WEBVTT - Consumer Talk: Redeeming vouchers 0:00:01.639 --> 0:00:06.560 Lunch with Saint Johnson in for Pepper Hudson. We all 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:10.280 have a voice, use yours call oh to one double 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:14.239 four six oh five six seven. Join the conversation on 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:15.160 you kay talk. 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:23.079 We were chatting about vouchers and if you purchase vouchers 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:26.520 and what your experience have been in purchasing vouchers. You 0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:29.479 can send us a What'sapp message Oh seven two five 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:33.640 six seven one five six seven raises I prefer buying 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:37.080 gift vouchers. I have so many gifts that I appreciate 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:40.479 but don't quite use. I usually buy a standard amount. 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.240 Also based on my relationship with the person. I hope 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:46.360 I'm in your good books, Ray, because then I'll get 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:49.879 a bigger voucher than the person you don't like, especially 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:53.720 for baby and bridal showers. She tends to buy a voucher. 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:57.240 So there we go. Your experiences with vouchres this afternoon 0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:01.240 will be part of our conversation when chat to Wendy Nola. 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:05.840 Welcome to Consumer Talk and consumer journalist Wendy Nola's in 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:08.640 studio with us this afternoon. We're going to be discussing 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:13.040 vouchers and a listener spent almost nine thousand ran on 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:17.840 a birthday adventure voucher and after several weather related cancelations, 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:21.720 she was getting no response to her refunds or requests. 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:24.000 And we're also going to be giving you an update 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:27.319 on the issue that people raised with us word board 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:31.840 vouchers for an independent spa at zeevan vachtdwein Estate, only 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:35.240 to be told soon afterwards that the business had closed 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.600 it down. Wendy, A very good afternoon to you and 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:39.600 welcome to the show. 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:41.080 Thank you saying good to be here. 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.440 It must be a very nice market selling vouchers because 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:46.080 it's one way of expanding your business. 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:46.880 It is. 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:50.680 It works for the businesses for sure. I mean it's 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:55.440 it's lucrative because the retailers get their money upfront knowing 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:58.600 that a sizeable percentage of people, for a variety of reasons, 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:00.720 will not present them an exchange change for good or 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:04.640 services within the valid validity period, which by law Consumer 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:07.800 Protection Act has to be at least three years, which 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:09.840 is quite a long time. But there are still, and 0:02:10.040 --> 0:02:14.320 I put my hand up for this, still people who 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:20.240 for whatever reason just didn't don't get round to redeeming 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:23.280 the voucher in that time, so the money is kept 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:27.040 at no service provided. But yeah, even eleven years since 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:31.239 the three year ability period became a law, that's when 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:36.240 the CPA came into into effect. There are still a 0:02:36.320 --> 0:02:40.200 number of service providers who will issue a six month 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:44.640 or twelve month voucher, but that's quite rare these days. 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:49.000 But I get other there's still other dodgy practices going 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:53.080 on with the issuing of of of vouchers which aren't legal. 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:56.480 They inserted into the terms and conditions and say, but 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:58.520 this is these are our terms and conditions. Well they're 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:01.880 not valid if they're not compliant with the law of 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.720 the land. So we just thought the various issues around vargers, 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:08.280 let's mush them all together and chat about them today. 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:11.400 So when I walk up to an organization or a 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:14.600 business that's providing I would, let's say a spa and 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:18.360 I want to buy somebody a back massage, voulture or something, 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:21.519 they're not allowed to put a six months, twelve months 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:25.320 or thirty six months, not years, the years, and that 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:25.640 is it. 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:27.800 So if you're buying a voucher for somebody, that's the 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:31.200 first thing to check the validity date. If there isn't one, 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.840 insist on one being put three years from the date 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:36.760 that you stand there handing over your money. 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.200 Let's start with the story we picked up on last week. 