FR
Frans R
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
26 Sept 2024, 17:31
Platform fee introduction
I received an e-mail, stating that Prepaid24 will charge a "platform fee" of R22/month from 1 November. This adds insult to injury. The price of electricity has escalated far beyond inflation for a number of years. There are now even talks of an increase of nearly 40%. Service providers who supply a platform receives a commission based on the amount purchased. It implies that the commission, even if it stayed the same, would have increased with the same increase of electricity. I thus do not buy the sales talk of not receiving increases over the last 15 years!
Consumers are already subsidizing low consumption consumers via the "life line" tariffs. Now Prepaid24 has jumped on the same wagon by stating that consumers purchasing less than R400/month would not be billed the R22/month. So, electricity consumers are not only subsidizing the "life line" tariff, we are also now subsidizing consumers on this tariff when purchasing electricity via Prepaid24! ABSURB! I THINK IT IS UNFAIR **************! Prepaid24 has in my humble view seen an opportunity to milk electricity consumers even more. The price of electricity has now been increased by Prepaid24! Prepaid24 is now just like ESKOM and most municipalities - hide inefficiencies behind tariff increases. Next year the fee of R22/month will probably be increased again, stating, like ESKOM, people use now less of their product! I am, for one, AGAINST this fee and will now actively look for another service provider and will advise others to do the same.
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Prepaid24's replyOfficial
27 Sept 2024, 12:33Dear Frans,
I hope this message finds you well! We appreciate your thoughts and openness.
I completely understand your sentiments regarding Eskom’s price-hikes over the past 15 years. Like you, I also manage a household and feel the impact of rising energy costs (even though our business sells electricity).
That said, As Prepaid24’s CEO, I’d like to share a bit of information and hopefully clear up some misunderstandings for you and anyone else reading this.
*Transparency: You mentioned receiving prior communication about the fee we are introducing. Truth is, the banks (where millions of South Africans buy their electricity) already charge fees for electricity top-ups. These fees add up after every purchase and are just put on people’s statements at the end of the month, meaning that most consumers are unaware of them. For us, however, transparency is a priority, which is why you received the email notice from Prepaid24. We want to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
*Commission Changes: When we began selling electricity 15 years ago, resellers earned over 4% commission on sales. Now, due to changes in municipal commissions, our earnings have decreased significantly. For instance, where we previously earned R40 on a R1,000 sale, we can now earn as little as R28 on a R3,500 sale. Despite inflation affecting our operational costs, we have worked hard to manage our business effectively to offer our expert solution to consumers as cost-effectively as possible.
*Customer Support: You are correct in stating that some users receive free electricity. This is a government decision and something we have no say in. Choosing to waive our R22 fee to low-spend customers who typically do not use many of our platform’s features is a business decision on our part. The idea is certainly not for certain clients to subsidise others. While we respect differing opinions on fairness, I can assure you that we always strive to keep our fees reasonable and to provide plenty of value for what our clients pay.
*Distinct Value: Prepaid24 is not just another electricity reseller. We provide expert support from 7 AM – 11 PM, 365 days a year. Our clients receive monthly purchase breakdowns, enabling them to track consumption and budget effectively, and we also offer various reminder options to ensure you never forget a top-up. Electricity isn’t a quick add-on product for us; it’s what we eat, sleep and breathe every day. We believe this is worth something.
While we hope that our services provides multiple times the value of the fee we charge, we understand that not everyone will feel the same way. Everyone has their preferences, and we respect that.
We’ve put significant thought into our fee structure, and it’s never our intention to lose valued clients like yourself. I hope you can see the value in what we offer and reconsider your decision.
Lastly, while it’s unfortunate that you feel we belong in the same category as Eskom, I empathise with the frustrations many South Africans feel regarding rising electricity prices. Though we can’t do anything about rising costs, Prepaid24 is committed to making sure that our part of the value chain is well-serviced and functioning on a world-class standard.
