When should they deduct?

Mr Harriman please help me.

My phone hasn’t been working well and I really needed a phone so the only option for me was to get a phone on credit. And I did, then comes payment time, we agreed that they debit my account on the 21st of each month, the first instalment being last month but they did not debit as agreed. On the 23rd September, I received a message stating that my account hadn’t been paid and I had to make an urgent payment by the 25th September. I made a plan and went on the 24th September and paid cash. Before paying, I told them it was supposed to have debited on the 21st September but it did not. They advised that I just pay cash because the system does that at times

Then, to my surprise on the 26th September, they debited the account after making me pay over the counter. I called them and told them how unhappy I was and I needed the money as it was the only money I had for the Independence holidays and I had to use it. So, they kept on saying there was no refund at all; once I have paid that’s it. After 2 hours of arguing, they then decide to ask me to come fill forms for a refund, which they still needed to ask for from South Africa and, up to today, they haven’t given me my refund. Please help.

I think this store needs to learn a few things.

Firstly, they need to learn how to process payments. They need to take a very careful look at the processes they have for setting up these payments and making sure they work properly. Clearly they don’t work properly today. They also need to take a very careful look at the way they deal with problems.

The mark of a really good organisation is that they look at their processes and system through the eyes of the customer. Do these processes only serve the company, or do they serve the customer as well?

I’ve heard from so many people like you, who have agreed with a supplier that payments will be deducted on a specific date but then the supplier decides to make the deductions on a different date, just for their own convenience. Whether it’s a bank, an insurance or telecoms company or a technology store, it’s disrespectful, rude and just wrong.

I contacted someone I know at the store and they alerted management. You’ll get your money back in a day or two. I’m sorry it wasn’t in time for the Independence celebrations.