02/08/2008 16:35 - (SA)
Finance company pays back deductions
Nhlanhla Ncaca
FINANCING company Real People has agreed to refund a disgruntled client and help him to cancel a problematic contract.
The good news could not have come at a better time for Vusi Nkosi of KwaZulu-Natal, who had to endure weeks of agony fighting a losing battle with the financiers.
Nkosi was forced to make monthly payments for electronic products that were not in his possession.
In just two months, Real People withdrew about R2 800 from his bank account.
Earlier this year Nkosi wanted to buy a computer and digital camera he saw advertised in a daily newspaper. Kusasa, a subsidiary of Real People, was offering to sell the items at a reasonable price.
Both items together cost R14 000 and Nkosi agreed to make monthly payments of R1 400 over 10 months.
On May 19 he entered into an agreement with Kusasa, but later received a call from a Real People consultant.
Nkosi says the consultant could not explain the relationship between the two companies, which prompted him to cancel his contract with Kusasa.
“I responded to an advertisement that was placed by Kusasa, not Real People,” he says. “I just could not understand the relationship between the two companies. To avoid further confusion I decided to cancel the contract.”
Nkosi discovered, however, that Real People had already debited his bank account for R1 400 at the end of May.
He contacted the company and a consultant said the deduction was for purchases Real People had made on his behalf.
Nkosi explained that he had cancelled the contract and that the computer and digital camera had not been delivered to him.
The consultant promised to investigate the claims, but failed to provide Nkosi with any feedback.
In June Real people made another deduction of R1 400 from Nkosi’s bank account and he contacted the company’s call centre – but Real People referred him to Kusasa.
A Kusasa consultant confirmed that their records reflected that Nkosi’s contract had been cancelled, and advised him to contact Real People – but the financiers failed to cooperate.
He contacted Hotline and Hotline referred the complaint to Stephen Lindsay, legal officer at Real People.
After explaining the relationship between Real People and Kusasa, Lindsay apologised for the inconvenience Nkosi had suffered.
He said Real People helped clients who wanted to buy various products. The company paid the merchant on behalf of the client and later recovered the money from the client, he said.
Lindsay stressed that it was the client’s responsibility to collect the purchased products from the merchant, but he promised to deal with Nkosi’s problem directly with Kusasa.
“In the interim we have authorised the refund and wish to apologise to Mr Nkosi for the inconvenience he suffered regarding the evident complications with the contract in question,” said Lindsay.
An ecstatic Nkosi contacted Hotline on Monday to acknowledge that he had received the refund.
“I never thought this battle would be over and I am grateful to Hotline,” he said.
“Dealing with Real People has been a frustrating experience and I am glad it is all over.”
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