Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates is described almost entirely in negative terms by consumers whose accounts were handed over by MTN, Discovery Health, Cell C, TFG and Mobicred. A recurring theme is paid-up and settlement letters never being issued after full payment, records not being updated, and continued demands on accounts customers say were already settled, prescribed or never theirs.
Top Strengths:
- •Pricing, Value & Billing: The few neutral notes involve settlement quotes and instalment arrangements being offered, including discounted ABSA settlements and small monthly plans. Otherwise customers dispute unexplained legal fees, collection charges for calls and emails, and balances that grow after payment.
Replied to 98% of negative reviews
Reply time on negative reviews: 275h 54m
TrustIndex
2
Ranking
#4
in Legal Services
Reply Time
275h 54m
NPS Score
-98
Recommended: Unlikely
Replied to 98% of negative reviews
Reply time on negative reviews: 275h 54m
Nov '25 - Oct '26
Frequently Asked Questions About Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates
What do customers say about Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates?
Based on recent customer reviews, Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates is described almost entirely in negative terms by consumers whose accounts were handed over by MTN, Discovery Health, Cell C, TFG and Mobicred. A recurring theme is paid-up and settlement letters never being issued after full payment, records not being updated, and continued demands on accounts customers say were already settled, prescribed or never theirs.
What is Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates's biggest strength?
Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates's biggest strength, according to Hellopeter's AI analysis, is Pricing, Value & Billing. The few neutral notes involve settlement quotes and instalment arrangements being offered, including discounted ABSA settlements and small monthly plans. Otherwise customers dispute unexplained legal fees, collection charges for calls and emails, and balances that grow after payment.
What are the most common complaints about Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates?
The most common complaint about Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Service Delivery & Quality. Customers consistently report settled accounts remaining open, paid-up letters outstanding for months or years, payments not allocated, and credit profiles left in default. Bond applications, job opportunities and credit scores are described as damaged by unresolved administration.
How does Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates compare to other Legal Services companies?
Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates scores 0.7 out of 5 on Hellopeter's AI analysis of service quality in Legal Services, compared to the Legal Services industry average of 2.7. Their strongest theme is Pricing & Billing (0.8); their weakest is Trust & Ethics (0.6). The top AI-rated Legal Services business on Hellopeter is Hannes Gouws & Partners Inc (4.5). How is the AI Score calculated? →
Is Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates trustworthy?
Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates has a TrustIndex of 2 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 88 reviews in the last 12 months. They reply to 98% of negative reviews, typically within 275 hours 54 min. Hellopeter has tracked Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates across 1,270 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (88)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Aug 2024
Incompetence
Paid off my *** in 2024 getting calls that I owe
1 reviews | Active since Aug 2024
Incompetence
Paid off my *** in 2024 getting calls that I owe
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2022
Complaint Lodged with Credit Ombudsman Due to SSDA's Poor Service
My husband had an account with SSDA, which he settled in full on the 3rd of August and supp**** them with all the proof they need as requested. After almost 2 months and multiple emails, phone calls, and WhatsApp chats, we still are not able to obtain a paid-up letter from this company. To add to the frustration, fees have kept accruing on the already settled account incorrectly, and now their systems show we still owe them money. Furthermore, this account still persists on my husband's credit profile, preventing us from financing anything else. I've lodged a formal complaint with the Credit Ombudsman and trust they will be more effective at resolving this issue. We have honored our side of the agreement to the fullest extent, and SSDA simply cannot do the same.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2022
Complaint Lodged with Credit Ombudsman Due to SSDA's Poor Service
My husband had an account with SSDA, which he settled in full on the 3rd of August and supp**** them with all the proof they need as requested. After almost 2 months and multiple emails, phone calls, and WhatsApp chats, we still are not able to obtain a paid-up letter from this company. To add to the frustration, fees have kept accruing on the already settled account incorrectly, and now their systems show we still owe them money. Furthermore, this account still persists on my husband's credit profile, preventing us from financing anything else. I've lodged a formal complaint with the Credit Ombudsman and trust they will be more effective at resolving this issue. We have honored our side of the agreement to the fullest extent, and SSDA simply cannot do the same.
