Formal Complaint Regarding Lack of Communication and Assistance

I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the lack of communication and assistance I have received from MFC Legals regarding my account (MFC reference number: ***). My attempts to contact their team have been ongoing since August 9, 2024, prior to the issuance of Section 129 documents, the judgment, and the warrant.

Summary of My Complaint:

Section 129 Notice: I received the Section 129 notice through my previous landlord on August 20, 2024. This notice indicated I had 10 working days to make arrangements, setting my deadline at August 30, 2024.

Attempts to Contact: I attempted to reach out to the office on August 24 and August 28, 2024, to arrange a solution but received no follow-up. Additionally, I made several attempts to contact them in September.

Communication with Fani Koos (Legals): After requesting an urgent callback, I eventually spoke with Fani Koos in mid-September. He informed me that we could arrange a solution once he confirmed whether the judgment had been granted. He promised to call me back after checking the legal costs and judgment status. However, I later learned that the judgment was granted in late September without any follow-up from him. At the time of my contact with Fani, the judgment had not yet been granted, indicating that payment arrangements could have been made.

Unresponsive Team: After visiting a Nedbank branch, I spoke with the manager, who advised that I would need to contact MFC. I then contacted MFC collections, but they could not assist me. I was informed that a consultant named Quitin Mellet was handling my account. The agent promised to request that Quitin call me the following Monday, but instead, I received an email regarding asset collection. After explaining my situation to Quitin, he referred me back to the court order department under Fani Koos. I received threatening emails from Fani without any follow-up on my requests. Consequently, I informed Quitin that I no longer wished to communicate with Fani. Quitin then provided the contact details for Fani's team leader and manager, but I have been unable to reach either of them despite multiple attempts.

The lack of response from the team, despite my timely efforts to resolve this matter, has created an unjust situation. I have documented all my attempts to contact them, including emails and phone records.

I urgently requested that they contact me to resolve this issue. If not addressed, I may have no choice but to consider legal action due to apparent negligence on their part. I have also requested a copy of the judgment and confirmation of the date it was granted, but they have failed to provide this information. My credit profile does not show any judgment under my name, further complicating this matter.

As I mentioned, the judgment likely would not have been granted, nor would the Section 129 notice have been issued, had Fani Koos followed up on my requests. I have faced significant personal and financial hardships, including job loss and eviction, which hindered my communication between March 2024 and August 2024. When I regained stability, I reached out to their team with the intent to settle my arrears but was not given the opportunity to explain my circumstances.

I pursued debt review on October 5, 2024, as a means to resolve the situation, but this was declined due to the judgment. I have sought legal advice from multiple firms, and I've learned that companies typically do not turn away consumers willing to pay, especially when the debt is only R24,000.

Given these points, it feels as though their team has prioritized the company's interests over mine as a consumer. I am disappointed by the lack of support and communication throughout this process.

While I understand that a contract may have been breached due to several months of non-payment, Fani's email on the 9th provided an opportunity to make arrangements. I responded with an offer to settle all arrears within two months. I am not comfortable with surrendering the vehicle after paying over R70,000 and allowing them to auction it while I continue to pay for an asset I no longer possess.

I would appreciate your assistance in resolving this matter. I am willing to bring all arrears up to date and continue paying for the asset if given the opportunity.

Thank you for your attention to this serious issue. I look forward to a prompt response.