Urgent Assistance Required: Unresolved Refund Issue with DebtBusters

Good morning,

I am writing to seek assistance regarding an unresolved matter with DebtBusters concerning my debt counseling process. Below is a detailed explanation of the issue:

I approached DebtBusters to assist me with debt counseling, and we agreed on a monthly payment of R14,000, which included a pension-backed loan I had with Standard Bank, paid directly via stop order from my salary. As advised, I opened a new bank account to avoid service providers continuing to debit my account.

According to the agreement, the first three months' payments would cover consultation fees, legal fees, admin fees, etc. On September 26, 2024, DebtBusters successfully debited R14,000 from my account. However, to my surprise, Standard Bank also deducted R4,000 directly from my salary for the pension-backed loan.

I immediately contacted my financial adviser at DebtBusters to report the double payment. He requested copies of my salary advice and bank statement as proof of payment to facilitate a refund of the R4,000 to my account. Since then, I have made numerous follow-ups via email and telephone, but I am constantly referred to new consultants or departments, none of whom provide any resolution. Whenever I ask to speak to the previous consultant, I am told they are either on leave or unavailable. Despite leaving messages, I have not received any callbacks.

I have documentation, including emails, to corroborate my experience. I am still a client of DebtBusters, but I am deeply dissatisfied with their service. I feel they are taking advantage of the fact that switching to another debt counselor would be costly, which I cannot afford, given my current financial constraints.

To clarify, DebtBusters is responsible for refunding the R4,000, as Standard Bank accepted the debt review payment restructuring with the condition that their premiums would continue to be deducted directly from my salary—a detail DebtBusters failed to disclose. Standard Bank's deduction was legitimate, which means DebtBusters should have debited R10,000 instead of R14,000 from my account.

Since October 2024, DebtBusters has been debiting the adjusted amount of R9,779, but the R4,000 debited in September 2024 remains unaccounted for. Despite my attempts to escalate the matter to the National Credit Regulator (NCR), I have not received any assistance.

The unresolved issue has caused significant financial strain, forcing me to borrow money from friends and colleagues, which I am struggling to repay. I urgently need this matter resolved and the R4,000 refunded to me.

Your assistance in resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,