WHERE’S MY REFUND?

Sometime last year there was a professional modelling workshop advertised to teach young interested models.

The price was P950 per child and was scheduled to be on 5-6 December but due to Covid protocols, it was postponed to the beginning of 2021.

The workshop management are very unprofessional, communication is made when it is them, when I inquire about progress am told to await an official statement.

Now I have informed them that any date after 31 March will not be suitable. I have on numerous occasions informed them of that and requested that I be refunded the money and they refuse to refund stating that they will only refund when they cancel the workshop, it is over 5 months now with no progress and concrete explanation on way forward or the refund I have requested.

I therefore request your intervention in this matter because my kids can no longer attend the workshop, and I do not believe that any plans have been made.

I’m sorry to hear about this. I think you should email the organisers and tell them that Section 14 (1) (a) 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”.

Section 14 (2) goes on to say that when a supplier “fails to perform a service to the standards” they must “remedy any defect in the quality of the services (or) refund the consumer a reasonable portion of the price paid for the services performed and goods supplied, having regard to the extent of the failure”.

I would then tell them that if they don’t refund you within maybe 7 days, you’ll seek a court order against them for the refund. If they don’t refund you, you should go to the Small Claims Court for that order against them.

I hope this helps.