Pienk Loerie Foundation POPI Act

I expect a formal apology from Mr John-Louis O'Neil, nothing more, nothing less.

I have been trying to get Pink Loerie Foundation to remove my work email address from their database for months, if not longer than a year now.

I had a very unfortunate incident on the 27th of August 2024. Despite various email attempts to request Pink Loerie Foundation to remove my work email from their database, I was unsuccessful in doing so. On the 11th of March 2024, Mr John-Louis O’Neil even blatantly responded with “This list has been used for 5 years and you only complain now?” Surely, I have the right to request that my personal details be removed from any marketing distribution list according to the new POPI Act, especially from my WORK email address. Furthermore, I was never contacted and asked if my personal details may still be used after the POPI Act.

I decided to use the WhatsApp number provided in all the marketing emails received so far and started a conversation with John-Louis. I provided screens of previous failed attempts, and his first response was “We know we are good, but I cannot see your email address”. Is this an adult way to start a conversation with a previous donator? This just set the wrong message and triggered a very uncomfortable discussion thereafter.

I was then told “The time you spent now, you could have clicked unsubscribe at the top and bottom as per law and remove myself”. I find it very contradicting if by law Pink Loerie Foundation adheres to this requirement, but never obtained my permission to continue to use my WORK email further after the POPI Act became law.

I responded to say I have done this a zillion times in the past and asked him to phone me. From the onset when I received the call, I was not given the opportunity to explain why the unsubscribe will not work in my case. Whenever I tried to speak, he would bluntly ignore me and repeatedly say I will not listen to you if you don’t click on unsubscribe. He alluded that he is utterly disgusted in me because I don’t want to support the cause to help elderly people and became very personal, not addressing my desperate plea but more worried to make me feel guilty. If this is the type of people that works for or even own Pink Loerie Foundation, believe me, I regret the day I ever donated, and will tell everyone for the rest of my life to choose a different organisation to support.

When I was given an opportunity to talk, I explained, I still receive all the marketing mails, but when I click on unsubscribe, my company blocks the link and marks it as unsafe. Prior to my work blocking this link to unsubscribe, the previous attempts also failed, and from experience, any other decent company would politely respond to my email request asking me to send all potential emails so that they can look into the matter, However, John firstly reminded me of how long I already received these mails, secondly how utterly disgusted he is in me as a person not wanting to support them and then thirdly to make off as I am an idiot that doesn’t know how to unsubscribe. I further explained that I suspect that Pink Loerie has a previous email address on record. He denied this and said that they only work with one database and sent me some screen as proof.

He then continued, very sarcastically, that I must get my IT department to release the mail. As I said, it was not the mail that was blocked, but the link to unsubscribe. I explained to him, I work in the IT department, but it is not within my control to unblock unsafe links. He then said I am wasting his time because I say I am in IT but now I say I can’t unblock the link and so it went on and that he must attend a meeting.

He is the rudest person I have ever spoken to in my life. The conversation ended when he started to speak in a louder tone of voice, and I decided to follow suit to the point where both of us talked at the same time and I then eventually hung up on him. I will not allow any person to speak down to me or to talk to me in such a degrading manner or tone of voice.

I then decided to ask him if my work doesn’t allow me to use the link to unsubscribe what is the plan B that Pink Loerie Foundation will follow. He then said I must “kindly” request to be removed and send all my email addresses. Is this not what I tried to do from all my previous emails and attempts but when he phoned me, BUT he was adamant and made it clear he will not allow me to talk, and he will not listen to me if I don’t follow the link?

I sent all my email addresses, and it was then confirmed that indeed one of my older email addresses were on record and the reason why previous attempts failed via the link.

All I expected from Pink Loerie Foundation was to treat me with dignity, not to talk down to me and to listen to me when I tried to desperately explain my marital statuses of the past. I felt belittled and emotionally abused by John O’Neil.

I specifically mentioned to him at the end that I feel he needs to apologize for his behaviour. I did not get that from him.

Never did I say I don't want to support the cause, but my plea was to remove my work email address from their database. I am not allowed to receive private mails to my work email, surely that is a fair request and in line with the POPI Act? However, after this altercation, I will support any other organization but never again the Pienk Loerie Foundation.

While I respect the work this organization does, the way I was treated was unacceptable and I still maintain that I feel he needs to apologize for the way he made me feel and treated me.