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Television licence tariff increase and new regulations

24 Nov 2003 13:3356 commentsBizLike
Television licence fees are set to increase by 8% as from 1 January 2004. The annual fee for a domestic, business, dealer and lessor licence will increase by R17.00 - from R208.00 to R225.00. A concessionary TV licence will cost R65.00 instead of the previous R59.00 per annum.
New regulations in terms of the Broadcasting Act, No 4 of 1999, as amended, were approved by the Minister of Communications and promulgated in Government Gazette no 25582 of 13 October 2003. The regulations, effective as from 1 January 2004, provide for the tariff increases as well as for several categories of television licences. Other major areas of change are: the qualifying conditions for a concessionary TV licence, exemption from payment of licence fees, reporting obligations for businesses, dealers and lessors, and clearer guidelines for TV licence notifications to the SABC.

The SABC has not increased TV licence tariffs for more than five years. The previous increase (a 10% hike, from R189.00 to R208.00 per annum) was in November 1998. The Corporation is unaware of any other service or commodity of which the price has remained unchanged for so long. Had inflation-related tariff increases been implemented since 1998 the licence fee would now have been some R90.00 higher than is currently the case. Maintaining the tariffs at the 1998 level for the past five years has had a compound devaluation effect of approximately 35% on the SABC's TV licence revenue.

Changes to the regulations were necessitated by the need to bring them into line with the new Broadcasting Act, the Constitution and recent technological developments. The regulations have been made more easily understandable and user-friendly, discriminatory provisions have been eliminated and potential loopholes have been closed by means of new definitions and qualifying conditions. Implementation and enforcement of the new legislation will enable the SABC to put its collection and management of television licence fees on a stronger commercial basis.

The SABC aims to improve its revenue generation from TV licences by, inter alia, clamping down on piracy through ongoing and intensified projects to collect bad debt, trace pirate viewers and institute legal action against persistent defaulters. As a further means of combating pirate viewing, strict reporting obligations on TV licence-related matters will in future apply to dealers, businesses and lessors. Should they fail to comply they would lay themselves open to heavy fines. For instance, a dealer selling a TV set to an unlicensed purchaser may be fined between R3 000 and R10 000 for every set so sold.

In terms of the Broadcasting Act and Regulations, no person may have a television set in his possession or use it without a valid (i e fully paid-up) TV licence. A television licence is not a service contract between a licence holder and the SABC, and viewers remain liable for TV licences no matter which broadcaster's programmes they watch. What a TV set is used for, or whether it is used at all, makes no difference to the legal liability for payment of television licence fees.

The SABC, as South Africa's national broadcaster, receives television licence revenue to enable it to provide radio and television programmes in line with its public service mandate. That includes broadcasting in all eleven official languages, offering formal and informal educational programmes, and providing a dedicated full-spectrum cultural radio station for each of the country's language groups.

The SABC will be embarking on an extensive awareness and communication campaign aimed at informing and educating the public on the implications of the new television licence legislation. The SABC will continue to incentivise and add value for loyal licence holders.
Source: www.sabc.co.za

 
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Mrs V Narasi
Requirements for tv licence concessions-
Is it possible for me to have a copy of the
concession requirements for a tv licence? Posted on 26 Nov 2003 07:54
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colleen
TV licencing idiots-
i would like to make a comment about the fact that i have been out of the country for nearly 6 years. before i left, i WROTE to SABC tv licencing to cancel and to tell them i was leaving. my son took over my mail box and for all these years he has been inundated with mail from them, threatening me with prison and a fine, as i have not paid my licence fee.!! my son, a few years ago, even signed an affidavit in front of the police stating that i had left the country in 1998, to live in the u.k. (where this would never happen) and they still persist with their relentless letters of demand from me. all they had to do to verify my leaving was go to my previous home address, the new owners would confirm that i no longer live there. my son has also made numerous phone calls to them, to no avail. ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE WITH ANY SENSE WORKING THERE WHAT MORE DO WE HAVE TO DO? DO THEY NOT HAVE ANY OF MY INFORMATION IN A FILING SYSTEM??? i feel that it has gone as far as harrassment now, and i am considering contacting the south african consulate in the u.k.! i cannot remember a time when i was so frustrated by a company.
H E L P!!!!! Posted on 6 Jan 2004 15:21
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Kat
Incompetence at it's best!-
Hi Colleen,
I am so pleased to have found a similarly aggrieved person! I left SA over 2 years ago for the UK. After dutifully paying my TV licence fees every year I am suddenly getting these incredibly insulting emails demanding payment. This incompetent company emailed me in April and after I sent a reply expressing my disgust, they apologised and assured me it was resolved. Needless to say, this week I got another threatening email, the exact wording as the one before:
'Kindly contact our legal department as a matter of urgency so that we can finalise arrangements with yourself. We wish to inform you that should you not make such arrangements, you will be listed at all Credit Bureaus and that you will not be able to obtain any further credit.

The contact details are as follows: 0861101993 Reference to quote is: SABC Tv Licences/XXXX.

In the absence of a response, further legal action will be taken without any notice.

