Consumer Watchdog

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-04-18T12:54:38.057+02:00

The baboons did it!

Good day sir. I really need your help and advice. I bought a TV at from a furniture store on a hire purchase contract. Unfortunately yesterday the baboons entered my house. I tried chasing them but the other one hit the TV and broke the screen. The lady from the store is saying they can never help me. Can you help?

One of the few good things about hire purchase is that it usually includes an insurance policy that covers you if the goods you’re buying are stolen or damaged in a fire or if you lose your job due to retrenchment. The details of each policy can be different, but they protect you if one of those things happens. It also offers protection for the store and that’s what they care about most. They want the money you promised to pay them and this will help them get it.

However, it all depends on the small print in the insurance policy. I’ve never heard of a claim for this situation before and you might think it’s reasonable that the policy covers damage by baboons. I’ll contact their Head Office and see what they say about this. I’m not very optimistic, but let’s see.

Why are they still deducting?

I desperately need your advice and assistance, I had bought a bed through high purchase at a furniture store in Maun. I cleared the debt in early February and the shop assistant sent the relevant paperwork stopping the direct debit order to their Headquarters. Surprisingly they tried to get the money but unfortunately I didn't have the funds in my FNB account. Consequently this led to negatives in my account and charges for lack of honouring stop order.

I lodged the complaint with the Maun shop where I bought the bed. They called the office and their feedback was really disappointing. They indicated that nothing has been done and the same thing is going to happen on the 5th of April. I am really hurt, I feel they are being unfair to me. Despite my visits to their office to make sure they stop the debit order, I received a text that threatened me for skipping a month therefore legal action will be taken against me and I should pay the outstanding amount.

It’s totally unacceptable that you are being treated this way. You cleared your debt two months ago and the payment should’ve stopped two months ago. I don’t think we shoud care about why they continued to deduct the payments from you, what we need to see is them stopping them immediately. We also need to see them repay you for the deductions they made improperly and all of the costs associated with this. They should refund any banking fees or penalties you have to pay and, just as importantly, they need to assure you that your credit record has not been affected by this in any way.

They also need to call off the debt collectors or lawyers. They have instructed to recover money from you. You don’t owe them any money so they have no excuse for bothering you about this. I’ve already contacted their Head Office about the situation and I’m waiting for their response. I imagine you’ll receive an apology from them and a refund for all of these costs very shortly.

If any furniture stores are reading this, it’s really important that they go away and look at the procedures they have. Their computer systems must be able to automatically stop the deductions when someone has fully repaid their debt. It shouldn’t require manual interventions by staff at store level. This should be automatic. It’s 2026 and consumers are entitled to expect better than this.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-04-06T16:48:00.000+02:00

They did me a favour?

Good day Richard. I bought a Bennet Read air-fryer in August last year. At the beginning of February the air-fryer stopped working. Unfortunately when I was looking for the receipt I could not find it but I did return it and they accepted it for fixing. OK fine it takes almost a month to be returned but when I got home it was not working again. I returned it again and they took it for 2 weeks with no communication until one of the workers sent me a message saying the product can't be fixed twice and the manager is on it.

Now today I was called to collect the old air-fryer and they say it can't be changed because I didn't have a receipt. I did ask them can't you retrieve the receipt because I brought it in its box which I believe has its serial number. They said they did me a favour.

I got the old one back but now my fear is if it doesn't work what's next? Please assist.

This store needs to make up its mind. Do they need a receipt or not? I don't think it's complicated. They already accepted the air-fryer and attempted to repair it once without a receipt, didn't they? I'm no lawyer but that's clearly an admission that they were responsible for fixing it. When they later changed their mind, I suspect it was because they had run out of excuses. That's not good enough.

Another good thing is that they admitted is that they accepted that they can't fix the product twice. Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act says that once a store has tried to repair an item, if the same fault occurs again within 3 months, they can then only replace it or refund the consumer.

I think it's time we both spoke to the store's Head Office, don't you?

Why won't it go down?

Please help me understand this. My younger brother has a hire purchase contract with a furniture store then he lost his job and he didn't tell them he lost his job he just said he is no longer working. They kept on calling him and our family decided to repay all those debts in instalments until they are done. Now I have a question. Every month I make those payments without fail but the balance doesn't go down. They keep adding interest even though the account is no longer in arrears. I made a payment when the balance was P1,800 and today I made another payment only to be told the balance is P1,300. So I asked why is it not less because we paid on time and they said it added interest. When I started paying it off the balance was P3,900, that was in December when I paid 1,200 then in January I paid P600 and in February P600.

Clearly this debt will never finish and this is what is depressing my brother. Now they keep adding interest and I want to know what the law says if you told me my balance is this much I calculate and budget according to that balance so when it keeps adding up its a problem.

This is about two things. The first is interest. Any outstanding debt will incur interest charges particularly if your brother was behind with his payments and his debt has probably increased massively from the interest that the store adds to his debt each month. Paying off relatively small amounts will reduce the balance by less than you think because every month they'll add more interest to the remaining balance.

The second problem is that hire purchase is a terrible way to buy things. I've mentioned before that goods bought on hire purchase don't belong to you until you've made the final payment, the warranty is void if you're behind with your payments, and if the goods are ever prepossessed, you probably still owe the store the remaining amount, even though you don't have the items you thought you'd bought.

I suggest your brother asks them for a full statement of his account and then for a settlement amount, the amount he can pay to get rid of this debt forever.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-03-29T13:17:00.004+02:00

Where's the bed?

I need your help. In 2024 I took a bed in order to pay it with installments. By then I was working but I lost my job in 2025 and I wasn't able to pay properly but I was trying to pay. In mid 2025 they called and asked me to return the bed because I wasn't able to pay well and I agreed with them to collect it. They did not come until February this year to take it. They collected it and I was given a receipt for the collection.

Then they called this week claiming they didn't collect the bed. After some days they called again saying I should pay over P7,000 or they will file a court case against me. Is it really fair for me to pay the balance even though I am not using it? Please help.

Firstly, it's really important that you keep that receipt safe. I suggest you take a picture of it on your phone and send it to several people as a backup, including me. If the store believes that you still have the bed, and you can't prove that it was taken back, you're going to have trouble.

More importantly, this illustrates how higher purchase works. It's important to understand when you buy something this way, it doesn't belong to you. Until you've made the final payment it's still belongs to the store. The money you were paying them each month was just to hire the item. If you check the small print of the agreement you signed, you'll see that it says that, even if the item is repossessed, you still owe the money you agreed to pay them, minus any amount they got from selling the repossessed goods.

I'll contact them and explain your side of the story, but you also need to sit down with them yourself to discuss exactly how much you owe them, and how you can best repay that debt. And don't forget to send me that receipt!

The second one was worse!

Please can you help me? I bought a tablet from one of the shops in Gaborone on the 26th of February but on the 15th of March it started to shut down on its own regardless of it having a fully charged battery. I took the tablet back to the shop and they exchanged it and gave me another tablet of the same brand. This one my son used it for less than a week and it was worse than the first one. I went back to the shop and they told me that I'm overusing the phone but my son used it for 3 hours only and they told me there is nothing they can do because the tablet is a Chinese brand. What can I do?

This store understands nothing about customer service and even less about consumer rights. Clearly this device was faulty when you bought it. However, I'm sure we all understand that this happens sometimes, but the Consumer Protection Act and common sense both make it very clear what a supplier should do in this situation. Section 16 of the Act says clearly that they must either repair the faulty item, replace it, or refund the consumer. They were within their rights to replace it with another device of the same brand but it's completely unacceptable that the second tablet was even worse than the item it replaced.