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2024
SSDA refuses to give settlement letter
This company has failed to assist me to get a paid up letter from MTN. When you call they say give them 5 days. It’s been 7 months now and they just drop the phone when you call. They **** and sent an automated email to say the case had been resolved but there was no settlement letter. This email address *** is useless.
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2024
SSDA refuses to give settlement letter
This company has failed to assist me to get a paid up letter from MTN. When you call they say give them 5 days. It’s been 7 months now and they just drop the phone when you call. They **** and sent an automated email to say the case had been resolved but there was no settlement letter. This email address *** is useless.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2022
Get the **** off my back
I have been receiving calls from a company called Shapiro shaik defies and associates, claiming that I owe Discovery. I do not even have a discovery account. These people are now busy calling my husband claiming that I owe them for a debts I dnt even know. How do I stop this please assist
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2022
Get the **** off my back
I have been receiving calls from a company called Shapiro shaik defies and associates, claiming that I owe Discovery. I do not even have a discovery account. These people are now busy calling my husband claiming that I owe them for a debts I dnt even know. How do I stop this please assist
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
The emotional and financial abuse I have suffered from Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys, and MTN . They have ****med me of thousands of rands over the last 3 years . They still refuse to give me a settlement letter because they claim I owe them more mo
Around March 2023 , I entered MTN at liberty mall to purchase a cell phone on contract. A few months down the line I encountered financial problems and failed to make payments for the phone . My account was then handed over to Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys , which was only the beginning of my problems . Over the last 3 years I have suffered from depression and failed suicide attempts because of the way Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys consultants have treated me . I have proof of payments that I have collected over the years trying to settle this debt and I have provided all of them but still there’s no sign to an end. The last straw as 30th June 2026 , I called them once more and asked to settle the account and clear my name . I was told to pay R16 227 of which I painfully did , I was told that I would receive my settlement letter in 21 days and had to wait and I did . The name of the lady is rina ramodi and her supervisor is benny mosia . They made me believe the horror of calling them every month and asking for feedback at my own expense would end . On the 30th of July I called once more to ask for my settlement letter since it had been passed the 21 days and no response was provided. On the day I spoke to zamile Mtshali who attended to my matter after hours of waiting using my own airtime. She then informed me that I was still owing R7000 and the account had not been settled which sent me on a spiral, she claimed that it was an error by the last consultant and that I had to pay that amount of money to close the account. Which I did not understand since I remember asking profusely if that was the outstanding balance I needed to pay to put an end to my suffering. I then added MTN manger bonginkosi Hadebe to the call and asked to query this matter and resolve it amongst themselves since I had done my part . They both promised to resolve the matter and would send me a settlement letter within a few days . Today I write this review to say , I still have not been assisted and feel like I have been ****med R16227 and all the other monies I have been paying over the years . This is not small money for someone like me . I am tired and feel like I write this review as my last will on this earth . To those that care and love me , I am sorry I just couldn’t take it anymore. I haven’t been able to move forward with my love due to this debt and feel like there’s nothing else to live for . To those that haven’t yet experienced this please don’t wish to ever . I so wish there was someone who could help me resolve this issue because clearly Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys plus MTN are not willing to .