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:43.320 Oriel contact us contacted us near to the end of 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.840 last week's show just to say that in June she 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:51.120 bought two hot Air balloon ride vouchers at four one 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:54.640 each as a birthday treat for herself and a good friend. 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:56.080 Tell us what happened. 0:03:55.760 --> 0:04:00.600 Then, okay, so, so Oriel's birthday was in early July. 0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:06.480 She made a booking for on that date and it 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:09.240 had to be canceled. She made another. There were quite 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:12.960 a few cancelations, and yes, taking bearing in mind that 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:17.039 this is winter in Cape Town, we have rain, we 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:21.240 have wind, and you know that's not ideal ballooning conditions, 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:24.039 so obviously there are a lot of constellations, but they 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:27.640 have after she just lost the appetite for this adventure. 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:29.960 Her birthday was long gone, and then she asked for 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:33.520 a refund. She was directed to the company and the 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:36.600 company question is Ballooning Cape Town, which is based in Stinebosch. 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:39.799 She was directed to fill in a refund form which 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:43.320 mentions that an admin fee will apply, but doesn't specify 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:46.920 how much. Interestingly, but the form did disclose how long 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.720 she could expect to wait for a refund of her 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:53.480 eight thousand, two hundred grand, which was up to twenty 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:58.000 one working day, so essentially a month. Oriel submitted that 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:01.520 form on the twenty ninth of July, so that month 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:06.360 is long gone now. It was passed when she contacted 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:08.840 us last week, and we have on the line. I 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.200 hope to tell us a little bit more. 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:14.080 Oriel, a very very good afternoon to you, and welcome 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:21.440 to Cape Talk. Oriel on the line this afternoon to 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:24.080 tell us exactly what happened with the refund of the 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.599 gift voucher. Oriel, very good afternoon to you, and welcome 0:05:26.640 --> 0:05:27.240 to Cape Talk. 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:31.080 Good afternoon, Thank you, Hi, Reil. 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:35.000 Tell Wendy, did you get an acknowledgment from the company 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:38.560 at all to your I think it was several emails 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:41.080 you sent after that form to say what's happening now? 0:05:41.800 --> 0:05:46.560 Once I requested the refund, there was absolutely no response, 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:50.239 no matter how I tried. Must to send ten emails 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:53.279 and they just never got back to me. Their telephone 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:57.640 numbers just rings. They never ever answered the phone since 0:05:57.880 --> 0:05:59.840 I inquired into our. 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.640 Yeah, okay, so there's a phone number on the company's website, 0:06:03.680 --> 0:06:07.720 which I've also experienced is not functioning. There's the sales 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:11.120 email address, which appears to be the only way to 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:13.159 get hold of the company. And then there's the name 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:15.240 of a restaurant in set and bosh, we're not going 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:19.159 to name them where I believe they hold breakfast after 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:24.200 the successful flights. If that's the word, what did you you? 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:27.280 You've tried that route and where did that lead you? 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:32.360 Yeah? I contacted the restaurant and they gave me a 0:06:32.400 --> 0:06:38.520 gentleman's phone number, and he never ever answered his phone either. 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:41.000 Okay. I also tried that and it just went straight 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:44.160 to voicemail, one of those annoying messages that say you 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:47.200 you may not leave a message, so there's no record 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:51.919 that you ever phoned. Okay. So I sent a media 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:56.919 query via that that sales email, asking essentially, does the 0:06:56.960 --> 0:07:01.000 company have any intention of refunding you minus that mystery 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:05.200 admin fee? And the answer was kindly note that we can, 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:09.960 unfortunately not disclose any information about any of our clients. Okay, 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:12.600 the clients is you, and you came to me asking 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:14.280 me to take up your case. But be that as 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:19.320 it may, Ballooning cape Ton said, we they are, however, 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:22.160 free to share with anyone they wish. The refund for 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:26.160 the client you mentioned was successfully processed and she received 0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:30.360 an email from the payment gate where we use with 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:35.000 that confirmation kind regards ballooning cap to on team. So no, 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:36.880 still no names ever mentioned there. 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:39.160 So when we. 