1 reviews | Active since May 2016

18 Sept 2023, 12:19

Shady and Aggressive - stay away!

this is email that was sent to Branding zone in October 2022: Good Day

Kindly note. We are not happy with the workman ship and the service we received from branding zone. The artwork printing and, unapproved redesign, is incorrect and does not line up with the body of the vehicle. Furthermore, the VW caddy locks on the side door and the back door have been tampered with and no longer work at all requiring repairing. This can be shown by the cover panels being drilled out and then not replaced.

Additionally, you sent no artwork approval and instead destroyed the initial artwork by removing sprites and accents and important drop shadows that was prevalent in the initial artwork. The art work does not match what was sent to you.

We have therefore been advised the draft an email communication by our attorneys in order to allow your business the opportunity to rectify the issues prior to the balance of the deposit being settled.

Below outlines the transpiration of events:

20 September 2022: Quote received for the amount of R11,487.35

3 October 2022: R8000 deposit paid

11 – 12 October 2022 VW Caddy dropped off at branding zone premises – No vehicle checks were performed, can confirm all locks were working.

14 October 2022 A phone call is received around midday stating that the vehicle would be ready for collection in the afternoon. Additionally, Shaun advised Ace requesting to keep the vehicle for the weekend for quality checking purposes, which Ace agreed to collect on the 16th October 2022.

16 October 2022: Ace and Tash (artwork designer) arrive to collect the vehicle and immediately notice a plethora of printing and application issues. (see annex 3a) 1. The artwork was heavily edited, removing many 3d elements and sprites and clearing the background to flat black. This was not the original artwork design. 2. The art work was not correctly aligned. Upon examining both left and right as well as rear sides of the vehicle, it becomes dramatically apparent how mis-aligned the design is. Allowances in the form of door handle cut-outs was completely astray from where they should be and upon inspection of the rear panel, the logo is so incorrectly mis-aligned and too low, and the bottom is cut off. 3. The bottom section of the wrap is also mis-aligned 4. There is unsightly white gaps where the vehicle paint shines through, which are cut irritatingly askew. 5. The vinyl is lifting in various places and is not adhering instead cracking and tearing, looks very unprofessional.

It was agreed at the time of collection that branding zone would correct the issues and reprint the vinyl and inform Supawash of when ready to re-do the job. No one contacted us for that all, and we were already skeptical and hesitant to let branding zone work on the vehicle again.

Shaun then physically traveled to Supawash premises in Trinity village demanding payment of the remainder which equated to R3498.00, he was not afforded it.

Skip forward a year later and a gentleman who refused to provide his name stops at the Honey Crest Supawash Operation with a Bronze Hilux double cab and white female passenger, and begins rudely demanding payment again from the supervisor. When he was not told what he wanted to hear, he walked over to the vehicle and begins to scratch the vinyl having to be forcefully shoved away, he threatens a lot more and walks back to his vehicle while swearing and cursing and throwing hand signs and then drives away.

This is not how a professional operation should conduct business and instead perhaps attempt to rectify your mistakes and communicate with the customer. We are appalled at this behavior and will be taking this further.

We strongly advise everyone else to steer clear of this shady business where a year later they are forcefully demanding R3k, makes you wonder what financial constraints they are dealing with let alone mental state.

0
Replies (2)
Branding Zone
Branding Zone's reply19 Sept 2023, 13:23
Official
 Fortunately, there are two perspectives to consider in this situation. Your actions have effectively ensured that your business's reputation is accurately portrayed. During a recent visit to a client, SuperWash, who is a client of Branding Zone, displayed a reluctance to fulfill their financial obligations. 

Upon arriving at their location, I courteously greeted the owner or supervisor and identified myself as a representative from Branding Zone. I inquired about the outstanding payment, at which point the individual became confrontational and uttered offensive language, insisting that I leave. His words “ You better f.. off” Despite my attempts to engage in a civil conversation, the individual continued to behave aggressively, refusing to provide any explanation for their non-payment and persistently swearing at me. 

In an effort to address the issue of unpaid services, I proposed the removal of the branding, as it is unfair for them to benefit from our work without payment. In an attempt to distance myself from the escalating confrontation, I walked towards their vehicle with my hands in my pocket, at which point the individual threatened physical harm if I touched the car. H said “ I will f… you up if you touch the car”. He aggressively confronted me, even physically pushing me. I maintained a non-confrontational stance with my hands in my pockets, seeking clarity on the situation. However, the individual continued to threaten and intimidate me, prompting me to disengage and withdraw from the situation. He again in his words told me to F… off” 

Shortly thereafter, the client's partner or owner arrived and further threatened me, insisting that I leave the premises. To exacerbate matters, they made unfounded accusations, suggesting that I was attempting to collect illicit funds. Despite their continuous use of offensive language, I refrained from reciprocating with any inappropriate language or behavior. My sole objective was to address the outstanding payment matter. 

