NU DEBT HARASSING & THREATENING MY 84 YEAR OLD MOTHER

I am writing this review on behalf of my mother, Mrs Lois Wessels, who is a frail 84 year old pensioner.

A while ago my mother was called by Telkom representative to advise her that landline services would be discontinued, but she could continue with a Telkom VOIP service and they offered her a package that would include the required VOIP hardware. My mother asked if she could retain her existing landline number and the sales agent said that this would be possible. My mother then accepted the offer on the condition she could retain her old number.

A package was subsequently delivered by Telkom but it became clear that Telkom could not offer the option of retaining her old number as previously promised and so my mother called immediately Telkom and cancelled the deal & asked Telkom what she needed to do to return the unopened box containing the Telkom hardware. Telkom acknowledged that she could not retain her old number and advised her that she could return the hardware via a courier service that Telkom use (Courier IT) and provided her with details how to do this. My mother subsequently made the necessary arrangements with the Courier company who collected the item on behalf of Telkom and gave my mother a receipt for the collection, which my mother retained.

Since then, Telkom, and more recently, their debt collection agency, NuDebt, have been hounding and harassing my mother for payment & when everything is explained, as above, and proof of the courier receipt is provided, they simply ignore it and continue with the harassment.

My mother told me she is suffering from heart palpitations and has even considered suicide as a result of this continued harassment.

Below is a copy of the most recent email NuDebt and you can see for yourself how aggressive and threatening the email is.

From: *** Subject: From: Collections @nudebt.co.za; NOTICE OF A TRACE ALERT Date: 07 November 2023 at 3:53:10 PM SAST To: *********************************

From: Collections @nudebt.co.za

7 November 2023

Your *** Our ***

NOTICE OF A TRACE ALERT

1. ***************x, we act on behalf of our client, Telkom SOC LTD, and have instructions to address this letter to you. You are currently in arrears to Telkom SOC LTD of R 2758.40 for telecommunication services, or any part thereof, rendered to you.

2. The material express, alternatively tacit, further alternatively imp**** terms of the agreement are inter alia, you have accepted the granting of the account facility in that our client would defer, alternatively possibly defer payment of the invoice for 30 days from date of invoice and you accepted the terms and conditions of the said Agreement.

3. Our client further instructs us that notwithstanding numerous written and telephonic requests for payment, you have failed, refused and/or neglected to comply with our client’s requests for payment.

4. You are hereby warned that the listing of your name will have serious consequences should you wish to obtain any other credit in the future. You may well find that credit granters may decline your credit application because of your Adverse listing on the Credit Bureaus.

5. The National Credit Act Section 70(2)(d) also states that a registered credit bureau must retain consumer credit information reported to it for a prescribed period, thus once you are listed the adverse listing will remain on the Bureau records for the prescribed period irrespective of whether you have paid the outstanding amount.

6. Notwithstanding the above and after various requests from our client, we are instructed that you have to date hereof failed, refused and/or neglected to comply with our client’s requests for payment of the outstanding account. Please note that this amount is now long overdue, and you are hereby notified that 40% of the above outstanding amount should be paid with 72 HOURS, by Friday 10th November 2023, and the remainder of the 60% balance within 7 (Seven) Working-/Business Days, Thursday 16th November 2023.

7. Payments to be made Directly to Telkom Direct Shops, Checkers, Woolworths and Pick & Pay. EFT and Bank Payments using 19-digit references which can be located on the right top corner of your invoices.

8. If the status of this account remains the same after 3 (Three) Working-/Business Days, from the date of this notification, then your credit record will without further notification be updated on various Credit Bureaus to reflect the above Adverse account.

9. You will be entitled to re-instate the agreement (should legal action be taken against you in your nonresponse), by paying to us the total amount payable at that time in order to bring your arrears up to date together with permitted default charges and our reasonable costs of enforcing the agreement up to the date of your payment.

10. Please be advised that this letter constitutes our client’s final request for payment.

11. In the interim, our client’s rights remain reserved in toto.

NuDebt Management (Pty) Ltd WhatsApp: *** Call: *** Email: ***