor, Sprint Couriers really are stars and made a real difference. The Silver sponsors, Botswana Life, FNB and Mascom all deserve a huge pat on the back. Our Bronze sponsor, BancABC were superb. The other sponsors and supporters, CEDA, Showgroup, Milky Lane, Legola Media and Kgale Spar were fantastic.


As well as companies there were certain people who were invaluable. The talented JP Glanville and his team from Showgroup, our national treasure Aldo Brincat, the magnificent and gorgeous Ithabeleng Letsunyane from Reussite, the fantastically creative Irfan Kokabi from Citizen Design, Martin Dube and our very own force of nature, Bonni Dintwa, were all superstars.


You can see a lot more about the conference if you visit our web site, blog or Facebook group. You can see pictures of the event, the wonderfully uplifting service star video and even a video of what happens when you expose senior business people to Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy”.



So what about next year’s conference? All I can promise you is that it’ll be bigger, better and even more amazing.

Are you going to be there?

Friday 15 August 2014

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Dear Consumer’s Voice #1
I applied for a loan with a bank in Gaborone and upon my application I was told that my loan has been approved. Since I had no account with that bank, I had to apply for an account with them. I moved my account from my old bank to the new one and I was advised that my first salary has to be deposited into the account, then the loan will be transferred to the account.

The salary was deposited on the 24th July and I was told that I had to wait for 2 days but 2 days passed and there was nothing. I went to the branch to query about the delay and I was told to wait since they were working on it. This kept on going for a couple of days, and I went to the bank about 9 times and there was no valid reason as to what might be the delay.

On the 5th August I was told that my loan has been declined. I find this unprofessional and inconvenient to me because I was sure of my status on the loan and I had to move my account to the new bank knowing that my loan is 100% approved. I believe I have a right to be told what to do when your application is not successful for me to apply again. Is it possible to tell someone that your loan is approved but later say its declined? I moved my banking from my old bank for their "approved loan" now they are saying that its declined. I need your help and advice concerning this matter.


This isn’t good enough. The new bank has let you down badly.

Of course they might say that the loan wouldn’t finally be approved until they had invited you in to sign the final agreement but allowing you go to all the bother of opening the new account and transferring your salary is really unprofessional.

I think the bank has a responsibility to do one of two things. Either they can bend the rules a bit and approve your loan (assuming you are close enough to being approved) or compensate you for the cost and bother of transferring your accounts for no good reason. Either way they owe you a full explanation and an apology.

With your permission we’ll contact the bank on your behalf and see what they can do to help you.

Dear Consumer’s Voice #2

In May 2012 I bought a second-hand BMW 750 from a local dealer which was an import.

After buying I discovered that the 2 back shocks were gone. After persuasion the dealer replaced them by fitting new ones. Some time last week I heard an unusual knock on the rear back passenger side and we checked it and discovered that the shock was holding with 2 bolts instead of the 3 normal ones. I was checking with another local dealer who discovered the fault. From the dealers discovery it looked a simple thing to do and I gave him a go ahead to do. He removed the shock but after removing the shock it showed that the make was completely NOT the type they thought it was.

In short I contacted the dealer I bought the car from but they refused to help claiming that they are not the once who stripped the car and I need your help here because surely if the nut was broken they are responsible what they are doing is to pass the blame.

Please advice


Buying a second-hand car is a real minefield. It only becomes more dangerous when you buy an imported vehicle. In your case part of the problem will be the time since you bought the car. An unscrupulous dealer is likely to deny any responsibility because it’s going to be hard for you to prove anything from so long ago. However Section 15 (1) (a) of the Consumer Protection Regulations still requires anyone providing a service to do so “with reasonable care and skill”. Fixing a shock absorber with only two bolts rather than the three required hardly qualifies. Fixing the wrong type of shock completely is even worse.

I suggest that you write to the dealer and explain this to them. See if that makes them do the decent thing!

Thursday 14 August 2014

Some see reason, others don't - Keslaw Investments

Some companies are just unreasonable.