Yours faithfully,


Van De Venter, Mojapelo Attorneys.'

I don't know who they think they are sending such threats out. My only hope is that somebody in the SABC sees the company name and withdraws their business. They have yet to respond to my email sent to them last week.

Thankfully there is a lot more efficiency in the UK! Posted on 2 Nov 2004 22:20
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FURIOUS!
circus of "attorneys"-
After corresponding with the Mojapelo attorneys after receiving their "final demand" (which was first I heard from them, by the way), I received an text message on my mobile today, "(my name), I am disappointed in not receiving your payment of R1484.50 iro your TV Lic. Contact V.Mojapelo (Legal Dep). TV Lic#:XXXXXXXXX. Tel : 0861101993"

Who do they think they are harrasing a person like this? Perhaps a good idea to get their admin up to date instead! Posted on 12 Oct 2007 03:33
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V MOJAPELO-
I am very disappointed in not receiving your payment of R4568.54, apparently for a TV Lic, I apparently purchased in 1996 and I made a payment at Std Bank Marshalltown, but I stay Cape Town and I have never been JHB. 11years where on earth do they come from NOW!!!!! Now I have been told to write an Affidavit saying I never purchased a TV licence and faxing it to 086 6187099. Is this some kind of scam, what on earth is going on??????

Anonymous Cape Town Posted on 23 Oct 2007 11:22
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Proud to an Aussie
VVM/SABC error and Harassment-
I left South Africa in 2007 and had never owned a television as I lived with my parents till then. I briefly returned to SA beginning of 2003 and rented a television from Teljoy for a period of 6 months. Teljoy sorted out the licence as part of the rental agreement. On completion of the hire term I returned the Television set as required in the contract and left SA in November. Last year 2008, yes 5 years later SABC and VVM decided to chase me for overdue TV licence. They have made abusive phone calls to my parents that still live there and when I send them an e-mail to correct the error they never respond. Eventually after tracking down the shop I hired the TV from (by the way I am living in Australia and a Citizen in this time), they were able to give documented proof substantiating my story. I then received an e-mail from a lady at VVM stating the following” Thank you for your email, In response the below mentioned matter kindly note our client the SABC has instructed us to close our file herein and the matter to be forwarded to the cancellation department of SABC. Hope the above is in order

Thank you
Kind Regards
Farhana Khan

Guess what in February 2009 my parents started getting harassment calls all over again regarding this very same issue… I reckon someone was retrenched and the replacement found an old record… I was under the impression you needed a Degree to be a Lawyer…

By the way here in Australia, national TV is free to air, you only pay for Foxtel (Satellite television), get with the rest of the world SABC and maybe spend your time on checking the millions of “less advantaged” people who have acquired someone television and are watching for free. Fed up with this incompetence!!! Posted on 10 Mar 2009 05:01
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Agenis
VVM Attorneys-
It seems that these attorneys can operate unprocedural according to law by threats of blacklisting and a list of other threats. In the first place the only telephone number is a line where you get to speak with consultants which is not equiped to deal with a simple query and gets into a personal argument. Eventually you get a fax nr after several attempts to fax your proof that they are mistaken which gets no response. We also tried the NCR but to no avail. It is really harrasment on info which is wrong. I had to get my own laywer to sort them out which costed me money. It is absurd that a supposedly legal law firm can get away openly with such bandit behaviour! Posted on 24 Feb 2011 09:34
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Frank 2
DISGUSTING-
With CPIX projected to be in the region of 6% how can a Government department like the SABC even consider charging above that and then still serve up the rubbish that they call TV ..........???? Posted on 26 Nov 2003 10:04
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SB
Cloud Cukooland ??-
You must be joking, I am in the UK and about to leave for SA to return for good, I have just recieved my tv licence renewal here, it has increased again, like it does every year this time to a mind blowing R1650 a year, and yes the programs here are pretty crap as well.....The SABC licence fee is unbelievable value for money actually. Consider youself fortunate......I rest my case. Posted on 17 Jan 2004 09:43
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myself
My fellow South Africans -
Fellow South Africans...do we really know why we have to pay TV Licences...has enough been done in educating our people about the subject or is it a question of fulfilling legal and moral obligations...what do we get in return?


I'd really love to hear from you...

Kind Regards
quintonkgosi@metroweb.co.za Posted on 29 Aug 2005 19:03
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Got the same sms and never bought a TV before-
How can people send u threatening sms's and u never in your life bought a tv. I'm kinda thinking this is a scam or somethin Posted on 31 Oct 2007 16:19
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a little concerned and annoyed-
I get an sms on my phone every March to remind me that my balance owing is R2736.70 and is due 29/02/2008 (todays one)please remember to pay before due date and to ignore if already paid? I owned a tv in 1999 last where i paid them monthly installments of R23.00? by D.O. resigned, sold or gave tv away to go overseas. Came back got married and used husbands TV, kicked him and his TV out in Dec 2005 then only bought a tv from Game in Wynberg in March 2006 and paid the new licence in full before i could get the TV. R2736.70 is like 10 years of TV license money. countless useless wasteful hours on calls, signed affidavites thru registered mail and no luck, i am stressed coz i dont want to be black listed. is this a scam? TV license number also different to one I got when i bought TV. not sure if I'm gonna find purchase reciept for TV. pl help someone. Posted on 28 Feb 2008 12:57
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Ash
Paid after getting sms...-
Hmm, talking about possibility of a scam.
I just paid mine now after getting an sms warning me I hadnt paid it yet. Busy as I am, I didnt think twice about going to the website indicated in the sms www.tvlic.co.za to
get their banking details & did an internet transfer from my account.

