BUSINESS DAY NOT BUSINESS-LIKE: ARENA HOLDINGS TO BLAME

This should be a no-star rating for appalling service. On 17 July 2022 I subscribed to Business Live Premium and R10 was deducted from my credit card account, in keeping with the special offer available at the time. Ever since then, I have been attempting to correspond with Ms Alexi Corbett in the hope of rectifying a system error at Arena Holdings. Apparently, I was never registered as a subscriber because the type of proof of payment Arena Holdings requires was not provided. As a result, I was unable to access Business Live Premium content despite having paid for it.

When I sent Arena Holdings customer services a copy of my bank statement (forwarded to Ms Corbett) showing who had authorised the payment and confirming that it had been made, I was told this is not the type of proof required. Ms Corbett nevertheless arranged for me to access Business Live Premium content until the matter was resolved.

However, from my bank's perspective the necessary arrangements are in place. As a result, R96 has since been deducted from my account on the 17th day of each month, beginning in August, as the required subscription fee.

When Ms Corbett called me in July (responding to my complaint about being unable to access Business Live Premium content), she insisted that a specific type of proof of payment is required to register me as a subscriber. Since my bank does not provide proof of payment for such a small credit card deduction other than by recording it on the relevant bank statement, I initiated a banking investigation into the matter and notified Ms Corbett accordingly.

On 17 August, I received a call from Gcobisa Mbavane enquiring whether I intend to continue my subscription. I explained that Ms Corbett was handling the matter and that I would contact my bank to ascertain what progress has been made with their investigation into the R10 payment Ms Corbett insists was never received. I had been notified by the bank that the investigation would take approximately six weeks and that I should expect notification of its outcome by 13 September. Shortly after Ms Mbavane's call, the bank sent me a routing email me to say that R96 had been sent to Arena Holdings. Proof of that payment was emailed immediately to Ms Corbett but was never acknowledged. Neither has she answered other emails updating her on the investigation initiated by the bank at my request.

This afternoon, Ms Mbavane again contacted me to say that, since no payment has been received, my subscription has been cancelled. Yet my bank statements clearly show that I paid R10 to Arena Holdings on 17 July, R96 on 17 August and R96 on 17 September.

Copies of my correspondence with Ms Corbett are available on request, along with my bank statements.