TFG unfair and unapologetic

TFG is really bad. In these times of financial turmoil you read articles everywhere that if you have a problem with payment don't just leave it, inform them that you can't pay or will pay late, they will make some arrangements with you.....

But definitely NOT TFG. Hulle het nie 'n saak nie!. And even after you humbly informed them you have a problem and will pay a fee days late, theu have NO understanding or sympathy with you.

Even after informing them you will pay just a few days late they keep bombarding you with unfairly excessively priced sms and mail and calls to try and force you to pay.

Excessively like R10 for one sms. R20 for a call even if the call wasn't answered (I don't think this can be in line with the national credit act.)

And they smilingly add these to one's account to make as much money they can off a person already struggling financially AND promising to pay, just respectfully asking and informing them to pay 5-7 days later.

In fairness one should expect a respectable household brand name company like TFG/Sterns to aprecheate a customer informing them that they have a problem and want to make arrangements to pay a little later. In that instance in fairness I can accepted added interest for those few days, but to start bombarding the person then with calls and sms ate exorbitant rates and then charging it to the account it mean and cruel.

No sms cost R10. No unanswered phone call cost R20.

I informed you about my problem and made a promise that I will pay after a few days, still you send me things like these:

TFG FINAL REMINDER: Ur STERNS Acc is overdue! Pay R1805 now @ any TFG store/go to: https://bit.ly/TFGpaymntplan1 to prevent it from being suspended. NCRCP36

And that costs R10.

When I send an sms on Vodacom 3 times longer than that it costs about R2. When I phone someone and they don't answer there is no air time deducted. Unless it went to voicemail and even then not R20!!!!

And they do this even AFTER you informed them of your problem.

TFG/Sterns does not care at all. They are money hungry and will load you with any means they can and won't assist you when you are in trouble.

An example. I have some store accounts Credit card Home loan Bond Car finance.

I live happily and also I'm left with say R3000 pocket money after paying ALL my accounts and everything. Happily ever after.

Suddenly came Covid, Ukraine war,oad shedding and higher interest rates every month.

After three months of continued interest rate hikes, fuel increase, food increases, (2l milk for eg. is now R10 more than a month ago).

Suddenly my R3000 pocket money is gone. My house and car payment increase dur to higher interest rates has swollowed it.

Now I'm left with nothing extra pm. And things get tight. I'm struggling and email TFG / Sterns for help. Because media say that companies will assist if trouble comes. BUT NOT TFG. They give me the extended middle finger. And tell me "We WILL add excessive sms and phone fees and we WILL add collection fees even though you informed us you will pay a few day late. We don't care about you. This is the way we make money🖕

Instead of R1400 now I must already pay R1800. Mostly because of these crazy priced dms and unanswered phone calls.

TFG doesn't care. Don't even bother to inform them when you have a problem. They will only give you the extended middle finger!