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Yours Sincerely,
Ben Lindeque
Prepaid24 CEO
I hope this message finds you well! We appreciate your thoughts and openness.
I completely understand your sentiments regarding Eskom’s price-hikes over the past 15 years. Like you, I also manage a household and feel the impact of rising energy costs (even though our business sells electricity).
That said, As Prepaid24’s CEO, I’d like to share a bit of information and hopefully clear up some misunderstandings for you and anyone else reading this.
*Transparency: You mentioned receiving prior communication about the fee we are introducing. Truth is, the banks (where millions of South Africans buy their electricity) already charge fees for electricity top-ups. These fees add up after every purchase and are just put on people’s statements at the end of the month, meaning that most consumers are unaware of them. For us, however, transparency is a priority, which is why you received the email notice from Prepaid24. We want to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
*Commission Changes: When we began selling electricity 15 years ago, resellers earned over 4% commission on sales. Now, due to changes in municipal commissions, our earnings have decreased significantly. For instance, where we previously earned R40 on a R1,000 sale, we can now earn as little as R28 on a R3,500 sale. Despite inflation affecting our operational costs, we have worked hard to manage our business effectively to offer our expert solution to consumers as cost-effectively as possible.
*Customer Support: You are correct in stating that some users receive free electricity. This is a government decision and something we have no say in. Choosing to waive our R22 fee to low-spend customers who typically do not use many of our platform’s features is a business decision on our part. The idea is certainly not for certain clients to subsidise others. While we respect differing opinions on fairness, I can assure you that we always strive to keep our fees reasonable and to provide plenty of value for what our clients pay.
*Distinct Value: Prepaid24 is not just another electricity reseller. We provide expert support from 7 AM – 11 PM, 365 days a year. Our clients receive monthly purchase breakdowns, enabling them to track consumption and budget effectively, and we also offer various reminder options to ensure you never forget a top-up. Electricity isn’t a quick add-on product for us; it’s what we eat, sleep and breathe every day. We believe this is worth something.
While we hope that our services provides multiple times the value of the fee we charge, we understand that not everyone will feel the same way. Everyone has their preferences, and we respect that.
We’ve put significant thought into our fee structure, and it’s never our intention to lose valued clients like yourself. I hope you can see the value in what we offer and reconsider your decision.
Lastly, while it’s unfortunate that you feel we belong in the same category as Eskom, I empathise with the frustrations many South Africans feel regarding rising electricity prices. Though we can’t do anything about rising costs, Prepaid24 is committed to making sure that our part of the value chain is well-serviced and functioning on a world-class standard.
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Yours Sincerely,
Ben Lindeque
Prepaid24 CEO
Best regards,
Prepaid24's reply27 Sept 2024, 12:33
Official
Dear Frans,
I hope this message finds you well! We appreciate your thoughts and openness.
I completely understand your sentiments regarding Eskom’s price-hikes over the past 15 years. Like you, I also manage a household and feel the impact of rising energy costs (even though our business sells electricity).
That said, As Prepaid24’s CEO, I’d like to share a bit of information and hopefully clear up some misunderstandings for you and anyone else reading this.
*Transparency: You mentioned receiving prior communication about the fee we are introducing. Truth is, the banks (where millions of South Africans buy their electricity) already charge fees for electricity top-ups. These fees add up after every purchase and are just put on people’s statements at the end of the month, meaning that most consumers are unaware of them. For us, however, transparency is a priority, which is why you received the email notice from Prepaid24. We want to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
*Commission Changes: When we began selling electricity 15 years ago, resellers earned over 4% commission on sales. Now, due to changes in municipal commissions, our earnings have decreased significantly. For instance, where we previously earned R40 on a R1,000 sale, we can now earn as little as R28 on a R3,500 sale. Despite inflation affecting our operational costs, we have worked hard to manage our business effectively to offer our expert solution to consumers as cost-effectively as possible.