A member of our Facebook group commented:
"Kindly assist on this one. I took an inverter(for solar power) to a technician and he advised me it had blown 2 capacitors which he advised me to buy. I did. They both cost me P95.00. He advised he would fit. No quotation for the job was raised. My logical assumption was a reasonable charge not more than P200. After fixing, I am slapped with an invoice of P18K.The inverter was imported from China and it cost me USD1600 (P14000 approx). Now to replace 2 capacitors (a fuse) I am made to pay more than its cost. I am held at ransom as I have to pay in order to get the inverter back. I use this for generating power to run the borehole at the farm. Kindly assist Richard as a matter of urgency"
A bill of P18,000 to insert two capacitors worth less than P200 into an inverter that only cost P14,000 to buy originally? Am I missing something?

So I SMSed the guy asking for his side of the story. This is our SMS correspondence in its entirety.





Some people can't see reason.

Do Deetha Leisure give a damn?

A reader got in touch to complain about a company called Deetha Leisure in South Africa. It was the same old story that we've heard many times before. A holiday discount company cold-calls someone and before they know it and often without any explicit consent they are charged a membership fee they didn't actually want.

This is what she said in her original emailed complaint to them in April this year.
"I received a call from one of your consultants/salesperson by the name [name removed] on Thursday 10th April 2014 inviting me to purchase a special package for R5999, I asked him to call me again on Monday the 14th which he did. I again asked him to explain the product and how I will be paying. He said I could pay about R500 a month if I agreed, he then said one of the managers will call me later that day and indeed I was called by a certain [name removed] in the evening who instead offered me an even better package for R9999 with more benefits and he said I could pay for that over 24 months at around R500 per month.

To my utter surprise and disgust, I realised that an amount of R7800 and another one of around R900 was taken from my account on the 15th April 2014.

I wish to state that much as I was interested in the product, I no longer want it due to the sheer dishonesty and unprofessional conduct of the two gentlemen and would therefore demand all my money back within the next 5 days. I believe it is not part of your company policy to take money that you and the customer have not agreed on."
Yes, I know people shouldn't give their bank account details to strangers over the phone but they do, they get "seduced" by a smooth-talking salesperson. It happens.

But that doesn't excuse it. It also doesn't excuse taking ages to remedy the situation. They called her in April and she still doesn't have her money back.

In an email to her in July they said:
"Sorry for the inconvenience caused but I assure you as per our telephonic conversation the matter it's been dealt with yes I agree it's taking long and I must sincerely apologize for not being in contact or send you any correspondence regarding the matter at hand"
So they admit they owe her a response.

I contacted them today and was told:
"Like I explained to [name removed] in our telephonic conversation this matter will be settled its only a matter of time as soon as we have finalized the date on our side she will be notified of the reimbursement"
My question was simple:
"Can you perhaps explain what 'only a matter of time' means?"
The response was frankly evasive:
"It means as soon as the date is set for the reimbursement she will be notified"
I think that means that they'll pay her whenever they feel like it. For the record this is NOT the first time this is alleged to have happened. They don't seem to give a damn.

Attention HR Managers

A Human Resources Manager I know contacted me asking if I can provide a list of all the fake universities we've encountered in recent years. This manager feels it's time to do a little audit of the qualifications of the staff employed at that organisation.

So here goes, in alphabetical order, a list of all the non-accredited, or straightforward fake "universities" and other "educational" establishments that offer degrees in return for nothing more than cash. These are just the ones that we've covered in recent years. The full list is much, MUCH longer. You can see a Wikipedia page of them here.

You should note that many of these fakes deliberately choose names that are very similar to legitimate, perfectly respectable universities so be careful. All this list does is give you some clues and you should clearly investigate things further to make sure you're confident that a qualification is either genuine or fake.
It's worth doing some checking, don't you think?


Sunday 10 August 2014

Thabi Letsunyane

I think we knew that organising a conference was hard work. We knew it took someone with skill, a multitude of talents, passion and energy. We knew it took someone amazing.

Yet another really easy decision. There was only one person we wanted.


Ithabeleng Letsunyane.