And then they start making up stories about over-using the device? That's nonsense. Also, their excuse that because it's Chinese, they can't do anything? That's just as silly.

I'll contact the store and politely tell them to stop making up stories and to stop being so silly. I'll also explain a little bit about Consumer rights and customer service. Clearly they need some education.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-03-22T10:02:00.005+02:00

They charged me again!

Am sending you this with a heavy heart. I have been paying a loan from my bank and my loan was supposed to finish February 2026. As am sending this message I am from the bank because there is a deduction made for month of March. To my surprise when I get there, am told that from the beginning there was supposed to be a certain charge, which was not added to the calculations and upon noticing the mistake the payment was extended with my knowledge. Is this the proper thing? Kindly help.

This charge is probably the "proper thing", but it wasn't done in the proper way. Clearly the bank made a mistake when they first set up your loan but you'll probably find in the small print of your loan agreement that it says that you are responsible for ensuring that the full amount you owe is repaid to the bank. I understand and agree with you that they should've made this very clear in the beginning and they failed to do so but this doesn't change the amount of money you owe them.

I'll contact the bank and ask them to get in touch with you to explain in more detail what happened. I'll also suggest they give you a complete statement of your account so you can double check that the amount you paid was the correct amount.

Can they repair it again?

I bought a defy fridge on 18 December 2025. In the beginning of January the fridge was over freezing top and bottom. I went to report the fridge and Defy technicians came by the house to fix it. A week later It was still over freezing. I called the shop a couple of times but they didn't assist until I went to the shop and then last week Tuesday the Defy workers came and took the fridge.

So yesterday they called to say they have fixed the fridge and they will deliver it. I called the shop to tell them that I'm not accepting the fridge because I want a fridge that won't give me a problem since the unit they have given me has proven to be problematic.

Am I entitled to a refund or replacement because I don't want the unit that has already given me problems?

As readers of The Voice will know, Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act says that a consumer may return faulty goods to a supplier within six months of purchase. It says that the supplier can then choose whether to repair the faulty item, replace it, or refund the consumer. It goes on to say that if they repair the item and the same fault happens again within the next three months, they can then only replace the faulty item or refund you. They don't have the option of repairing it again. In your case it was just a week before the same problem happened again.

I contacted the store and reminded them of this and the good news is that they're going to replace your fridge with a new one.

Update. The replacement fridge was delivered.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-03-14T18:18:00.000+02:00

Must I pay?

In February last year i went to my bank in Maun and paid the due balance on my credit card and asked them to close it. They said all is well and its closed. In June last year I get a call from collections from a lady telling me I haven't been paying for my credit card. I told her that according to my understanding the account is closed. I did not have the copy of the letter I wrote at the bank nor the receipt when I made the deposit for the outstanding balance but she suggested that I write a letter and I will get help. I did that the very same day. I kept on checking progress from her but she reassured me that i will get help.

In December I got a call from a law firm saying that I owe them. I explained to them what had happened and they advised me to go to the bank. I did just that on the 16th December. They made calls and promised me he will get to the bottom of it and give me feedback. As promised sometime in January he called me back telling me that it was their fault and he even said the name of the lady who was assigned to close it therefore they will reverse all the charges and get it closed.

Up to now they are still charging me P300 monthly and the law firm is still calling. I work in a remote area and I cannot manage to do follow up in person at the bank all the time. Please assist me.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience and stress this must have caused you. Even though you knew you'd done the right thing it was surely very frustrating to be hassled by the bank and then a law firm alleging you'd done something wrong.

Perhaps you didn't know that they also registered you as a bad payer with a credit reference bureau? However, that's now sorted out. I contacted someone at their Head Office and they told me that:

"the balance will be absorbed by the Bank and the client's file recalled from the law firm. We will also delete the credit listing for the customer. We will send the customer confirmation of account closure once the process is completed."

It's a shame they took so long to sort this out. It's also a shame that we had to involve their Head Office to fix something that should have been fixed almost a year ago.

Can they only refund 30%?

Hello sir. I need help. I bought a hair clipping machine but when I got home and try to cut my boy's hair the machine didn't work. When I wanted to return the machine they said they will refund only 30% of the amount not the full amount. Is it ok to do that because I wanted to buy elsewhere?

No, it's certainly not OK to do that. As readers of The Voice will know, Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act says that if goods are faulty within six months of purchase, a consumer can return the goods to the supplier. The supplier must then either repair the faulty item, replace it, or refund the customer. It certainly does not permit a store to charge a fee for this. Obviously, if a consumer just changes their mind, then a store can decide whether to accept the returned item or not but when it's faulty, the situation is very clear.

I suggest you speak to the store again and explain to them in very simple terms so that even they can understand it. They need to know that you understand the law better than they do. I'm also happy to speak to them to make sure they understand what they need to do.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-03-07T14:03:00.001+02:00

They created a fake policy!

There are two insurance companies where their agents are busy committing fraud and theft and they seem to approve all that. There is a syndicate of agents who have my documents. How they stole them from their systems I am still trying to find out but they are using them to open policies without my knowledge or authorization.

I have now had two incidents. Last month I just saw money being deducted from my account to the first company, yet at that time I did not even know that I had a policy with them. I went to their offices, they listened to my story and said they would refund me and cancel the policy, but this month they debited me again. Now I am forced to go back to their offices again.

Then the following day the second insurance company also debited money from my account, and I still do not have any policy with them. Furthermore, they told me that three policies were opened, and they were opened by the same person.

Unfortunately, you're not the first person who's contacted us about this situation. I've heard from several people in the last few weeks with very similar stories. Somehow, an insurance agent has obtained the personal details of a consumer and then fraudulently created insurance policies in their name. The first time the victim hears of this is when money is deducted from their bank account. When I contacted the insurance companies, they've explained that they received an instruction to open a policy, which to them seemed genuine, but which was, in fact, fake.

One of the problems is that it's then sometimes difficult for the consumer to prove that they didn't open this policy. It can take a while for the insurance company to investigate and then to reverse the transactions and this can take a couple of months. Another problem is that the insurance companies are sometimes reluctant to treat this as a crime and to report it, in conjunction with the victim, to the Police. And that's what we need to do when this happens. A crime has been committed and the insurance companies need to treat this situation more seriously.

In your case, as with the others, I've alerted the insurance companies and I'm waiting to see what they're planning to do to fix the situation.

They took 3 times!

I have a loan with a microlender. Their last deduction was in December. In January they did not deduct the money so I sent them an email telling them to deduct the money but they didn't respond to my email and the did not deduct the money so I used the money. Yesterday they deducted 3 times taking all my salary. How best can you assist me? I know I skipped 1 month?

I think you skipped more than one month, at least two, maybe three.

Yes, I understand that it was the microlender's job, and probably your employer's, to do the deductions each month but it was also your responsibility to ensure that the payments were made.

You said "so I used the money". Unfortunately that was a very serious mistake. You knew that the money hadn't been deducted and you spent it on other things, knowing that it didn't belong to you any more. You should have set that money aside so you could afford to pay your debt.

You must contact the microlender as soon as possible and negotiate a repayment plan that you can afford.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-02-28T21:26:00.001+02:00

Where's my phone?

I bought an iPhone XS Max from a store in Gaborone Main Mall and after a day of purchase it gave me problems. I called them and they asked me to bring it and they changed it for me. The second iPhone is also giving me problems again and they want to change it again and give me the third phone but I no longer want their phones it's like they sell fake ones.

