#wegotu - As long as "Computer says Yes"

Last week, I completed a contact form online to apply for one of the Black Friday Deals. I received an automated response, indicating that I would be contacted in the next 48 hours. I was contacted with 2 working days of when I sent the request, but in reality, it was around 96 hours from when I submitted the enquiry. I know that it is likely busier with the Black Friday deals, so I wasn’t overly concerned. When I was contacted I spoke to Zane. Her first comment/question was that she had received my enquiry, and wanted to know what deal I wanted. My response was simply, “I would like the deal that I app**** for an indicated in my enquiry”. After she asked all the questions, she ran the credit check, and came back and said that the application had been declined. I asked why, and she said that it was probably that I was a permanent resident, and there was probably an issue with my ID number. She asked me to take all my documents into the branch and they could sign me up with the deal in the store.

That afternoon, I went into the store in Cresta. The first person I spoke to asked me what deal I wanted. I explained my conversation with Zane, and told him the deal I wanted to sign up for. The gentleman, who’s name I didn’t get, said “You can’t get that deal, it is online only”. So I explained (again) my conversation with Zane. He said he could offer me another deal. There was no apology or explanation, just simply, here is the deal I can offer you, take it or leave it.

I left the store, as I wanted to do some research into the deal that he had offered. After about half an hour, I went back in to sign up for this deal. Vicky (Victorine Ayaba) assisted me. For the record, Victorine was great - polite and professional. By this time it was around 5:30pm. She explained that she could get started on it, but I would have to come back in the store the next day, in case the credit vetting process had not been completed. She did what she could in the 30 minutes we had, and the email I sent her with my documents had not arrived by 6pm. At 6pm, I had been told by more than one member of staff in the store that it’s too late, as the store is closed and the credit vetting team don’t approve anything after 6pm. The following morning, Vicky emailed me and said the documents had arrived, she had completed the process, and once the approval sms had come through, I could come into the store and collect the device. A couple of hours later I received an email letting me know that “Your credit vetting didn’t go well. Application was declined due to negative credit bureau Information according to ITC Records”. I asked if I paid upfront for the deal for 24 months, whether I could secure the deal, and the answer was no. I then asked for a copy of the ITC Record to understand why it was declined, and am yet to receive a response.

Personally, I appreciate I don’t have a lot of credit history. I have been in South Africa for 2 years, after living in the UK for around 10 years. I don’t have a credit card or loans, as I am of the opinion that the bank charges and interest is ******ionate. In fact, the only reason I even have a credit rating (which according to ClearScore.com is currently 647 out of 705) is because I pay my monthly insurance premiums by direct debit.

From the bank statements on record, you can see that there is always money in the account, that my directs debits are always paid on time, and that the amount of R199 can be covered at any point. There is no overdraft facility, because I don’t need one.

I am frustrated, because the above is a simple case of “Computer says no”, and I know I can afford it. I am disappointed because #wegotu clearly doesn’t apply to me.