DH
DM H
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2021
16 Nov 2021, 22:23
********* Lead Sourcing
I've been receiving numerous unwanted calls from Platinum Life, but thanks to TrueCaller, I could easily reject and block the number. However, they can’t seem to catch a hint and instead keep trying by using different numbers each time. When the latest attempt was made, I decided to answer and put a stop to this. The second I told the representative I did not give permission to anyone to give out my number, she immediately hung up on me without a word (leaving me to believe they know they’re in the wrong).
Scanning other reviews, it seems I am not alone and many who question the legality of this practice, refereeing to the POPI act, all seem to get a similar response about how they are not breaking any laws because it’s a “referral from a friend” and a “promotional gift”, etc…
However “legal” they try make this out to be, it’s certainly cannot be ethical as the entire point of the POPI act was to protect our personal information, which clearly is not. Using the “referral from a friend” line still means they knowingly used my information received from a source they could not verify that I gave consent to, hence my personal information is not protected.
It would also appear they are using people to source leads from in return of a reward of some kind (be it a gift or whatever it may be). When you question where they sourced their contact information from, blame can be shifted to the “friend” who referred them, leaving Platinum Life without any responsibility.
The ********* behaviour at this level can only let one question their business practices for the services they provide.
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Replies (3)
Platinum Life's replyOfficial
17 Nov 2021, 12:22Dear DMH, We duly acknowledge your complaint. To better understand what actually happened, we do need to listen to the call that we made to you. Please will you kindly provide me (***) with only the telephone number on which we contacted you so that we can listen to the call. To answer your broader question, you are correct in saying that the entire point of POPIA is to protect your, and everyone else's, personal information. That said, POPIA was not enacted so as to prevent South African companies from offering products and services to the public. In the interest of commerce and common sense, POPIA allows South African companies to contact members of the public by telephone for the purpose of obtaining consent to offer a product or service. This was the purpose of our call to you. Transparency is key to POPIA. Our referral model is completely transparent, which we believe gives us significant credibility with our prospective clients.
Kind Regards
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
Kind Regards
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
Platinum Life's reply17 Nov 2021, 12:22
Official
Dear DMH, We duly acknowledge your complaint. To better understand what actually happened, we do need to listen to the call that we made to you. Please will you kindly provide me (***) with only the telephone number on which we contacted you so that we can listen to the call. To answer your broader question, you are correct in saying that the entire point of POPIA is to protect your, and everyone else's, personal information. That said, POPIA was not enacted so as to prevent South African companies from offering products and services to the public. In the interest of commerce and common sense, POPIA allows South African companies to contact members of the public by telephone for the purpose of obtaining consent to offer a product or service. This was the purpose of our call to you. Transparency is key to POPIA. Our referral model is completely transparent, which we believe gives us significant credibility with our prospective clients.
Kind Regards
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
Kind Regards
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
DH
DM H's updateReviewer Update
17 Nov 2021, 20:40 Good Day
My complaint wasn’t about the call itself but the fact that I got the call in the first place and how data is being sourced.
As mentioned, and expectedly explained by yourself, this may be technically “legal”, but the way information about me was obtained, and the excuse used when questioned about it - I cannot find this to be acceptable, and I think you do too (hence having the agent hang up on me immediately). Being referred by a “friend” is an easy way for Platinum Life to avoid any accountability. All this experience has done is seriously question the credibility of this company and left me we a rocky relationship with my friend.
Basically, to sum up the response I received, no mater how careful I am with my personal information, Platinum Life and any other company believe they may still harass me until I answer at least once, and there is nothing I can do about.
As a suggestion, consider giving up calling if the person constantly rejects the call – not after they eventually pick up 8 attempts later – we’re clearly not interested. Using different numbers each time is also a very ***** trick. I would have not gone through the trouble to create an account here to complain about it if they had just stopped after the 2nd time I rejected the call, but I needed the harassment to stop. I really do hope some consideration will be taken here.
Just a side note, I noticed a couple of good reviews posted literally minutes apart above my complaint around the same time all the pending reviews received replies, pushing this review down the list. Based on my experience and how I perceive the morals of this company now, I find that rather interesting.
My complaint wasn’t about the call itself but the fact that I got the call in the first place and how data is being sourced.