Every time when I call them the owner of the shop doesn't want to talk to me rather he gives the phone to his employees to talk to me but again when I tell them I want my money back they say it's beyond them. They say I should talk to him and he won't answer his phone

The worst part is I have to travel from Mahalapye to Gaborone to return the phone and at my own costs. We only shared the traveling costs when I returned the first one. Can you please help me?

This store doesn't just offer cell phones, it offers disrespect and contempt for its customers.

Let's begin with some basics. This iPhone model was first released in 2018 and was discontinued the following year in 2019 so it's likely that this phone is second-hand. Of course it's possible it's been in storage for the last seven years, but I doubt that very much, don't you?

There's nothing wrong with selling second-hand or used phones, the law just requires that the store must be honest about this. You sent me a copy of the receipt they gave you when you bought the phone and it doesn't mention that it's second-hand, as the Consumer Protection Act requires.

We all understand that occasionally cell phones are faulty, but it's too much to believe that the replacement would be faulty as well. I suspect that if they gave you a third phone, that one would probably be faulty too. I messaged the store a few days ago and they don't want to talk to me. It's not the first time I've dealt with them and on each occasion in the past, the story has been the same. I think you should contact the Competition and Consumer Authority and I'll do the same. Maybe together we can encourage them to do the right thing.

Must it take so long?

I need your help. I bought an HP laptop at a furniture store in Francistown on hire purchase. The laptops RAM chip got damaged and I took it back to them and told them it's the only gadget I'm using for my classes and that I've exams the same week I took it to them. They sent the laptop to their technicians in Gaborone and said it would take 21 days.

They called last week to say that the RAM has been ordered and it will take two weeks to be delivered. My question is since the damage wasn't my fault am I not covered by warranty since the PC is only on its 4th month? Are they not supposed to lend me a PC to use in the meantime or alternatively give me a new PC since their turn around time is more than 3 weeks?

The first thing you need to remember is that this laptop doesn't belong to you. It still belongs to the store. That's how higher purchase works. Until you've made the last payment, it still belongs to them. That means they can do what they like, they can take as long as they want to fix it. It also means that they are under no obligation to offer you a temporary PC, no matter how important it is to you. However, taking 21 days to replace the RAM in a laptop is absurd. I'm no expert, but I could do it in 30 minutes. I'll contact them for you and see if they can go faster.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-02-22T12:16:00.004+02:00

Must I pay the bank?

I am currently experiencing an issue with my bank account and would kindly appreciate your assistance. I opened the account in September 2025 and only deposited money during that first month. Unfortunately, I lost my job shortly thereafter, and the account remained dormant from October until now. When I recently went to the bank to close the account, I was informed that I needed to settle the accumulated maintenance fees amounting to P470, which reflected as a negative balance. I paid this amount in full. However, when I proceeded to close the account, I was told there was still an outstanding balance of P339. The consultant assisting me mentioned that there may have been an error where some charges were doubled and assured me that they would investigate and get back to me. Unfortunately, I did not receive any feedback.

Yesterday, I received three SMS notifications from the bank indicating that a total of P298.58 had been debited from my account. As a result, my account balance is now -P557.32. I am confused about how these charges continue to accumulate, especially after I had already settled the previous amount. I kindly request your assistance in resolving this matter, as I would like clarity on these charges and guidance on how to stop further deductions. Thank you in advance for your help.

Unfortunately, as many people have discovered, bank charges are often a mystery.

Banks display their charges in a variety of places, in particular in their branches, but also on their website. But that doesn't mean they're easy to understand. As you discovered, this account includes a monthly maintenance charge, and that has accumulated over the last few months when you weren't using the account. However, that should've stopped after you gave the bank an instruction to close the account and you paid off the balance you owed them. I suggest that you don't pay anything more until we've both had a chance to talk to the bank and find out what's going on.

Why won't they cover me?

I bought a TV from a furniture store in November 2024 by hire purchase on a 12 month period. I finished paying in November 2025 and in December I lost it through a house break in. Now they are telling me that since I finished paying I'm not covered by insurance which I feel is very unfair. What can I do?

This really is extremely bad luck. Almost always a hire purchase contract will include some sort of insurance policy. This usually covers you and the store against the item being stolen or destroyed or damaged by fire. However, as you discovered, and it is explained in the contract you signed, this insurance only lasts as long as the repayment period. So in your case, it only lasted a year.

This is a very good example of how important it is, if you can afford it, to have your own household insurance policy. This would cover everything in your house in case of damage, fire or theft. The most important thing to understand is that your own policy would certainly be much, much cheaper than the insurance included in your hire purchase contract. If you'd had your own policy, you could've told the store that you didn't want to take their insurance, you already had your own.

I know that times are tough for all of us financially, and a household insurance policy can seem like an unnecessary expense. However, we only fully understand the value of insurance when we need it. It's worth talking to a trustworthy insurance broker to see what sort of policy might be best for you and most affordable.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-02-15T18:02:00.001+02:00

Why won't they pay him back?

We need assistance regarding unauthorized deductions made from my husband's salary. In September 2024, my husband received a salary of P0. This came as a shock to us. Upon investigation, we discovered that deductions had been made by two microlenders, claiming that he had taken loans from them. However, in August 2024, my husband had only applied for a loan with a bank, with the first deduction scheduled for October 2024. He never applied for or received any loans from any other companies. We followed up with both institutions. The first acknowledged the mistake, stopped the deductions, and refunded all the money. Unfortunately, the second has not refunded the amount deducted, which totals P10,000. They stated that they are waiting for police investigations before issuing a refund, as they do not believe that the documents used to process the loan were stolen or fraudulently used.

However, it is concerning that they approved a cash loan to someone they had never met, using WhatsApp, without proper account verification before disbursing the funds. We submitted a claim form as requested, and we were assured that a refund would be processed. To date, no refund has been made. I know that police investigations take a long time but the money remains withheld unfairly from us, despite the fact that they have full details of the account into which the money was paid and can easily trace the recipient. We therefore kindly request that they urgently refund the P10,000 that was wrongly deducted from my husband's salary.

There's bad news for you and for all of us. This sort of crime is becoming increasingly common. So far this year I've heard of several identical cases. Somehow, fraudsters have pretended to be real people and have applied for loans in their names. Once the loans are paid out, the crooks quickly withdraw the money before the person they impersonated realises, before they start to repay the loans taken out in their name.

I'm glad that the first lender repaid your husband in full but the second lender isn't behaving properly. They admit that money was taken from you improperly but this is a matter between them, the police and the criminal who stole their money. They need to stop punishing you. I contacted them and asked them why this is taking so long.

Is this device new?

Please help me out. I bought a tablet around September 2025,then in October the tablet could not read the SIM card, so took it back to the shop. I was told that it's been taken for repair because it was still on warranty. OK fine. Then they failed to repair it and was given another one which was on display since they said it's the only one left.

I took the tablet, but when I tried to install WhatsApp a message appeared saying there are chats on this device which are not allowed and the number is blocked. Then after a few days when I was trying to install again certain chats with people's faces appeared on the phone. I deleted them, then after three days WhatsApp was blocked again with the same message about the chats with are not allowed. I tried searching through the phone to find out what the problem could be, so I found out that the device has an administrator. These people sell us used phones and claim that the phones are new. Please help me.