*Customer Support: You are correct in stating that some users receive free electricity. This is a government decision and something we have no say in. Choosing to waive our R22 fee to low-spend customers who typically do not use many of our platform’s features is a business decision on our part. The idea is certainly not for certain clients to subsidise others. While we respect differing opinions on fairness, I can assure you that we always strive to keep our fees reasonable and to provide plenty of value for what our clients pay.
*Distinct Value: Prepaid24 is not just another electricity reseller. We provide expert support from 7 AM – 11 PM, 365 days a year. Our clients receive monthly purchase breakdowns, enabling them to track consumption and budget effectively, and we also offer various reminder options to ensure you never forget a top-up. Electricity isn’t a quick add-on product for us; it’s what we eat, sleep and breathe every day. We believe this is worth something.
While we hope that our services provides multiple times the value of the fee we charge, we understand that not everyone will feel the same way. Everyone has their preferences, and we respect that.
We’ve put significant thought into our fee structure, and it’s never our intention to lose valued clients like yourself. I hope you can see the value in what we offer and reconsider your decision.
Lastly, while it’s unfortunate that you feel we belong in the same category as Eskom, I empathise with the frustrations many South Africans feel regarding rising electricity prices. Though we can’t do anything about rising costs, Prepaid24 is committed to making sure that our part of the value chain is well-serviced and functioning on a world-class standard.
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Yours Sincerely,
Ben Lindeque
Prepaid24 CEO
I hope this message finds you well! We appreciate your thoughts and openness.
I completely understand your sentiments regarding Eskom’s price-hikes over the past 15 years. Like you, I also manage a household and feel the impact of rising energy costs (even though our business sells electricity).
That said, As Prepaid24’s CEO, I’d like to share a bit of information and hopefully clear up some misunderstandings for you and anyone else reading this.
*Transparency: You mentioned receiving prior communication about the fee we are introducing. Truth is, the banks (where millions of South Africans buy their electricity) already charge fees for electricity top-ups. These fees add up after every purchase and are just put on people’s statements at the end of the month, meaning that most consumers are unaware of them. For us, however, transparency is a priority, which is why you received the email notice from Prepaid24. We want to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
*Commission Changes: When we began selling electricity 15 years ago, resellers earned over 4% commission on sales. Now, due to changes in municipal commissions, our earnings have decreased significantly. For instance, where we previously earned R40 on a R1,000 sale, we can now earn as little as R28 on a R3,500 sale. Despite inflation affecting our operational costs, we have worked hard to manage our business effectively to offer our expert solution to consumers as cost-effectively as possible.
*Customer Support: You are correct in stating that some users receive free electricity. This is a government decision and something we have no say in. Choosing to waive our R22 fee to low-spend customers who typically do not use many of our platform’s features is a business decision on our part. The idea is certainly not for certain clients to subsidise others. While we respect differing opinions on fairness, I can assure you that we always strive to keep our fees reasonable and to provide plenty of value for what our clients pay.
*Distinct Value: Prepaid24 is not just another electricity reseller. We provide expert support from 7 AM – 11 PM, 365 days a year. Our clients receive monthly purchase breakdowns, enabling them to track consumption and budget effectively, and we also offer various reminder options to ensure you never forget a top-up. Electricity isn’t a quick add-on product for us; it’s what we eat, sleep and breathe every day. We believe this is worth something.
While we hope that our services provides multiple times the value of the fee we charge, we understand that not everyone will feel the same way. Everyone has their preferences, and we respect that.
We’ve put significant thought into our fee structure, and it’s never our intention to lose valued clients like yourself. I hope you can see the value in what we offer and reconsider your decision.
Lastly, while it’s unfortunate that you feel we belong in the same category as Eskom, I empathise with the frustrations many South Africans feel regarding rising electricity prices. Though we can’t do anything about rising costs, Prepaid24 is committed to making sure that our part of the value chain is well-serviced and functioning on a world-class standard.
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Yours Sincerely,
Ben Lindeque
Prepaid24 CEO
Best regards,