Thabi really is extraordinary. Her knowledge, experience, intelligence and confidence are amazing. She just knew what needed to be done and how to do it. She had the confidence to take charge, to tell us when we were wrong about something and to "redirect" us. She predicted every stage of the process and when it came to sourcing sponsorship we simply could not have done it without her.

Thabi, you're awesome.

Aldo Brincat

When we wanted to create the 2014 Consumer Watchdog Conference we knew we needed someone we could talk to about ideas. Someone who was imaginative and creative and someone we knew would understand the sort of thing we wanted. Someone who could come up with new, better, more fantastic ideas.

It was the easiest decision in the world.


Aldo Brincat.

Aldo really is one of the most talented, inspiring and amazing people I've ever met. He's also an awesome writer, actor, magician and director, a fantastic teacher and, above all, a great friend.

From the moment delegates arrived at the conference it was Aldo's vision that moved things along. The dramatic welcome, the "Happy Booth" and the lunchtime magic all made the day a sensational, exciting and emotional experience.


Aldo, you're a star.

Thanks

We couldn't have done the 2014 Consumer Watchdog Conference without the assistance, support and technical skills of a range of incredibly talented people.

JP Glanville of Showgroup is simply the best. JP immediately understood exactly what we wanted and made it happen. His experience is fantastic and his suggestions are those you just listen to and follow.


Irfan Kokabi from Citizen Design is a creative genius as well as being a great guy. We only ever talk to Irfan about design. There is nobody else.


What can you say about Bonni Dintwa? Correction. What can you say about Bonni Dintwa that is printable? The man is a force of nature. He's incredibly clever, intelligent, funny and has a mouth that works at exactly the same speed as his brain. He's also God's gift to women (Bonni, those were the words you wanted, right?).

Pictures from the 2014 Consumer Watchdog Conference

The 2014 Consumer Watchdog Conference. The conference with a difference. The conference that was actually fun to attend!

The welcome from Aldo Brincat.

The brand.

The Happy Booth.

Fun from the beginning.

Who says CEOs can't have fun?
Catherine Lesetedi-Letegele from Botswana Life
with our wonderful Director Thabi Letsunyane.

Just like service stars can have fun.

The wonderful Adam Jones from Wealth magazine
with the equally wonderful Thabi Letsunyane.

Jitto Kurian, MD of BancABC.

Greeting H.E. Former President Mogae.

H.E. being welcomed by our service stars.

H.E. being welcomed by our service stars.

H.E. being welcomed by our service stars.

The pre-flight safety briefing from Thabi and Beauty.

The M.C., Bonni Dintwa.

H.E. opening the conference.

H.E. celebrating our service stars.

H.E. celebrating our service stars.

H.E. celebrating our service stars.

H.E. celebrating our service stars.

H.E. celebrating our service stars.

H.E. celebrating our service stars.

The service stars.

Aldo's magical lunch, thanks to CEDA.

Aldo's magical lunch, thanks to CEDA.

Aldo's magical lunch, thanks to CEDA.

Free ice cream thanks to Milky Lane.

Did I mention we had fun?
Calvin from BancABC and Thabi Letsunyane.

Yes, even MDs and CEOs can have fun.
Jitto Kurian from BancABC, Rose Tatedi from Symphony Health
and Pele Moleta from BotswanaPost.

Even the sweets were patriotic.

The Queen.

Her driver.

Who let these two in?

How to deal with your MC when he misbehaves.

The panel of true experts. Jitto Kurian from BancABC.

The panel of true experts. Pinkie Setlalekgosi from Sprint Couriers.

The panel of true experts. Kabelo Binns from Hotwire.

The panel of true experts. Pele Moleta from BotswanaPost.

The panel of true experts. Rose Tatedi from Symphony Health.

The panel of true experts. And an intruder. Call security!

Just one of the hundreds of hugs that happened.

Asnath Mothibe-Breseno from Mascom awards a prize to the best dancer.

We had to have a drink with GabzFM. They made us do it, honest!
Here's a promise for you all. Next year's conference will be bigger and better!