I agree. This store seems to be selling used devices. Of course, there's nothing wrong with selling used, refurbished, or second-hand goods. They just need to be honest about it. They need to tell us before we pay for something and the receipt or invoice they give us must also say this. This isn't just what I think, it's what the Consumer Protection Act says.

I've already contacted the store and asked them what they plan to do about this situation. They certainly need to do something.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-02-08T11:38:00.000+02:00

Will they repair them?

Can you kindly assist me? I bought a bed and TV both with hire purchase in September 2024 and I'm still paying for them. The mattress is no longer comfortable and the TV screen broke accidentally on the road from Kasane to Pandamatenga when I was moving to Francistown.The TV screen broke, I was holding it the road is bad honestly..

I long reported for my bed replacement in October 2025 and TV 2 weeks ago but they are not assisting me. I also sent them an email but no response and I am expected to continue paying.

I might have some good news. But I might also have some bad news.

Normally, when people buy things on hire purchase, the warranty lasts for just one year. If this was true in your case, you'd be out of luck because both the problems you reported happened more than a year after you purchased them. However, the good news is that the hire purchase agreement you sent me shows that you bought an extended warranty for these items. This lasts for the whole period you're paying for them, three years. It looks to me like the bed is still covered by the warranty, so I hope the store can do the right thing and fix it for you.

However, you might be out of luck with the TV. The insurance that comes with a hire purchase contract usually only covers things like theft and fire and probably doesn't cover accidental damage while you were moving house. Another problem is that the agreement says that you must inform them if you're changing your address. It's important to remember that with hire purchase, the items you thought were yours actually still belong to the store until you've made the last payment. You might think you were moving YOUR TV from one house to another, but in fact you were moving THEIR TV.

Nevertheless, I'll contact them and ask how they can help you.

Where's my money?

Please help me. I was to take a bed from a furniture store in Francistown on hire purchase. So I paid a deposit. That was last year October.

I wanted for them to deliver the bed but they never came. I went to them in a week time after paying the deposit but they said the deal was not captured well so they want to capture it again. In a month time, I decided to call to get my money back. They said they will do the paper work to reverse the money. I waited but the money never came. Then they said they are capturing it as a laybye to make the money to come back. Till now I had no positive response from them, they keep on saying they long sent the mail to the head office.

I'm still sometimes surprised by how useless some stores can be. This store must sell hundreds, if not thousands of items every year so there's no excuse for making mistakes when capturing a customer's details into their computer system. Is it really that difficult? And now they're talking about converting this to a laybye in order to refund you? That makes no sense to me but if that's what they need to do, then they need to do it and not bother you with their silly internal procedures.

I'll contact the store and see if they can treat you like a customer whose money they've taken.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-01-31T19:50:00.002+02:00

Is this device new?

Please help me out. I have a complaint regarding a cellphone store in Molepolole. I bought a tablet around September 2025, then in October the tablet could not read the SIM card. I took it back to the shop and I was told thar it's been taken for repair because it was still on warranty. OK fine.

Then they failed to repair it and was given another one which was on display since they said it's the only one left. OK fine I took the tablet but when I tried to install Whatsapp a message will appear saying "there are certain chats on this device which are not allowed and this number is blocked from using Whatsapp". Then after a few days when I was trying to install again certain chats with Indian faces appeared on the phone. I deleted them, then again after three days Whatsapp was blocked again with the same message about the chats with are not allowed. I tried searching through the phone to find out what the problem could be, so I found out that the device has an administrator.

I went back to the shop and was told to come back again later. I went there and was told the manager is not there, but he's the one who told me come back to the shop on Monday. These people sell us used phones and claim that the phones are new. Please help me.

The owners of this store obviously don't read The Voice because if they did, they would know about the Consumer Protection Act and what it demands from suppliers. Or perhaps they just don't care? It's not the first time we've had complaints like this about them. In case they're reading The Voice for the first time, I'll explain it to them very simply. Section 14 of the Act says that consumers are entitled to products that are "free of defects and are of a quality that consumers are reasonably entitled to expect". Section 15 also says that we can expect "goods which are of good quality, in good working order and free of defects". In simple terms, products should work properly.

However, we all understand that problems happen and the Act says that if an item is faulty, the consumer can return it within 6 months for a repair, replacement or refund. However, the Act does NOT say that the store can replace the faulty item with something inferior. Finally, Section 13 of the Act says that a supplier that "offers used goods shall inform a consumer" that they're not new. This device is obviously not new.

Well done to this store for breaking 4 different parts of the Consume Protection Act. I'll let them know.

Where's my money?

I had a policy with an insurance company paying P250. The agreement was it will not increase installment so when seeing that they increased I went to them and they said they is no how the policy can't increase the installment. They refused to give me all that I had already saved but it was a savings policy. My question is why they said the time phase didn't allow me to get my money back. When I called them they said it was an investment not a savings policy, so in the first two years it's their money and mine starts on third year.

Is there any help I can get?

I think this is a case of what they call "front-loading" of commission. When an agent sells an investment policy, they earn a commission payment. However, the investment policy might last for 5 years, 10 years or even longer. Instead of the commission being paid over the lifetime of the policy, all of it is paid in the first year or two. There's nothing wrong with that but it means that in the first 1-2 years, the commission can be as much as the premiums you pay into the policy. That means there's nothing saved in that period. You only start accruing money and interest after that period is over, sometimes not until the third year. The problem is that agents don't always explain this, even though they're meant to.

Realistically, there's not much that can be done, this is how these policies work but I'll ask the company to call and explain it to you.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-01-25T15:47:00.000+02:00

They're both broken!

I need your advice. Last year in February I did a laybye for a bed which was on promotion at a store in Selibe Phikwe. The total cost was P4300 and I paid P1000 so I was left with a balance of P3300 to finish off the lay bye within 4 months. I decided to finish off the lay bye before the agreed time because I desperately needed the bed, only to find out that the sales person who was assisting committed an error somehow on the computer and entered details of a different bed instead of the one I wanted. So I had to pay extra P200 to get the bed I wanted because of the mistake made by the sales person. What hurt me the most is that the manager and the sales person did not apologise, they simply said I should pay extra P200 because the bed was no longer on promotion the price has increased or if I don't pay the extra cash I should be refunded. Out of desperation I paid the extra money because I really needed the bed.

I went back to the store to report the bed in September because the mattress was bad and is giving funny noises. I had also purchased a fridge and the door was not closing. Till now they have not assisted me. They said I should wait for 3 weeks but they keep giving excuses

Till now they have not assisted me the guy who was helping me yesterday was very rude he said he will not give me another fridge as for the bed he said there's no way he can help me.

This store deserves recognition for three things. Poor products, poor service and poor complaint handling.

I know that mistakes happen, but minor mistakes that cost P200 out of a total of P4,300 shouldn't be made your responsibility. It wouldn't have made any serious impact on their profits and it would have demonstrated that they put your needs first. And an apology wouldn't have cost them anything at all.

And then when both items are faulty they ignore you and say that they can't assist you? No, that's really not good enough.

But there's good news. I contacted their Head Office and they assured both you and me that they will bring a new fridge the next day and they'll order a new bed which should take 2-3 weeks.

Where's my wardrobe?

Hello, Richard. I have bought wardrobe from a furniture and clothing boutique last year. I finished paying the wardrobe in March last year cos it was laybye. From last year till today I didn't receive my wardrobe and they don't want to refund me. The owner says she doesn't have money to refund me because the business is down. So please I need help.