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:42.080 Last spoke, OIL, that was yesterday I think it was, 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:45.160 and you said you'd received the payment notification and that 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:48.560 was that great. After I sent my media query do 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:50.600 you have that money in your account now? 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:51.640 No? 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:53.480 Okay, I just. 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:57.080 Checked the bank account at five minutes to two and 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:57.960 there's no payment. 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:01.880 Okay. Well, hopefully it's just a delay between the banks 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.480 and that's all it is. So we'll have to keep 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:09.560 tabs on that one. But hope, I'm hoping that that's 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:13.080 a successful refund. What is your learning out of this? 0:08:14.120 --> 0:08:21.520 Oil never ever? Again? No, I told you I'm an 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:24.960 adrenaline junkie and I was so excited to be able 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:29.480 to do this for my birthday. And you know, I 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:33.240 felt comfortable in the beginning because they were sending, you know, 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:37.559 good email. But every time I inquired about the telephone number, 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.679 I mean, you'll notice on the emails, but I sent 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:45.640 you numerous times I asked, why don't you answer your telephone? 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:49.760 And they never ever responded. One day I even sent 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:53.520 an email saying why don't you respond to my question 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.960 about your telephone number? And I didn't get a reboku. 0:08:57.320 --> 0:08:59.679 Well all exam said, what you do get is your 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:02.920 money and this will have to be to be continued 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:05.560 for next week. But yeah, there is just to say 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:07.880 that there is often a day or two delay between 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:12.000 between I understand that, so hoping that's all it is. 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:16.640 Thank you so much forgot joining us, I really do you, 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:17.520 mrsed welcome. 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:19.000 Thank you. 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:24.600 What are then the lookouts for anybody buying a voucher, 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.520 whether it is just a spa voucher or a gift 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:30.800 voucher for something, because I've got to watch that message. Yeah, Wendy, 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:33.319 it says Hizin on the gift vouchure thing. I actually 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:36.679 think experience vouchures are a great option, which is what 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:39.839 we were talking about now, a ballooning experience. A lot 0:09:39.840 --> 0:09:42.400 of people have too much stuff, but an experience is 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.240 something you will always remember. I didn't know what to 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.880 buy my husband for his forty ninth birthday a few 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:51.120 years ago, and decided to buy him an experienced flight 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:54.760 in a gyrocopter. The person says, little did I know 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.080 it would change his life forever. He literally got out 0:09:58.080 --> 0:09:59.760 of the gyrocopter and said, I want to become a 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:00.880 hell copter pilot. 0:10:02.040 --> 0:10:03.920 So that's the one I was hoping it wasn't going 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:06.280 to be an accident story. I was holding my breath there. 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.240 That is a wonderful experience. So yes, things to look 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:13.400 for would be And I've had cases like this where 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:17.840 people have bought these experienced varchers so on the so, 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:19.719 there are two ways to do a voucher. You can 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:22.000 make it the supplier can make it out to a 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:27.480 monetary amount or to the list the goods or service 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:33.439 listed as a helicopter ride, a full body massage, whatever 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:36.080 the case may be. What you must always check if 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:40.040 you're buying vouchers is check their t's and sees that 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:42.120 they are compliant with the law. So what they can't 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.320 do is if the person, particularly if they were deemed 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.160 towards the end of that three year validity period, they 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:50.600 arrive and say right, I'll have that helicopter flipball, I'll 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:52.840 have that massage, and then the spa says, well, actually 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:55.839 the price has gone up since this arture was bought, 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.560 So you're going to have to pay extra, absolutely not. 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:03.840 They have to hold provided for that service that's listed 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:07.000 on the vulture. They have to provide it in full 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:11.240 for three years. It's the reason why a lot of 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:16.920 these places have started, especially spas. They'll make art, which 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:19.040 is not that not everyone who wants to know that 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:21.199 put a crude you know, a monetary amount. You'd rather 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:25.560 say facial whatever then. But but the spas are protecting 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.400 themselves from losing art. Although I think all the vouchers 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.320 that don't get redeemed more than makes up for this. 