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We put back R1,3-m into our readers' pockets

HAPPY CONSUMER: Jones Mashego and the car Motor Finance Corporation made the car dealer take back.
HAPPY CONSUMER: Jones Mashego and the car Motor Finance Corporation made the car dealer take back.

SINCE the beginning of the year Consumer Line has put smiles on the faces of a number of our readers.

We were unable to publish all the resolved complaints and expose all the unsavory business practices, but we are happy to say that we have helped put back a whopping R1,3-million into the pockets of Sowetan readers.

  • Unlike over the past two years, Old Fashioned Fish and Chips acted quickly this year and refunded four franchisees whose franchises failed to take off after they had paid their deposits.

The franchisees had paid R10000 to start their businesses, but they cancelled when they realised the franchisor was not honouring his side of the contract.

When they battled to recover their deposits they sought Consumer Line's intervention.

So far, Old Fashioned Fish and Chips have refunded R360000 to the four franchisees after penalising them R10000 each for cancelling their contracts.

  • S4 Auto offered to settle Nkosinathi Duma's R666120 loan after the dealer sold him the wrong vehicle in January this year.
  • Maipato Monyatsi of Pretoria also had her R288861 loan settled after she was sold a used vehicle as new by Dada's Motorland.
  • Geqezile Ntombela received R38100 from Shiraz Motors, which had overcharged her two years ago.

Ntombela bought a minibus for R188000 from this dealer. She paid Shiraz Motors R55000 deposit, but they showed a lesser amount when completing Ntombela's loan application forms.

  • A week ago, JHB Hardware gave Christine Baloyi a refund of the R33000 she had paid for building material she bought in February this year.

Baloyi said the supplier applied for a loan at Nedbank on her behalf.

The bank approved the loan and paid JHB Hardware R33928.

What upset Baloyi was the discrepancy between the name of the company that was paid and JHB Hardware Warehouse, which was used on the store's pamphlets.

She cancelled the order on February 15 but the company did not refund her money until Consumer Line intervened.

  • Wits University also refunded Vincent Ngcongwane his R27 000 after the institution rejected his daughter's application.

His daughter had not complied with the Immigration Law, which required that she must be a member of a a South African medical aid.

  • Consumer Line would like to applaud Motor Finance Corporation (MFC) for their quick response and support to consumers by ensuring that people received service from car dealers they had complained about.

Consumer Line received three complaints from consumers who accused various car dealers of unfair business practices ranging from selling cars that were previously involved in accidents as new and overcharging customers.

After the stories were published, MFC stepped in to help resolve the complaints, which resulted in loans being paid and dealers taking back their defective and overcharged cars . MFC had financed these and they ensured that consumers got value for their money.

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