You are the sixth customer who has contacted us in the last few years about this company and on every occasion the problem has been exactly the same. They take customer's money and then fail to deliver what was paid for. The customers are then forced to fight for their purchases and also for any information on when they might be delivered. The excuses have also always been the same. We don't have money.

Clearly the people running this company need some simple lessons on how to run a business and in particular, how to manage their cashflow. We all know that mistakes happen and occasionally companies have supply chain problems but this company has way too many of them.

I contacted the supplier (again) and they responded, saying that you can have a different wardrobe immediately or a refund at the end of January.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-01-17T15:57:00.001+02:00

Must I pay so much?

I'm a government employee having a loan which is currently deducting P12,000 monthly, but when I sought for a settlement its even higher than the loan balance. I'm currently going through a rough phase of life, I just wanted a resolution. Can't they help me with installment reduction or revisit they way they calculate their installments?

My loan balance sits at P607,000 and the settlement was estimated to P649,000. I started the loan in 2022 and I cleared a bank loan of P249k with it. I took topups in between and now I'm struggling.

Mainly I really need their help with installment reduction to P2,500 so I can care for my child and be able to pay rent I've sent them a message on Facebook and pleaded with humbleness that they help me.

They said that I should go to the nearest branch and meet the manager. When I got there I laid my case. The manager told me the loan needs restructuring but by the look of things I have to pay P30,000 to reduce the loan balance to be able to be helped with restructuring. Please sir help me communicate with them please concerning this I'm really going through a lot.

Unfortunately there's no goods news I can offer you. No lender would ever consider dropping the monthly instalments from P12,000 to P2,500 for one simple reason. It would take more than 20 years to repay a loan of P607,000 with monthly payments of P2,500. And that's if there are no problems, defaults or delays. They'll never agree to that. They want their money in the next 4 years, the time you agreed with them.

Meanwhile I understand that your situation is desperate. I'll send you details of a trusted debt counsellor who you must go and see. They'll do their best to restructure your debts in a way you can afford.

They sold me a worn out car!

I'm so stressed and I need your help. I bought a car in Durban sometimes in December. I managed to collect the car this week but the car is worn out. I spoke to those who I was buying the car from back in Durban. Now they are so reluctant to help yet they gave me a car which I think was involved in some accidents. There are a number of faults in it. The radio requires a code but they know nothing about it. It was their duty to check if everything was ok before loading the car n communicate if the condition of the car was not okay.

I paid them a deposit and had to pay the remaining balance of P15,000 to an account they gave me, it is a Botswana account. They sent an invoice through WhatsApp. The receipt was written low amount because they claimed that if they wrote the exact amount, BURS was going to charge me a lot.

Is there any help I can get?

There are several problems here. Firstly, you have a cross-border complication. Who do you complain to? The consumer protection authorities in South Africa or here in Botswana? If you need to buy a car from overseas it's always worth going through an agent based here in Botswana so you have someone who will take responsibility here, not in another country if there's a problem.

There is a slight hope because you paid some of the money to an account here. Whose account was it?

Finally, and perhaps the most worrying thing is BURS. If you and the seller knowing falsified documents about the value of the vehicle, you need to confess to BURS immediately. They're much more likely to be forgiving if you confess before they catch you. I suggest you call them as soon as possible and ask for their help.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2026-01-11T11:22:00.000+02:00

They burned me!

Please I need your help. In September I went to a store to buy a chemical which unblocks the drain. Unfortunately when the manager was still explaining how it works it spilled on my hand and leg and burnt my dress.

I then went to the hospital and went back to the shop. I was told that they have a disclaimer that if anything happens to the customer they can't do anything. I had submitted a medical report and now have permanent scars but still they are just quiet. When I asked about the SHE officer the manager told me that they don't have one.

Please I need your help how to deal with this issue. Thank you.

This is unacceptable in so many different ways.

Firstly, how careless were they if they spilled something that dangerous over you? They urgently need to train their staff much better on safety and health issues. When consumers visit any store that sells dangerous products, we deserve assurance that we'll be safe. They also need to assure their staff that the risks they face are minimised.

Secondly, they need to take responsibility for their mistake. You sent me pictures of the burns you suffered and they look extremely painful. They need to stop ignoring you, take responsibility for their mistake and help you.

I'll contact their senior managers and encourage them to take responsibility and to contact you. I'll also suggest they need to review their standards and policies to make sure that mistakes like this don't happen again.

They took a year!

Hello, Richard! I bought a TV in 2024 October. In November the TV started giving me problems and I reported it. Thereafter the store promised to come and collect the TV for a whole year failing to collect. Finally they collected the TV in October 2025 and up to today its not returned. When I enquire its story after story. I am still paying for the goods but they are with them.

I have exhausted all the right channels. I escalated the matter to the manager and regional manager but still no help. I am always met with empty promises of receiving the TV. Is it possible I can get my money back since they have not fulfilled their contractual obligations and they keep their TV?

How can it take so long to respond to a complaint about a faulty item? An entire year? What were they doing for so long? I wonder if they understand that Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act says that when "a supplier undertakes to perform any services for or on behalf of a consumer, the consumer has a right to … timely performance and completion of those services (and) timely notice of any unavoidable delay". It doesn't say what "timely" means, but we all know that it doesn't mean 365 days.

It's also very important that senior people at this company understand that it was THEIR fault that there was a delay, not yours. We don't want them to suggest that we're now outside the warranty period.

I've emailed the most senior people and I'm sure they'll take the matter seriously.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-12-21T15:45:00.000+02:00

Why won't they refund me?

I have a problem and I need your help please. I bought an iPhone 11 with my little sister about 2 weeks ago from a store in Game City and now the phone doesn't charge and sometimes it switches off while it has battery like when its on 76%. My sister went to the store to ask for a refund and return the phone and they told her the only do refunds within 7 days of purchase. They said she should come the next day because they can't refund her also before asking the technician what the problem is.

Can you help us get a refund from the shop because we don't trust them anymore and my sister needs to buy a phone.

There's often some confusion about when and how a consumer can return an item. Some stores allow customers to return an item simply because they've changed their mind about the purchase. That's probably what store means when they say they only do refunds within seven days of purchase.

More important is what happens when something is faulty. Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act requires a supplier to offer goods that are "of good quality, in good working order and free of defects". However, as everyone knows, this doesn't always happen. Section 16 of the Act describes what a supplier must do when a faulty item is returned to them within six months of purchase. It says that the supplier can consider one of three options. They can attempt to repair the faulty item, they can replace it, or they can refund the customer. But it's important note that it's their choice which of these three options they prefer. The store is entitled to attempt to repair the phone before they consider a replacement or a refund.

However, there's something more important here. Why isn't this phone working properly? Did the store tell you this phone was new when you bought it? An iPhone 11 is a perfectly good phone, but Apple stopped producing it more than three years ago. Maybe it's been sitting in a store for the last three years, but it's worth checking if this phone is actually second-hand. If that's the case and the store didn't tell you, they're in trouble. I'll get in touch with them and ask.

Must I pay?

Kindly help me to understand something about my furniture. In 2022 I bought a couch which I failed to pay and they ended up collecting it back to their store and they sold it. To my surprise they say I must come and pay the remaining balance.

I asked them are they returning the couch they say no we have already sold it but I have to clear what I have started. So I am unable to take loans, they blocked me in other furniture stores and my name is blacklisted due to the couch that is taken back. Please help me to understand.

