White Pages Online

At the end of April 2020, I received a call from a lady by the name of Kim Green, Accounts Department, White Pages Online (Pty) Ltd, (the name being according to the e-mail I received), that my outstanding invoice, which I NEVER received, is in arrears and payable immediately for the amount of R9540.00. I was also threatened to be handed over to the Credit Bureau and being blacklisted. Going back the initial and ONLY e-mail I received, it read the following: Good day, Kindly ensure that the above attachment is completed with current contact information for your company. Should you require adding or correcting any information you may do so on the attachment before sending via fax or email. Completed document to be sent to: *** Regards Matsiditso According to above e-mail, the form was purely for updating info. Getting an e-mail from a Telkom e-mail address, I thought nothing of it by completing the form in good faith that the updating of the telephone number is legit and from Telkom for the normal Telkom Telephone Directory. Even the e-mail address being given to return the completed form, was a Telkom e-mail address. Furthermore, they are using a Telkom e-mail address and yet in the fine print they distantiate themselves from Telkom. If there were any charges mentioned in the e-mail itself so that you can see it, I would have certainly declined as the business has been dormant for the past nearly 10 years. Reverting to the very fine print on the form that I completed, I was disgusted to note that there was indeed a line that stated the charges, but yet to date NO invoice. The Consumer Protection Act is quite clear: • A consumer may examine anything before s/he pays for it. • A supplier must show the price, label and/or trade description of the goods on his/her packaging. The content may not be misleading. • A consumer must receive a quote or breakdown of his/her financial obligations before entering into an agreement with a supplier. • The terms of an agreement to supply goods or services may not be unfair, unreasonable and unjust, for example, the terms may not only favour the supplier. Such a term or agreement will be void. • A supplier may not use force or manipulate a consumer to enter into an agreement, or to pay for goods or services. • A supplier must inform a consumer of, or draw his/her attention to, any assumptions of risks, acknowledgement of facts or indemnities contained in an agreement. • A consumer may cancel an agreement with his/her supplier on 20 business days’ notice. • The representation or marketing of goods or services may not be misleading or false. I will however be forwarding this detail to my legal team as well as the media. I trust that HelloPeter can also shed some action on this issue.