Door-to-door reps employs lies and deceit

THEY used every trick in the book, including lies, threats and deceit, and never disclosed their ultimate aim. They tossed aside and trampled on a number of the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) direct marketing regulations – no wonder people were alarmed. And yet, it would appear that all they wanted to do was sell you a solar geyser. The team of aggressive and unscrupulous salesmen arrived in Vryheid early last week.

Using a phone book (which also gives an address), they began by attempting to set up an appointment at the person’s residence. They sometimes used the ruse that they were carrying out a survey on electricity consumption on behalf of Eskom, with the blessing of AbaQulusi Municipality. One resident is known to have been told she had “won” or was eligible for a 50% discount on her electricity bills, another was told that she had to have her municipal statements available for their inspection. “Why?” she asked. “If you’re working with the municipality, why not ask them; they have access to everyone’s accounts?” The reply was nonsense, and her suspicions were raised. The thoughts were that these people were phoning on landlines to ascertain whether, it being the school holidays, people were at home. If not, then the house was safe to burgle. The thought was that once they’d set up an appointment, they’d have access to your home, would be invited in and the home owner would be held up and robbed. The thought was that once they’d filled in the Electricity Consumption Analysis form, they’d have your banking details and your account would be cleared out. The form that the Vryheid Herald has seen, looks “official”, and as if the Electricity Consumption Analysis has the approval of the Sustainable Energy Society Southern Africa (SESSA) and Eskom. In fact SESSA, an organisation which does exist, knew nothing of the survey, nor did Eskom and nor did the municipality. The form does not give the name of the company whose representatives were responsible for the “hard sell”, and nor were its “agents” often willing to give a name and number to suspicious home owners, but it has been established that it was a Durban company called King of Kings. Directory enquiries 10118 have no listing for the company in Durban. One number that the Vryheid Herald tried was “not in service”.

The municipality’s name was used in a number of cases, it being implied that the survey had the blessing of the municipality, and indeed people were threatened that if they did not co-operate their electricity supply would be disconnected! (See letter on Page 6 from the DA councillors.) The ASA’s regulations state that “Marketers must not claim to be carrying out a survey or research when their real purpose is to sell a product or service or to raise funds.” The Vryheid Herald has not heard of one case when a Vryheid resident was phoned by one of these representatives, who said, “Hello, my name is So-and-So, I represent Such-and-Such company, and we’d like to make an appointment to see you to tell you the advantages of a solar geyser, with a view to possibly selling you one.” And yet, the ASA says that marketers must identify themselves, their business and the purpose of the call “promptly at the beginning of each outbound telemarketing call.” It is not know if anyone in Vryheid succumbed to the marketing ploys adopted by these salepersons. We hope not because it would be a victory for lies, threats and deceit.