The most important thing to understand about hire purchase is that it's a terrible way to buy things. If everything goes well and you make every payment, the worst thing that happens is you pay up to twice the cash price of the item you're buying.

Unfortunately, very often things go wrong. If you miss a payment, that's when you discover that you don't own the items you think you bought. They still belong to the store. That's why they can repossess them whenever they have a reason to do so. The next thing you discover is that when the goods are repossessed, you still owe the store the money. You'll even owe them penalty fees, debt collection charges, and possibly legal fees when they try and recover the money from you. You'll also find yourself registered you with a credit reference bureau, which will make it a lot harder to get credit elsewhere. The best thing you can do is talk to the store about how much you owe, how much you can afford to repay each month and then sign an agreement with them.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-12-14T13:59:00.001+02:00

I was robbed!

I feel hard done, robbed and bullied by a cellphone shop in Francistown. I bought a phone, insisting that I want it in a sealed box, brand new. They showed it to me in the box, I proceeded to pay. Upon setup at the shop it refused to recognize the SIM cards, they then swapped the new phone with a demo phone (display phone). I demanded my money back but they refused. Instead they said that I must go to the dealer in Gaborone and file a complaint if I want to. The proof that it is a demo phone shows because there is activity on the phone from before I bought it. The receipt shows date of purchase and security updates on the phone show that it's been active before that date. Please help me, I am wondering if I can report it to the police as obtaining by false pretenses. How do I tackle this?

I'm don't think we need to bother the police with this issue. Yes, I suppose it might be a crime but I think we can deal with this ourselves without distracting the police from more important issues.

The first thing we can do it to remind the store owners about Section 13 of the Consumer Protection Act. This says that a supplier "who offers used goods shall inform a consumer that the goods sold are used goods by … placing a label on the goods that indicates that such goods are used goods and
placing a notice on the invoice issued to a consumer".

I'm sure we all agree that there's nothing wrong with selling second-hand goods. In fact, it's a good thing. A second-hand phone can be just as good as a brand new one and a lot cheaper. We all love a bargain. However, we just need suppliers to be honest about it. If they're selling something that's second-hand they need to be open about it. They need to obey the law by labelling the item appropriately.

Also, you can ignore their suggestion that you must go to the dealer in Gaborone to file a complaint. You didn't buy the phone from the dealer, you bought it from the cell phone shop. They are the ones who must deal with this issue.

I'll contact them for you and see if they understand.

My Mother was robbed!

My Mother was robbed of her money. The scammer discussed trading for her to make profit out of P300. Then he or she kept on asking for more and more until it was more than P2.000. When she told me, the money was already gone but I see the Orange Money is still operating.

I told her to go to the Police but most of these cases take a long time as a police case.

I'm sorry to hear about this. Unfortunately, as most readers of The Voice will know by now, scammers don't offer refunds. Once your money is gone, it's gone forever. It's almost impossible to get money back to the victims of scams. Either the scammer is untraceable because they're in a different country, or the money has been quickly transferred overseas. That makes it almost impossible to recover the stolen money.

Nevertheless, it's incredibly important that your mother speaks to the police about this. It's possible they might be able to trace where the money went, and if it's still in Botswana to get it back. They might also be able to trace the scammer if they're still in the country. At the very least, it will allow the police to keep statistics and intelligence on these scams. It might also help them to educate the public about the risks posed by these scams.

However, the greatest weapon we have against these scammers as people like you who are doing your best to dedicate your family members about scams. Please don't stop. It's only as a community that we'll win the war against scams.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-12-07T12:09:00.000+02:00

When will they finish the job?

Back in 2022 my mother engaged a company to finish construction on her house in Molepolole. It was a turnkey project and she paid the company P200,000 to construct on a fix and supply basis. Please note that the house was already built when they were engaged. They were to install doors, windows, do the plumbing, floor tiles, ceiling, electric wiring and painting.

It's 2025 now and the house is still not complete, the owner of the company takes my mother from pillar to post every time she asks about progress on the house. Between 2022 and 2025, they only fixed the roof. Please assist us?

Three years? What possible justification can there be for a delay of three years? There's absolutely no excuse for that, none whatsoever. The good news is that when I contacted the company they responded very quickly. They assured me that they would take the matter seriously. Since then, they promised me that the matter would be addressed within days. However, it's important you keep a very close eye on the progress they make, and the quality of the work they do. You've waited long enough, it now needs to be done properly.

Update: They're still making promises but there's been no actual progress yet.

When will I get it back?

I am writing to request your urgent intervention regarding a warranty issue with my PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition, purchased in March 2025 and currently under warranty.

On 1 November 2025, I returned the PS5, due to repeated overheating. After waiting two weeks, I was informed that it had been repaired. However, upon testing it the same day, the exact same overheating problem occurred again. On 20 November, I took the console back, and they informed me that they now need to send it to Sony South Africa for further repairs or possible replacement. They could not give me any estimate of how long this process will take, only that it may take "some time."

I am never given any update unless I call or go to the store. Can you help me have the Console replaced or get a refund?

The bad news is that because you reported the problem more than six months after purchase, the really useful parts of the Consumer Protection Act don't apply. As readers of The Voice will know by now, Section 16 of the Act says that if a faulty item is returned to the supplier within six months of purchase and the supplier chooses to repair the item, and then the same problem occurs again within three months, they no longer have the option of repairing it again. In that situation, they would need to replace it or refund you.

However, in this case, it was slightly more than six months so we need to rely on the manufacturer's warranty of a year. I contacted the store manager and he assured me that the warranty repair will be undertaken. He also assured me that you'll have the device back within a week or two. However, we both need to keep the pressure on them to make sure they keep to this promise.

He also said that part of the overheating problem was the amount of dust found in the PlayStation. I'm no expert but a little searching found reports of other people experiencing the same problem. The advice from technical experts seems to be that the cooling vents on these devices need to be cleaned occasionally. In a dusty country like ours, that's probably good advice.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-11-29T12:38:00.001+02:00

Will they refund me?

A few months back I booked in a guest house not noticing it wasn't the one I intended to book therefore I did not use it. I followed it up for reimbursement the very same day within an hours time or so but they refused. Instead after a few days of going back and forth with the receptionist apparently she finally made an arrangement for me to communicate with the owner who came up with a resolution of me using the reservation or booking with 356 days of which I refused as it was never stipulated on the original terms.

How can I go about this matter?

This is complicated. Firstly, it's important to understand who made the mistake here and it wasn't the guest house. They accepted your booking in good faith and it's possible they turned away other guests who wanted to stay with them but couldn't because you'd booked a room.

However, I think it would be reasonable for them to check if this was the case. Did they really lose money because you wanted to cancel the booking? If they didn't, it would be reasonable and kind for them to refund you. They'd obviously be entitled to deduct any banking costs from the refund but I think a refund would be a kind thing to do.

I'm happy to contact them and suggest they take another look.

Will they refund me too?

On August 30th 2025 I wanted to buy jack hammer from a shop at Game City Mall. I was told they don't sell it but they can do special order for me if I pay 50% of the machine which was P5,600.

I deposited P1,200 but in September I saw the machine same brand from other shop with a lower price of P3,999. Then I consulted one the employees from the shop that I want to take my P1,200 because I found the machine with a more affordable price. Then he says they already ordered the machine though I didn't pay 50% like we agreed. Now I want to withdraw my P1,200 from them.

What outcomes should I expect since I was supposed to make payment so that they bring machine even though I didn't make their 50% payment.

Again, this seems to be a situation where the supplier hasn't actually done anything wrong. Other than being expensive.

