Fireball
Well Known Member
I purchased a Samsung S5 from here
This was nearly 4 weeks ago.
23rd of August: I paid the R 3,500 on the 23rd of August.
Since then, it's been all downhill.
27th of August: A courier pitched but with the wrong parcel. I apparently got some guy in Nelspruit's CPU, and apparently he got my phone. I sent the parcel back with the courier.
Instead of the phone being forwarded to me from Nelspruit, both packages were apparently being returned to [MENTION=32786]Wilvan01[/MENTION] in Upington.
1st of September: When I got in contact with him, he sent me an incorrect waybill (this may have been by mistake, just stating the fact). It was for something he ordered from an online store or something that was addressed to him, not me, and was delivered to him on the 18th of August. Apart from the fact that the waybill was incorrect, he couldn't tell me the name of the courier company he used. He just knew "they sub for Churchills International".
4th of September: It would appear that the phone got lost/stolen by the couriers, since it still hasn't shown up. I asked him to please refund me. He said he was getting another phone and asked if I would be interested. He'd keep the price the same because I had been patient. Stupidly, I said yes. He would send the phone I would repay him when the phone arrived. He agreed and I gave him my banking details. He said he'd pay me as soon as he got home that evening. No payment was made.
6th of September (Sunday): I receive a WhatsApp from him in the evening, saying that he had paid the money. I received no SMS notification from the bank. Since this was on a Sunday, and from FNB to ABSA, I assumed there might be some delay.
This is when things started really going south.
7th of September: Funds still haven't cleared.
8th of September: Funds still haven't cleared. I ask for a proof of payment. He said he'd send it in about an hour. Never received it. He also claimed to have received the new S5 from Vodacom and that he'd send it to me.
9th of September: Funds still haven't cleared. I ask for a proof of payment again. He claims his phone was dropped and damaged (apparently a truck ran over it) and that he was using BlueStacks to WhatsApp me. I give him my e-mail address so that we don't need to make sole use of WhatsApp. Said he'd send the phone the next day. No proof of payment received. He also said that he in the past had problems with interbank payments. Apparently some of his other deals have gone south as well due to a number of factors mostly involving couriers and that he intended to cease trading on Carbonite.
10th of September (Thursday): I phone ABSA to find out if there are any uncleared funds that are pending for my account. When I tell the woman that the payment was made four days ago, she's noticeably suspicious and says that even slow interbank transfers never take more than three days. I ask for proof of payment again. He says he'll do it shortly. Surprise surprise, never did. Also told me he sent the phone with Flamingos couriers and would send me the waybill. Didn't receive the waybill.
11th of September: No phone, waybill, nor Proof of Payment received to date. Frustrated, I threaten via WhatsApp to open a bad deals thread if I don't receive the PoP and waybill by noon the next day. None of the WhatsApp messages go through (and still have not gone through, even today).
12th of September: WhatsApp messages still have not gone through. I don't open the thread since I deem it unreasonable to act on an ultimatum if the other party never received it. I phone him several times to no avail. Later that evening he calls me from a different number and tells me to rather use that number from then on. I inform him that the funds still have not cleared, I still don't have the phone, nor the PoP, nor the waybill. He claims the bank is giving him trouble (disappearing beneficiaries, apparently random failed transactions, etc) and that he is moving over to ABSA. He also informs me that the S5 that I originally bought (which was delivered to the wrong address and then returned to him) had shown up, but Vodacom had blocked it at his request when he thought the couriers stole it. Says he was under the impression that I would have received the second phone by now (I wish) and that he would give me the number of the lady who works at the couriers. I never received said number.
15th of September: I ask again for the lady's contact details, waybill and PoP. He says he'd send it as soon as he got home. Never did. This was also the last time he was online on WhatsApp, and I have not been able to call him since.
16th of September: Still unable to reach him via WhatsApp or calling.
17th of September (today): I've had enough. I sent him a pm here on Carbonite since I can't reach him by phone, informing him that the deal is off and that I'm making this thread. He is welcome to come and lay his case here. I also informed him that if I am not refunded by next week Wednesday (23 September) I will press charges of fraud at the police station.
I have tried my very best to be calm and reasonable, but I have had enough. I can understand someone having a bout of bad luck, or a courier messing up once. Maybe even twice. But three times?
And the lack of communication is perhaps the biggest frustration. I have to constantly hound and practically beg, all to no avail. Getting a hold of him is only slightly easier than the dark arcane arts, and frankly I can't take it any more.
I saw that he has other sale threads still open, and that apparently others have shared my experience (here).
Sadly, I figured the guy just had a bout of bad luck with that one sale and that I'd give him a shot to help restore his reputation. Big mistake.
</rant>
Now I just want my money back. The guy actually sounds nice and friendly and sincere, but this is no way to do business, and I just can't take it any more.
Willem, you are welcome to come lay your side of the story here if you feel that I misrepresented anything. If anyone on this forum knows him personally, please alert him about this thread and ask him to contact me.