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:35.079 But they they will put their full body massage one 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:38.760 five hundred rand or whatever the case may be. Rather sorry, yeah, 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:42.680 they'll put their amount rather than the service. So whatever 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:45.760 your whatever, your one thousand, five hundred rand will buy 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:48.880 your the person you've gifted it to three years down 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:51.040 the line, well that's what they can buy. So that's 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:54.320 that's one way that the industry got around having to 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.880 take a knock when the voucher was held onto you 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:00.360 know for two to and a half to you know, 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:02.960 right up to the three year cutoff. So just check 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:05.240 that and if the I mean there was there was 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:10.400 one case I did a we spoke of so somebody 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.560 who bought her husband, I don't know, an experience on 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:17.040 a racetrack and the voucher said. Vouchers are valid for 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.439 their experienced purchase for twelve months from the date of purchase, 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:22.760 but in the cases of vouchure is not redeemed within 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:26.720 twelve months, the valual or revert to the original paid value. Therefore, 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:30.120 to book the original experience after the first twelve months, 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.600 the price increase a price increase may need to be paid. 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:36.280 I mean, I challenged them on that, and they're back down, 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:40.520 because that's illegal. If you're providing an experience or on 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:44.280 a racetrack, it's been paid for, it's valid for three years. 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:46.440 If the person comes after year one or year two, 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:49.240 you can't. They can't then be made to pay in 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:51.640 So this is something that I'm starting to see creep 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.000 in a lot and it's really not acceptable. And the 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:59.840 other thing to look out for is, yes, the val 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:03.360 just you cannot redeem the voucher for any promotional deal. 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:07.240 So if they're advertising a special, there's nothing in the 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:11.960 Act that precludes that you've bought you have a you 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:13.960 have you have you have the right to present it 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:16.280 when you when you choose to present it. And if 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:18.120 there's a booking, there's a booking of there isn't there isn't. 0:13:18.520 --> 0:13:22.400 But yeah, this can't. This cannot be sitting in the 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:24.480 terms and conditions, so look out for that as well. 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:28.080 So there are I mean my eyes opening now to 0:13:28.400 --> 0:13:32.760 quite a number of things which which people out there 0:13:32.800 --> 0:13:36.160 are doing which is actually an illegal thing. For instance, 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:38.720 if you buy something on a promo deal, there are 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:41.520 a number of websites and a number of sites that 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.679 offer you one day only on this particular thing and 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:47.840 stuff like that, and that's those vouchers should then stay 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:48.720 valid for three years. 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:52.640 That's a tricky case which I which I remember group 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:55.840 on in that cave Blaze the trail, and now we 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:57.600 have many many forms of it. So there's a bit 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:01.040 of a compromise deal. There's are specifically promotional deals you 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:03.959 know by they in nature valid for a short period 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:07.040 of time. So what should work then, and most of 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:09.439 them do comply with with this. If you don't book 0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:14.240 that experience within three months, say you don't lose your spend, 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:19.280 you lose your right to claim that particular special deal. 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:23.800 But the company that issued the voucher to you, must 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.080 give you credit for that vouture and enable you to 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:30.640 redeem it on something else from for three years from 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:32.600 the date that you purchased the voucher. And I think 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:33.400 that's pretty fair. 