Like the guesthouse in the other problem this week, they took money for this item in good faith. They thought you wanted to buy it and agreed a P5,600 deposit. Perhaps their mistake was to begin the ordering process before you'd paid them the agreed amount.

Again, this depends on how much work the store did to order the item. Did they actually do any work? Or maybe they did a lot of work and has the item already being shipped? We need to find out so we know what to expect from the store.

Then it will depend on the generosity of the store. Are they prepared to do the decent thing and refund you? Again, obviously they can deduct any costs they've incurred from the P1,200 but I think they need to do the right thing, don't you?

And next time? Like with any expensive purchase, we must all shop around before paying. It's amazing how much prices can vary and what bargains are available.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-11-22T12:09:00.001+02:00

How long must this take?

I have an issue with a filling station for putting wrong fuel in my car. It has been going for 6th month without my car. The manager for the filling station where this happened states that the matter is handled by their insurer. I was told for any further communication I should speak to the insurer.

The first bit of good news is that this filling station are dealing with the issue. They seem to understand that their employee’s mistake caused damage to your car and they’ve submitted a claim to their insurer to pay to fix it.

Then there’s bad news. Why is this taking so long? How complicated can this situation be? To me it seems very simple. They damaged your car and they need to pay for it to be fixed. The next bit of bad news is that the filling station want you to do all the hard work. Why? There’s absolutely no need for you to contact their insurance company. They work for the filling station, not you and it’s the job of the filling station management to make the phone calls, send the emails and insist on a rapid solution. It’s not your job.

The final bit of good news is that I contacted the filling station manager and they promised to take action. They said they’ll let me know when some progress can be made.

Is it legal?

Is it legal that when you owe an entity or a cash loan and when they get their money they get all the money without leaving you any survival money for the month. They took all the money in my account and I can’t even pay rent or any buy any usables.

I’m not an attorney so I can’t offer you legal advice but as far as I know, there are no restrictions on what a microlender can take from you.

I suspect that the microlender would argue that you entered into this loan agreement of your own free will as a sane, grown adult and it’s therefore your job to ensure you can afford the loan you took from them. They would argue that they don’t know for sure how much you earn, how much you spend, how much you owe other lenders and, therefore, how much you can afford to pay them.

But I think it IS their job to know that. Before any microlender lends us money, they should do their best to discover these things. Instead of just getting us to sign a deal, send us the money and get their monthly payments, they need to do some work to understand our financial situation. Can we really afford the loan? They need to do this for our benefit but also for theirs. We don’t want to default on our loans and they shouldn’t want us to default either.

Our cousins across the border in South Africa are protected by laws against what they call “reckless lending”, The South African National Credit Act requires a lender to thoroughly assess if a borrower can truly afford the loan being offered. If it’s later discovered that the lender failed to do sufficient checks, the debt can be declared as “reckless lending” and the loan can even be reversed.

We need something similar here in Botswana. I know some borrowers are reckless and irresponsible but many just need some protections against making foolish mistakes. And the microlenders? They can afford to be a bit more careful. They make enough profit from their customers, they can afford to spend a bit more time being more careful.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-11-15T19:18:00.000+02:00

Will I get a refund?

I laybyed a couch back in March and due to unforeseen circumstances of financial problems I wasn't able to pay it off and my laybye has expired. Would they refund me or they don't do refunds? It was back in Jwaneng but I've relocated back to the village now and I haven't been able to go and enquire at the store. I called one day and they told me they will get back to me till now.

Update: They contacted me today, they said I should send you my bank statement and copy of ID so that they could refund me, since the call was logged from you.

Does this store have any idea how they should treat their customers? I don't think so.

I emailed their Head Office in South Africa when you first contacted me.

This particular chain of stores seems to have a policy that they offer support customers to in Botswana from South Africa and I have a problem with that. I think every South African company that wants to do business in Botswana needs to have an office and country manager here in Botswana. Dealing with problems across a border doesn't work, even in the age of electronic communications. We need someone here in Botswana who can take responsibility.

Eventually they said they'd help. But this latest update is crazy. Because I emailed them they now need you to send all the documents through me? Why on earth is that necessary? I don't need to see your bank statement and your ID. I can understand that they need this to verify your identity but you should make sure you blank out all of your transaction details. All they need to know is where you bank and that you can prove your identity. Nothing more.

Maybe it's their policy? Then they need a better policy. For a large fee I'll write it for them. I emailed them again and told them that their suggestion was "inappropriate and unreasonable". I've also sent you their email address so you can contact them directly.

How long will I be blacklisted?

Hello Mr Richard. Please help. How long does it take to be removed from a blacklist. It's been a year now. I paid a furniture store debt last year July and cleared. Where can I get help.

The first thing to understand is that there's no blacklist. Credit reference bureaus hold information on everyone who has borrowed money, whether from a bank, a lender or a furniture store. They don't just hold bad information but they record the good things too. That way, potential lenders can see the recent history of anyone who wants to borrow money from them. They can see who pays their debts and who has problems. They use that information to make rational decisions about who they lend money to.

In every case, when a debt is settled, they record that as well. It can take up to 30 days for them to do that but, most importantly, the record of the settled debt remains online for another 2 years. That's so potential lenders can decide if we're a good risk or a bad one.

The good news is that this information isn't secret. You can access your credit history at any time to see what information these companies hold on you. If they give you any arguments, just mention the Data Protection Act and they'll cooperate. If necessary, remind them that breaking the Data Protection Act can result in massive fines and prison time, or both.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-11-08T18:21:00.001+02:00

Is this a real job?

A relative of mine was "head hunted" for a job at one of the embassies. There was no interview but the HR keep telling him that they are completing the vetting process. This has been going on since February. The person took both of his phones claiming it's part of the vetting processes. Around June they said they were done vetting, spying and running checks on his family, people of prominent positions and will be returning the phone.

Every month they call to say he will start on the first of the next month but there is no offer letter, no phones returned just empty promises of vetting and a looming start date. I keep telling him this is a scam and keep asking him to report these people to the police but he says what if it ruins his chances of being hired. In addition they keep calling him telling him that they are preparing to disburse an allowance that he will use to attend training and a stay out allowance for being away from home. As part of the benefits of the job they promised to clear all of his debts as they claimed they don't allow for employees to have debts. They claimed to have cleared his mortgage and car loan two months ago. He could not check via his bank app as he doesn't have a phone. The other day I told him to log into his internet banking with my laptop only to find that nothing has been cleared.

I told him this sounds too good to be true. I told him to go to the embassy and ask to see HR but he is not wanting to go but rather just wait. This sounds like a new scam where people claim to be head hunting you for a position, working with inside HR people and God knows swindling innocent Batswana of their cellphones claiming to be vetting them.

You are completely correct. This is a scam. Sadly, your brother is in the same position many other scam victims find themselves. He's invested so much emotional energy in this that he can't see the truth. Luckily he has relatives like you who can try to persuade him but it's going to be a long fight to get him to see the truth. You privately told me which Embassy these scammers pretend to represent and I've contacted them. Perhaps they can alert the public so others don't fall for the same scam.

I'm also happy to talk to your brother if you think that will help?

When will it end?

Good day Richard. Please help me here. Is it possible that when you know you are finishing your loan this month then you are told there are arrears from when I was topping up the loan? I am a government employee and the instalments was taken directly from salaries. I had a loan with the bank and I went there to seek for a clearance letter but now I'm told the loan will only finish in November. I don't even understand what they mean because when I check the loan balance with the app from my phone it says 0. I just want a better explanation from them.