This was nearly 4 weeks ago.
23rd of August: I paid the R 3,500 on the 23rd of August.
Since then, it's been all downhill.
27th of August: A courier pitched but with the wrong parcel. I apparently got some guy in Nelspruit's CPU, and apparently he got my phone. I sent the parcel back with the courier.
Instead of the phone being forwarded to me from Nelspruit, both packages were apparently being returned to [MENTION=32786]Wilvan01[/MENTION] in Upington.
1st of September: When I got in contact with him, he sent me an incorrect waybill (this may have been by mistake, just stating the fact). It was for something he ordered from an online store or something that was addressed to him, not me, and was delivered to him on the 18th of August. Apart from the fact that the waybill was incorrect, he couldn't tell me the name of the courier company he used. He just knew "they sub for Churchills International".
4th of September: It would appear that the phone got lost/stolen by the couriers, since it still hasn't shown up. I asked him to please refund me. He said he was getting another phone and asked if I would be interested. He'd keep the price the same because I had been patient. Stupidly, I said yes. He would send the phone I would repay him when the phone arrived. He agreed and I gave him my banking details. He said he'd pay me as soon as he got home that evening. No payment was made.
6th of September (Sunday): I receive a WhatsApp from him in the evening, saying that he had paid the money. I received no SMS notification from the bank. Since this was on a Sunday, and from FNB to ABSA, I assumed there might be some delay.
This is when things started really going south.
7th of September: Funds still haven't cleared.
8th of September: Funds still haven't cleared. I ask for a proof of payment. He said he'd send it in about an hour. Never received it. He also claimed to have received the new S5 from Vodacom and that he'd send it to me.
9th of September: Funds still haven't cleared. I ask for a proof of payment again. He claims his phone was dropped and damaged (apparently a truck ran over it) and that he was using BlueStacks to WhatsApp me. I give him my e-mail address so that we don't need to make sole use of WhatsApp. Said he'd send the phone the next day. No proof of payment received. He also said that he in the past had problems with interbank payments. Apparently some of his other deals have gone south as well due to a number of factors mostly involving couriers and that he intended to cease trading on Carbonite.
10th of September (Thursday): I phone ABSA to find out if there are any uncleared funds that are pending for my account. When I tell the woman that the payment was made four days ago, she's noticeably suspicious and says that even slow interbank transfers never take more than three days. I ask for proof of payment again. He says he'll do it shortly. Surprise surprise, never did. Also told me he sent the phone with Flamingos couriers and would send me the waybill. Didn't receive the waybill.
11th of September: No phone, waybill, nor Proof of Payment received to date. Frustrated, I threaten via WhatsApp to open a bad deals thread if I don't receive the PoP and waybill by noon the next day. None of the WhatsApp messages go through (and still have not gone through, even today).
12th of September: WhatsApp messages still have not gone through. I don't open the thread since I deem it unreasonable to act on an ultimatum if the other party never received it. I phone him several times to no avail. Later that evening he calls me from a different number and tells me to rather use that number from then on. I inform him that the funds still have not cleared, I still don't have the phone, nor the PoP, nor the waybill. He claims the bank is giving him trouble (disappearing beneficiaries, apparently random failed transactions, etc) and that he is moving over to ABSA. He also informs me that the S5 that I originally bought (which was delivered to the wrong address and then returned to him) had shown up, but Vodacom had blocked it at his request when he thought the couriers stole it. Says he was under the impression that I would have received the second phone by now (I wish) and that he would give me the number of the lady who works at the couriers. I never received said number.
15th of September: I ask again for the lady's contact details, waybill and PoP. He says he'd send it as soon as he got home. Never did. This was also the last time he was online on WhatsApp, and I have not been able to call him since.
16th of September: Still unable to reach him via WhatsApp or calling.
17th of September (today): I've had enough. I sent him a pm here on Carbonite since I can't reach him by phone, informing him that the deal is off and that I'm making this thread. He is welcome to come and lay his case here. I also informed him that if I am not refunded by next week Wednesday (23 September) I will press charges of fraud at the police station.
I have tried my very best to be calm and reasonable, but I have had enough. I can understand someone having a bout of bad luck, or a courier messing up once. Maybe even twice. But three times?
And the lack of communication is perhaps the biggest frustration. I have to constantly hound and practically beg, all to no avail. Getting a hold of him is only slightly easier than the dark arcane arts, and frankly I can't take it any more.
I saw that he has other sale threads still open, and that apparently others have shared my experience (here).
Sadly, I figured the guy just had a bout of bad luck with that one sale and that I'd give him a shot to help restore his reputation. Big mistake.
</rant>
Now I just want my money back. The guy actually sounds nice and friendly and sincere, but this is no way to do business, and I just can't take it any more.
Willem, you are welcome to come lay your side of the story here if you feel that I misrepresented anything. If anyone on this forum knows him personally, please alert him about this thread and ask him to contact me.
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