It is important to note that SuperWash's behavior during this encounter raises serious concerns about their business practices. They have displayed a lack of professionalism, communication, and a commitment to honoring financial agreements. Branding Zone has a track record of serving prominent clients, such as BMG, VTC, Toyota, and others, with integrity and professionalism. 

The timeline of events with SuperWash is as follows: 

October 2022: Artwork was submitted and accepted by the client, and the vehicle was branded. Collected the next week. 

November 2022: Shawn visited the client to inquire about the delayed payment. The client expressed vague concerns, but instead of addressing them, mentioned involving their lawyers. Subsequently, there was no further communication from the client for an entire year. 

November 14, 2022: A formal email was sent to the client, inquiring about the payment status and expressing concerns about their lack of response. There was no response from the client. 

November 2022: WhatsApp messages were sent to the client seeking clarification, with only one response stating they were "waiting for the attorneys." This pattern of evasive responses continued. 

January to July: Numerous calls were made to the client, but they neither answered nor returned any calls. 

The list of alleged issues raised by the client regarding the vehicle's condition appears to be a tactic to avoid payment. It is important to note that the client provided the artwork in a print-ready format, signifying their responsibility for the design. If there were any issues, such as alignment problems or vinyl detachment, they had ample opportunity to bring the vehicle in for rectification. However, they did not respond to any calls or messages from Branding Zone. 

However, effective communication to address and resolve any issues should be the preferred approach, rather than evading responsibility and seeking excuses to avoid payment. 

's update20 Sept 2023, 10:01
Reviewer Update
I'm truly exasperated by the fact that I have to allocate precious time from my day, an hour of which, ironically, holds a value comparable to what Branding Zone is attempting to claim. It's a source of unfathomable irritation to me. And, I must remind you, their primary objective seems to be nothing short of annoyance, persisting until you relent and pay for their subpar and shoddy work!


Now, let's get straight to the point here and cut through all the superfluous language that Branding zone has employed in entirely inappropriate contexts.


Point 1:
It's imperative to address some key issues, disregarding the extraneous verbiage they've thrown in. Both sides of the story regarding the events at Honeycrest are based on hearsay. However, through contextual clues, we can discern some undeniable truths:


Context Clue 1:
You've openly admitted to threatening the removal of a vinyl wrap, which incidentally cost a total of R11k, from a vehicle worth twenty times that amount, all on your own. Furthermore, you conveniently overlook the fact, despite numerous references, that an 80% deposit had been paid. So, are you suggesting that only 20% of the branding should be removed? This is unacceptable in any situation. You cannot simply trespass onto someone else's private property and impose your will. It's called malicious intent towards property, and you admitted to threatening removal, followed by actually going through with it. All of this happened without any invoice, quotation, or communication in hand, and you weren't even wearing branded work attire. So, even if you had identified yourself as an employee of Branding Zone, you still had no legitimate authority to carry out your threats.


Context Clue 2:
You've yet to address the fact that, according to Branding Zone's payment terms and conditions, the vehicle should only be released once full payment has been received. So, why was the caddy handed over to us without the outstanding payment? It appears that you're attempting to divert attention from the subpar quality of the work.


Context Clue 3:
In contrast to Branding Zone, our business operates with the utmost seriousness and professionalism. We maintain a substantial online presence, with three different WhatsApp numbers, two different VoIP numbers, five public-facing Office 365 email addresses, and active Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter accounts, all with current running adverti*****ts. We receive hundreds of calls and messages and CV's daily. Yet, for an entire year, YOU somehow couldn't locate us?


Furthermore, your attempt to evade responsibility by claiming that you didn't receive the email is untenable. We have proof, in the form of delivery and read receipts, indicating that the email was indeed received. I can only assume that you or one of your negligent employees deleted it. even then so, you admit that Shawn came out to see Ace, and yet still made no attempt to rectify the problem of which, might I remind you, by letting the vehicle go without payment of the balance, is an admission of issues with the workmanship.


In any case, I'm utterly fed up with the facetious nonsense that passes for your company's business practices. Here are your options:


Option 1:
Act in accordance with ethical business standards and send us a formal letter of demand for your alleged dues if you genuinely believe you are in the right. We are prepared to contest this in a court of law.


Option 2:
Refund the deposit that was paid to you, and we will promptly remove the branding. Frankly, it's unattractive and disgraceful, and we have no desire to keep it. The sole reason it remains in place is because we've already paid you an 80% deposit.


For the benefit of anyone else contemplating engaging with this company, I have initiated a Facebook page named "Boycott BrandingZone", which has already garnered over 1000 followers. It includes photos, including our own, phone call recordings, and other evidence of the dubious practices of this so-called "company." We are looking into funding a class action lawsuit, contact us for more.