You're certainly entitled to that explanation. It's possible that the bank are correct, that the top-up to your loan forced them to recalculate things and extend your payment period. But if that's' the case, they should have told you about it.

Whatever is true, they need to check their arithmetic and give you a full statement of the loan and explain what you owe and when the loan will end.

I'll also contact them and suggest they check their records and tell you what you need to know.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-11-02T12:01:00.002+02:00

They have my car!

I recently pawned my car. I haven't signed the contract yet but when I read the terms and conditions it said I needed to pay a fixed interest of 30%. Now what I want to understand is does this then mean I pay this interest every month or it's once off and I return the money owed in the 3 month period? This is how I understood the terms to be, but now they called and said that 30% is for every month. I borrowed 10k that means I'd have to return 19k which is almost 100% interest on the loan.

My grievance is that if they had explained it I would have never agreed to the loan but I have not signed the contract. They asked me to come back so they can try and rectify because they hadn't explained to me they said they just started so they don't want to be reported to NBFIRA.

I handed over the blue book and agreed to the installation of the tracker and when we got back they forgot to give me the contract. They called me later and they said they want to offer me 25% instead of 30% and that I should come to their office so they can rectify their mistake. I haven't touched the P10,000 yet.

This is a mess. Firstly, you've learned how expensive it can be when you pawn goods. It's not abnormal for pay almost twice the value of the item over three months. Also, if things go wrong with the repayments, the situation favours only the pawn shop. You'll be left without your property and still facing huge payments that will only increase the longer you delay paying them.

However, in your case there might be some hope. If you still have the P10,000 it might be worth sending the money back to them and saying that as there's no agreement in writing, there's no agreement they can enforce. And then, because they told you they don't want you to contact NBFIRA, that's exactly what you should do. That's almost a confession that they know they'll be in trouble. So they deserve it.

Can I have my pension?

I am currently unemployed and I was hoping to be assisted with a portion of my pension fund so I can make a living out of it but with the pension funds regulations I am not getting any assistance while I suffer with financial hardships.

They said I can only have access to my funds if I have a health condition that hinders me from never working again or I just wait until retirement age to encash 25%. Is there no where I can reach out to and launch my plea for an exception because how will I get by till I reach 40 or 45 years?

Unfortunately, I don't think I can offer you any good news. I'm not an expert but I know that pension schemes are very different from other forms of saving. The money you put in a savings account with a bank is normally easily accessible. At worst, the bank might put in some penalties for withdrawing your money but you can get hold of it. But pension schemes are different and the laws that govern them are different and very strict. The money you invest in a pension scheme is for your retirement and not before that. Even when you do retire, there are restrictions on how much you can withdraw and what you can do with the rest.

It might be worth speaking to a financial advisor who can confirm the details in your case and they can probably also offer you some debt counselling and help you to manage your finances now as well as when you retire.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-10-25T22:27:00.001+02:00

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.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-10-19T11:46:00.001+02:00

They're tormenting me!

I am kindly requesting for your help. I am being tormented by my bank. On 5th of September, I went to the bank and requested for confirmation of banking because I was expecting payment from my insurance company. I asked the receptionist how much is my refund and said she didn't know.

On the 19th September my account was credited with P19,300 and I used the money. A week later, I received a call from the bank saying that money was accidentally credited to me. I went to the bank, and was surprised that it wasn't the money I was expecting. I made an a payment plan that I will pay P500 every month. However, the bank is deducting P1,440 which is my net salary. Eventually the insurance company paid P2,000.

I need your help.

I can see two issues here. Firstly, there's the money. Unfortunately you made a serious mistake by spending that money. I know the insurance company didn't tell you how much to expect but the sensible thing to do would have been to call the insurance company and check that the money you received was from them. The amount they eventually paid you was a lot less and you should have known the P19,000 was probably not yours. The good news is that you agreed the P500 repayment plan but I'm surprised they agreed to that. It will take you three years to repay it.

That leads to the second issue. The bank needs to stick to your agreement, if it's correct that the monthly repayment was so small. If they need to change that agreement then they need to sit down and talk to you about it.

I'll contact them for you but the best you can hope for is an open and honest conversation with them about what you can afford to pay.

Will I get my money back?

I have a complaint regarding an event organizer of whom I bought 7 tickets worth P250 each for his show then it got cancelled to a date that it doesn't suits me. I bought them on the 25th and there were no any conditions on the cancellation or postponement of the event. I asked for a refund but he is not answering my calls nor responding to my messages.

Please help if you can.

I suspect this will all depend on what's in the small print of your agreement with this event organiser. However, from what you later told me, there was no agreement, so there's no small print. So he's a fool.

I contacted the guy and he made a lot of excuses about his agreement with Webtickets. But that's not your concern, You didn't may Webtickets, you paid him, so he needs to take responsibility for his agreement with you.

We see this so often. In the small print of a booking, the agreement says that the event can be cancelled, the artists can be changed or the event can be postponed and people who've paid already have no right to get their money back. They are often told that they can accept the later date or their money is gone. It's not acceptable.

Luckily in your case, there was no agreement. So it's refund time, if he chooses the honorable approach. Let's both keep the pressure on him to give you your money back.

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

2025-10-11T16:47:00.000+02:00

They changed the date!

Good afternoon Mr Harriman. I have a complaint regarding this event organizer from whom I bought 7 tickets on the 25th worth P250 each for his show but then it got postponed to a date that it doesn't suits me. I asked for a refund but he is not answering my calls nor responding to my messages. I bought them last week and there were not any conditions on the cancellation or postponement of the event.

Please help if you can.

Normally I would say that this is a situation when what matters most is the small print. Any sensible event organiser ask get customers to agree to terms and conditions about the event so both sides are protected if any problems occur. You've probably seen this before. The organiser usually says that there might be changes to the artists or content and they also say what happens if the event is cancelled or postponed. My view is simple. If an event is cancelled then a complete refund should be paid. If it's postponed, the customer should be given the choice of agreeing to the new date or getting their money back.

In this case it's simpler. The event was advertised on a certain date and that's no longer the case. So Section 7 of the Consumer Protection Act applies. This says that if any "services are not availed as advertised, the consumer shall have the right to cancel the contract (and) the supplier shall refund the consumer the amount paid".

I contacted the event organiser and he was helpful. He said he's been "having a phone problem" but he called you and he told you that "I will update him on Monday about his refunds and others".

Please let me know what happens?

Where's my phone?

Where can I get help if someone was to offer me a screen replacement and battery replacement but now they seem to have sold my phone without my permission. Mind you l have been on this certain individual since January requesting for my phone back but until now he does not want to return my phone to me. He is taking advantage of the fact that I'm a lady.

This is serious. Potentially it's criminal.

I contacted the Managing Director of the company and he promised an immediate investigation and solution.

Update: The consumer contacted me and said:

"I went to the shop and the employee admitted to taking my phone and unfortunately he damaged my motherboard when replacing the battery. I was told he will order it and replace it so we made an affidavit that he should return the phone to me after all the fixes."

The lesson here is to escalate to someone more senior when you're not making progress with a complaint. Start with a store manager and if that doesn't work, go straight to the most senior person in the entire organisation, the MD or CEO.

If anyone says you must follow their internal complaints procedure, just ignore them and go straight to the top. Remember that company complaints procedures exist for their benefit, not yours. So you can ignore them. It's 2025 and consumers are in charge!