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
The emotional and financial abuse I have suffered from Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys, and MTN . They have ****med me of thousands of rands over the last 3 years . They still refuse to give me a settlement letter because they claim I owe them more mo
Around March 2023 , I entered MTN at liberty mall to purchase a cell phone on contract. A few months down the line I encountered financial problems and failed to make payments for the phone . My account was then handed over to Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys , which was only the beginning of my problems . Over the last 3 years I have suffered from depression and failed suicide attempts because of the way Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys consultants have treated me . I have proof of payments that I have collected over the years trying to settle this debt and I have provided all of them but still there’s no sign to an end. The last straw as 30th June 2026 , I called them once more and asked to settle the account and clear my name . I was told to pay R16 227 of which I painfully did , I was told that I would receive my settlement letter in 21 days and had to wait and I did . The name of the lady is rina ramodi and her supervisor is benny mosia . They made me believe the horror of calling them every month and asking for feedback at my own expense would end . On the 30th of July I called once more to ask for my settlement letter since it had been passed the 21 days and no response was provided. On the day I spoke to zamile Mtshali who attended to my matter after hours of waiting using my own airtime. She then informed me that I was still owing R7000 and the account had not been settled which sent me on a spiral, she claimed that it was an error by the last consultant and that I had to pay that amount of money to close the account. Which I did not understand since I remember asking profusely if that was the outstanding balance I needed to pay to put an end to my suffering. I then added MTN manger bonginkosi Hadebe to the call and asked to query this matter and resolve it amongst themselves since I had done my part . They both promised to resolve the matter and would send me a settlement letter within a few days . Today I write this review to say , I still have not been assisted and feel like I have been ****med R16227 and all the other monies I have been paying over the years . This is not small money for someone like me . I am tired and feel like I write this review as my last will on this earth . To those that care and love me , I am sorry I just couldn’t take it anymore. I haven’t been able to move forward with my love due to this debt and feel like there’s nothing else to live for . To those that haven’t yet experienced this please don’t wish to ever . I so wish there was someone who could help me resolve this issue because clearly Shapiro shaik defries and attorneys plus MTN are not willing to .
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
FORMAL COMPLAINT – DISPUTED MTN DEBT / PAYMENTS NOT PROPERLY ACCOUNTED FOR – ANDISA MAZOMBA / SSDA
I am lodging this complaint regarding an MTN cellphone account that was referred by MTN to Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates (SSDA) for debt collection. MTN subsequently referred the account to SSDA for collection. Payments were then made towards the account through SSDA. However, SSDA’s own statement reflects numerous payments made from September 2023 through October 2024, including repeated payments of approximately R1,000, yet I am still being advised that an amount remains outstanding.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
FORMAL COMPLAINT – DISPUTED MTN DEBT / PAYMENTS NOT PROPERLY ACCOUNTED FOR – ANDISA MAZOMBA / SSDA
I am lodging this complaint regarding an MTN cellphone account that was referred by MTN to Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates (SSDA) for debt collection. MTN subsequently referred the account to SSDA for collection. Payments were then made towards the account through SSDA. However, SSDA’s own statement reflects numerous payments made from September 2023 through October 2024, including repeated payments of approximately R1,000, yet I am still being advised that an amount remains outstanding.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
Allocate my payment and provide me with a correct balance!!!!
My account was granted over to the company after seeing financial constraints and struggling to pay , I made my first payment and mistakenly used their name as a reference as opposed to the reference they had given me then I was told , I sent them all the proof and they said they will allocate the funds next thing Ntombikayise Mbanjwa one of the agent responded that they couldn’t allocate my payment and my amount due was not adjusted, this doesn’t make say I tried reaching out to speak to a manager to no avail all they know is to send me reminder emails with an amount that’s not adjust, I am so disgusted by their service, The WhatsApp line sucks as well , it not easy to communicate, They do not answer I am fed up , and apparently I am not the first person they are doing this to.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
Allocate my payment and provide me with a correct balance!!!!
My account was granted over to the company after seeing financial constraints and struggling to pay , I made my first payment and mistakenly used their name as a reference as opposed to the reference they had given me then I was told , I sent them all the proof and they said they will allocate the funds next thing Ntombikayise Mbanjwa one of the agent responded that they couldn’t allocate my payment and my amount due was not adjusted, this doesn’t make say I tried reaching out to speak to a manager to no avail all they know is to send me reminder emails with an amount that’s not adjust, I am so disgusted by their service, The WhatsApp line sucks as well , it not easy to communicate, They do not answer I am fed up , and apparently I am not the first person they are doing this to.