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:36.120 I think that's a fair deal. Chanting this oftenoon to 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.440 Wendy Nolan, we're chatting about vultures. If you had any 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:42.960 good experience or bad experiences with vouchures, we'd love to 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:45.440 hear from you on too. One four four six five 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:49.800 six seven on one seven two five six seven one 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.280 five six seven. We'll also a little later give you 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:55.400 an update on the issue of people who've bought vouchures 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:58.360 for that independent spa. And I remember listening to this 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:02.000 conversation which you had with and as the even Vajuaan estate, 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:05.200 only to be told soon afterwards that the business had closed. 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:09.920 Consumer talk with Wendy Dollar. You can join the conversation. 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:13.280 Join the conversations or no. Seven two five six seven 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.560 one five six seven. We've got to WhatsApp message here 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:21.360 saying my experience paragliding voucher was canceled thirteen hours after 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:25.080 purchase and still no response from my email and no 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:27.800 phone number available and that comes from Monique. When these 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:29.960 are the sort of key signs you can. 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:32.320 First of all, yeah, way before you give your money, 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:35.600 you're giving your money to someone in advance of you 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:38.960 know you've you've particularly got three years at which to 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:40.840 redeem it. So you need to do a bit of 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:44.320 history on the company, I believe, so you don't waste 0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:48.080 your money. Look at recent reviews for example, especially these 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:53.480 adventure ones. And if there's no phone number, that's a 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:56.240 big problem because you've always hope for the best, plan 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:57.960 for the worst if something goes wrong. How am I 0:15:57.960 --> 0:15:59.760 going to get hold of this company? Is there an 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:03.080 a is there a contact phone number? Is there an 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:07.800 email address? And so this is very unusual if you 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:10.040 pay your money over and you've got no means of 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.840 contacting the company. But please, I mean I don't I'm 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.240 very happy to do a little bit of sleuthing as 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:19.200 far as possible to try and find out. So send 0:16:19.200 --> 0:16:22.320 me an email, give me what you know with the 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:25.240 dates of when you paid and how you were notified 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:30.320 that the well, I'm gathering they're not saying the company 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:31.920 is closed down, as in the case we're going to 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.040 be talking about after the break, but that just that 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:36.680 the I mean, that's extraordinar Were there any excuses? What 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:39.320 was the thing just canceled? Sorry for you nice, have 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.160 a nice day. I mean, there had to be more 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:42.440 than that. So let me see what I could do. 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:46.160 Another ONSAP message that has just come in. I regularly 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.720 buy vouchures as a gift. At this SPA voucher is 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:52.800 only valid for three months from the date A question 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:53.640 is is it legal? 0:16:53.640 --> 0:16:53.800 One? 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:58.800 Wow, definitely not. That's what I was alluding to earlier, 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:00.680 and I said I don't get me of these. Now 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:03.200 it's more the more subtle things of them introducing terms 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:06.800 and conditions that aren't strictly legal. But there's very unusual 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:10.560 for spas to be and be talking about spars without 0:17:10.560 --> 0:17:14.240 an R. To be clear, this beauty spars. It's very 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:18.240 unusual for them, fourteen years on since the CPA came 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:20.480 into effect, to be still sticking with the three months. 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:26.199 Absolutely absolutely not legal. Please do email me with the 0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:28.480 details there so that I can send them a nice 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.560 email and go. 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:33.479 Back to them and say Wendy says that it's valid 0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:35.800 for three years and not three months. Because you know, 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:38.679 people need to know their rights, they need to be 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:41.720 educated about you know certain things, and they need to 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:44.560 know their rights and only when you when you purchase something, 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:47.800 you need to make sure that there are none of 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:51.880 those loopholes or pottholes that you you know, and you're 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:55.160 giving your money. Are you paying upfront for a varger so. 