As mentioned, and expectedly explained by yourself, this may be technically “legal”, but the way information about me was obtained, and the excuse used when questioned about it - I cannot find this to be acceptable, and I think you do too (hence having the agent hang up on me immediately). Being referred by a “friend” is an easy way for Platinum Life to avoid any accountability. All this experience has done is seriously question the credibility of this company and left me we a rocky relationship with my friend.
Basically, to sum up the response I received, no mater how careful I am with my personal information, Platinum Life and any other company believe they may still harass me until I answer at least once, and there is nothing I can do about.
As a suggestion, consider giving up calling if the person constantly rejects the call – not after they eventually pick up 8 attempts later – we’re clearly not interested. Using different numbers each time is also a very ***** trick. I would have not gone through the trouble to create an account here to complain about it if they had just stopped after the 2nd time I rejected the call, but I needed the harassment to stop. I really do hope some consideration will be taken here.
Just a side note, I noticed a couple of good reviews posted literally minutes apart above my complaint around the same time all the pending reviews received replies, pushing this review down the list. Based on my experience and how I perceive the morals of this company now, I find that rather interesting.
DH
DM H's update17 Nov 2021, 20:40
Reviewer Update
Good Day
My complaint wasn’t about the call itself but the fact that I got the call in the first place and how data is being sourced.
As mentioned, and expectedly explained by yourself, this may be technically “legal”, but the way information about me was obtained, and the excuse used when questioned about it - I cannot find this to be acceptable, and I think you do too (hence having the agent hang up on me immediately). Being referred by a “friend” is an easy way for Platinum Life to avoid any accountability. All this experience has done is seriously question the credibility of this company and left me we a rocky relationship with my friend.
Basically, to sum up the response I received, no mater how careful I am with my personal information, Platinum Life and any other company believe they may still harass me until I answer at least once, and there is nothing I can do about.
As a suggestion, consider giving up calling if the person constantly rejects the call – not after they eventually pick up 8 attempts later – we’re clearly not interested. Using different numbers each time is also a very ***** trick. I would have not gone through the trouble to create an account here to complain about it if they had just stopped after the 2nd time I rejected the call, but I needed the harassment to stop. I really do hope some consideration will be taken here.
Just a side note, I noticed a couple of good reviews posted literally minutes apart above my complaint around the same time all the pending reviews received replies, pushing this review down the list. Based on my experience and how I perceive the morals of this company now, I find that rather interesting.
My complaint wasn’t about the call itself but the fact that I got the call in the first place and how data is being sourced.
As mentioned, and expectedly explained by yourself, this may be technically “legal”, but the way information about me was obtained, and the excuse used when questioned about it - I cannot find this to be acceptable, and I think you do too (hence having the agent hang up on me immediately). Being referred by a “friend” is an easy way for Platinum Life to avoid any accountability. All this experience has done is seriously question the credibility of this company and left me we a rocky relationship with my friend.
Basically, to sum up the response I received, no mater how careful I am with my personal information, Platinum Life and any other company believe they may still harass me until I answer at least once, and there is nothing I can do about.
As a suggestion, consider giving up calling if the person constantly rejects the call – not after they eventually pick up 8 attempts later – we’re clearly not interested. Using different numbers each time is also a very ***** trick. I would have not gone through the trouble to create an account here to complain about it if they had just stopped after the 2nd time I rejected the call, but I needed the harassment to stop. I really do hope some consideration will be taken here.
Just a side note, I noticed a couple of good reviews posted literally minutes apart above my complaint around the same time all the pending reviews received replies, pushing this review down the list. Based on my experience and how I perceive the morals of this company now, I find that rather interesting.
Platinum Life's replyOfficial
22 Nov 2021, 06:57Dear Dm H We really do want to listen to the call that we made to you. We take your allegation, of our consultant having hung-up on you, very seriously. Our consultants are well trained and are certainly not allowed to do as you say was done to you. Please will you kindly send to me, by private email to ***, the telephone number that we called you on so that we can investigate what was said to you, and act if our consultant did as you say, and so that we can also see how many times the number was dialled. Kind Regards
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
Platinum Life's reply22 Nov 2021, 06:57
Official
Dear Dm H We really do want to listen to the call that we made to you. We take your allegation, of our consultant having hung-up on you, very seriously. Our consultants are well trained and are certainly not allowed to do as you say was done to you. Please will you kindly send to me, by private email to ***, the telephone number that we called you on so that we can investigate what was said to you, and act if our consultant did as you say, and so that we can also see how many times the number was dialled. Kind Regards
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor
Simone Venter
Client Relationship Specialist & Client Care Supervisor