DirectAxis harassment

I have been a repeat client of both DirectAxis and Call Direct for many years. Both companies have received a lot of good personal loan business from me. My payment history has been exemplary and I have never defaulted in all the years I have been a client. Until recently. I lost my job in January this year, and managed to meet my payment obligations until 3 months ago. I have been desperately applying for all suitable jobs vacancies, but I am one of many applicants and I have no qualifications. Without an income my meagre savings have quickly vanished. I have been selling off my possessions so I can at least pay my rent and keep a roof over my head, but I have already fallen behind with my rent and Eskom too. My electricity is about to be cut off in the middle of winter. I am also behind with many of my other financial commitments, but these service providers gave me the option of making payment arrangements until I can find employment and improve my financial situation. Not so with DirectAxis. Realising I was reaching the end of my savings and would not be able to make the next instalment, I immediately called their Customer Care to inform them of my situation and make payment arrangements. Sorry, they do not make payment arrangements. I asked if I could at least pay the interest. Sorry again, pay the full instalment amount and all arrears or they will commence with legal action. However, the above-mentioned is not the reason for my complaint. What has transpired since goes way beyond harassment. It is nothing short of torment and abuse. After my initial phone call to enquire about payment arrangements, I then received regular calls and text messages demanding payment. I patiently explained many times over to each agent who called that the non-payment was due my unemployed status and lack of income. I even offered to obtain a signed affidavit to this effect from the SAPS. They were not interested, and the attitude was simply pay or else. It was after the umpteenth call where I once again patiently explained my situation that I then blocked both the 021 landline number and the 087 mobile number used to harass me THROUGHOUT THE DAY, EVERY DAY! One of the numbers is used by an agent and the other is an automated message demanding immediate payment of the arrears. An example from my call log - calls from the 087 mobile number begin at 7:00 am, then 7:38 am, 8:02 am, 8:19 am, 8:44 am, and on it goes. Without fail, this continues throughout the day.

The calls are interspersed with numerous text messages as well. I cannot block the text message because a different number is used each time; so much so that my blocked list eventually ran out of space for new additions. Even with the calls blocked, my phone still registers a blocked number and beeps to notify me. The blocked call also diverts to voicemail and I have to delete endless voicemail messages demanding payment and threatening legal action. My phone beeps constantly throughout the day. I cannot explain the mental anguish caused by this constant barrage of demands for payment. I am a single mother with no means of assistance from anyone. I have nothing of value left to sell and there is nothing I can do until I find employment. I am depressed and utterly hopeless. I did the honourable thing by letting them know that I was unable to make payment, and tried to make payment arrangements. The abuse that DirectAxis is subjecting me to defies belief. I am losing everything and they are pushing me over the edge. I understand that DirectAxis is a business and my payments are in arrears but according to the endless text messages I have received, at this very moment my arrears total R3 524.88, an amount I can probably settle once I secure employment. Does that amount warrant the level of incessant abuse I am receiving daily from this company?

My many years of loyal support, with debit orders honoured in full every month – all of this means absolutely nothing! I am in a situation I have no control over, and receiving calls and text messages almost every hour of the day is pushing me towards a nervous breakdown. This level of endless harassment is shocking and abusive.

DirectAxis is part of FNB - once my loan is paid in full, both FNB and DirectAxis will never call me a client again. Ever. They have no integrity whatsoever. I wrote a letter of complaint to DirectAxis and received mere lip service blah blah blah in response. What confuses me is the last paragraph of their email - I was told many times over that they DO NOT make payment arrangements - I was the one who contacted them to request an arrangement!!!!

"Should you have any further questions or to conclude a payment arrangement for the above mentioned account, please do not hesitate to contact our accounts department on ***."