Urgent Review of Business Response Practices on Hellopeter

<div>Dear Hellopeter,

We are writing to express our deep concern about your current practice of requiring businesses to have a paid account in order to respond to customer complaints on your platform. While we appreciate the valuable service Hellopeter provides in facilitating communication between consumers and businesses, we believe this specific practice is unfair, lacks transparency, and potentially undermines the core principles of your platform.

Our concerns lie in the following areas:

• Consumer Protection Act (CPA):The CPA emphasises consumer rights, including the right to be heard and the right to fair treatment. While not directly addressing Hellopeter's model, the spirit of the CPA could be interpreted as supporting a business's right to respond to complaints and engage in open communication with customers. • Good Business Practice: The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) promotes good business practice. Arguably, not allowing businesses to respond to complaints hinders transparency and prevents a balanced view of customer experiences. • Right to Reply: The principle of the right to reply, though not a guaranteed legal right in every situation, is a recognised principle in South Africa. This principle suggests that if someone makes a public statement about a business (like a complaint on Hellopeter), the business should have a reasonable opportunity to respond and give their side of the story. • Press Code of the Press Council of South Africa: The Press Code encourages media outlets to seek comment from the subject of critical reportage before publishing. Hellopeter facilitates public complaints which share similarities with media reports, and businesses should be afforded a similar opportunity to respond.

Hellopeter's commercial model, by requiring paid accounts for businesses to respond, creates an unfair situation:

• Unequal Platform: It disadvantages smaller businesses who might not be able to afford a paid account, limiting their ability to address customer concerns and potentially harming their reputation. • Potential Bias: This practice could create a perception of bias on the platform, favouring the voices of complainants and hindering open communication for conflict resolution. • Erosion of Trust: Limiting business responses can erode trust in the platform, as users might question the completeness of the information presented.

Alternative Solution:

We believe Hellopeter can maintain a successful platform while fostering fair practices. Here's a solution for consideration:

Time-Limited Responses: Allow businesses to respond to complaints for free within a specific timeframe (e.g., 14 days) after they are posted. This would allow businesses a reasonable opportunity to address the complaint publicly while maintaining Hellopeter's core function of facilitating consumer feedback.

We urge Hellopeter to seriously review its current policy regarding business responses. Implementing a time-limited response system would promote transparency and ensure a more balanced platform for both consumers and businesses.

We are confident that Hellopeter can find a solution that upholds the principles of fair treatment and open communication. We encourage you to open a dialogue with relevant stakeholders, including consumer rights organisations and business associations, to find a mutually beneficial path forward.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to your response and a positive change in Hellopeter's business response practices.

Sincerely,</div>