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:58.320 You need to failure? Yeah? So, so I would urge 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:01.960 people who are doing the buying of the vouchers for 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:03.879 their sakes, they don't want to waste their money and 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:07.440 for the person that they're gifting it to to look 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:10.000 very carefully at the validity date and also the terms 0:18:10.000 --> 0:18:14.600 of conditions. If there's anything about promos don't qualify or 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:17.760 you'll pay more after year one or whatever the case 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:21.960 may be, rather skip that service provider and move on 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:23.960 to another who is going to comply. So the first 0:18:24.119 --> 0:18:30.120 rule of first, what's the word I will say? For 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:33.639 us to benefit from these wonderful consumer protection laws that 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:35.280 we have, we have to know about them right and 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:37.640 then knowing about them, we can ask the right questions 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:40.840 and then avoid those service providers who have chosen to 0:18:40.920 --> 0:18:44.400 be in business but not to honor the Consumer Protection Act. 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:47.159 Just after the news, we will follow up on a 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:49.679 story we had earlier this year about a SPA voucher 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:52.440 which couldn't be redeemed because the SPA had gone out 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:54.880 of business, and that will be coming up just after. 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:58.600 He's chatting this afternoon to Wendy Nola, our consumer journalists 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:01.560 about voutures and if you have any experiences, don't forget 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:03.600 to send us a WHAT'SAP message to oh seven to 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:06.280 five six seven one five six seven. 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:11.240 Eight eight Talk Consumer Talk WhatsApp on seven to two 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:14.760 five six seven one five six seven. 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:17.760 Twenty five minutes to three o'clock. A very good afternoon 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:19.960 to you. Welcome back to this show again. We are 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:23.080 chatting to Wendy Noler this afternoon and we'll give all 0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:25.560 Wendy's details At the end of the show. We were 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:29.119 chatting about vouchers and we switched over to another conversation 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:32.000 that we had. Wendy, you have a follow up on 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:34.879 a story that we had earlier this year about a 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:38.480 SPA voucher which couldn't be redeemed because the SPA had 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:41.520 actually gone out of business. Give us the background to 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:42.120 that show. 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:46.199 It was the show we hit did on Wednesday, the 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:48.840 twenty third of July, and we reported that several people 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:52.960 had paid the spa at the Evenwacht state considerable sums 0:19:53.000 --> 0:19:56.960 of money three nine hundred rand in one case for 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:03.160 full day's spoils was Chap's wife, you know, treatment, gift 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:05.800 arches and the rest, and within days or weeks they 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:09.200 were told that the services had been suspended. That was 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:13.040 the wording they got in a letter. So the Evanvach 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:16.240 director Denise Johnson told us that the Baquena Spar, which 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:21.600 was rebranded more recently as Infinity, had leased the premises 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:26.080 on the estate since twenty sixteen, and while the estate 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:28.959 was aware that they were experiencing difficulties because they were 0:20:28.960 --> 0:20:31.919 behind in their rental payments, they had undertaken to payback 0:20:31.960 --> 0:20:34.520 the areas and business was expected to pick up after 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:38.560 the rebranding. Then came the surprise closure. Denise told us 0:20:38.600 --> 0:20:41.040 that the estate only became aware of this on the 0:20:41.080 --> 0:20:45.199 last day of that spase trading about the next chapter. 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:48.800 What now for the people that were holding these varchers, 0:20:49.080 --> 0:20:52.120 Denise told us in that show twenty third of July, 0:20:52.480 --> 0:20:54.719 I've had a very positive meeting with the potential new 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:58.120 SPA operator. If they enter into an agreement with us 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:00.840 between the two companies, we will attempt to honor all 0:21:00.880 --> 0:21:03.720 bookings that have not been refunded. As I have no 0:21:03.840 --> 0:21:06.359 access to the database or list of guests, we are 0:21:06.440 --> 0:21:09.720 keeping a record of all inquiries we receive, so there 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:11.959 was a glimmer of hope and we handed over the 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:16.680 details of the people who had contacted us. But having 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:20.080 got word back it was last week from one voucher 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:22.960 holder that there had been no further developments. He'd had 0:21:22.960 --> 0:21:25.159 no contact. I went back to Denise to ask for 0:21:25.200 --> 0:21:28.560 a progress report. She said, I'm still in negotiation with 0:21:28.600 --> 0:21:32.080 the potential SPA operator. They need to source funding and 0:21:32.119 --> 0:21:35.159 investors and be sure that the business model will work well. 0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:38.440 So there's nothing that we can do to expedite the process. 0:21:38.600 --> 0:21:42.240 She said, while they have agreed in principle to rent 0:21:42.280 --> 0:21:45.479 the premises with the purposes of running a SPA, I 0:21:45.520 --> 0:21:48.600 hope to have a final confirmation by next week, so 0:21:48.640 --> 0:21:51.880 that should be by the end of this week. She says. 0:21:51.920 --> 0:21:54.760 We've discussed the process of assisting guests who booked and 0:21:54.800 --> 0:21:57.399 paid on the basis that the new operator will offer 0:21:57.480 --> 0:22:00.720