If its not the real sabc's site, & account details... it
would be a Brilliant scam! My only regret would be not thinking of it first LOL. Posted on 13 Aug 2008 16:43
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hayley
did it pay off?-
Ash, can you tell me after paying whether you were bothered with the problem again? If I pay will it be sorted out, or will the problem continue? will make me feel better to hear paying actually solved the problem for you... Posted on 29 Jun 2009 10:51
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rob
Van de Venter, Mojapelo - no communication - threatened blacklisting-
I returned from overseas to find that I had warning notices on a TV licence. On the 17th June 2008, I emailed, faxed and faxed again and again and emailed again and again. Left numerous messages with this company. I spoke to two people initially at this vv Mojapelo place but still never received any acknowledgement of my emails or faxes. They just plain ignored me!This TV was sold in 2000 yet still am being fined and threatened. This is unacceptable. I still do not own a TV. Definitely some type of hoax company?? http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=131524 Posted on 3 Nov 2008 21:02
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Adi
Oh my goodness, this DOES sound like a scam-
I got exactly the same thing. I bought a TV in 2001, gave the thing away a few months later to my domestic worker when I started studying again, and now, in 2009, I get this call saying I must pay up. She kept me on the damn phone for, like, ten minutes, whining, until I told her she's wasting my time. Later on in the day, an sms: "Good day, kindly settle your SABC acc R1,997.00. Your savings would then be +- R1,374.60! Bank details to follow. Kind regards VVM Att 0878054940 Ref:xyz"

Hey, a bargain - pay us or we won't blacklist you! WTF???!!! In my books, this falls under either blackmailing or a scam. Posted on 19 Jan 2009 16:55
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same problem i think they full of it-
VVM skellems Posted on 27 Jan 2009 16:44
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Incompetency-
Same problems since March 2008. Think somebody at VVM pocket the money and never paid it to the SABC.NOT TO MENTION THE INCOMPETENCY ! Posted on 22 Mar 2009 12:35
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Kaz
Harassing SMS from VVM to start legal action-
I had a rude sms from VVM attourneys that legal Action is Commencing on my SABC account for R2475.00 Contact VVM Attourneys. What a lot of Sh..... I dont, and never have had a TV in my name in S.A. The TV
's where in my husbands name and the licence too. He has a valid TV licence. Where do they get my details from? Who is selling lists of information to them? This must be a scam! I looked on the SABC Website and cannot find anything verifying that VVM are their official debt collector! Posted on 30 Jun 2009 09:56
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I am sure it is a scam!!-
I have proof that they are using info from the vehicle licensing registry to target TV license "arrears"

In addition:

I was scammed into paying a Telkom account that was closed a year ago!! By the same people!

They are scamming people out of millions!!! Posted on 3 Jul 2009 11:25
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Truth
3rd Degree-
I work for the programme and we are going to do a show on VVM Attorneys very soon.

You guys can run, but you can't hide. Posted on 23 Jul 2009 17:46
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Anne
3rd Degree-
Is this programme still going to be aired or have I missed it?

Have also just received a threatening letter from them on a loan of NINE years ago which was fully paid up!!!

Report this company to the Debt Collecting Council!!! Posted on 13 Oct 2009 10:56
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ME
Credit regulator and Ombudsman-
I think this VVM should be stopped, i reported them to the National Credit regulator and Ombudsman, none of the bitches bothered to acknowledge my email. That show's you what customer service we had in colourful country. Posted on 2 Feb 2011 17:16
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ANONYMOUS
vvm-
I RECEIVED A MASAGE THAT I HAVE OVERDRAFT WITH FNB BUT I DONT HAVE ANY CREDIT WITH THEM.U KNOW I WAS SO PISSED OFF I WENT N PAY THE MONEY THE FOLLOWING DAY THEY SEND ME AN SMS THAT I DIDN;T PAY.DAILY SUN;3RD DEGREE WE REALLY NEED UR HELP TO CATCH VVM PLS .I THINK THEY R FAKE PS. Posted on 17 Feb 2011 16:46
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VVM-
I have also just had a big fight with them. I had a TV license years ago but left to go overseas and sold everything. I have now come back and these stupid attorneys sent me an sms saying I owed my SABC account quite a bit. When I called them, they had the cheek to ask for my ID number which I will not give out over the phone to strangers as there is to much ID theft. At the end of it, I told them to prove I had a TV all those years and had used it and that they must send me a summons. Posted on 24 Jul 2009 13:53
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VVM-
I have been looking for contact info for VVM as I am being harassed by them from JHB Municipality. Looks like they have managed to get the contract to harass all late municipal account payers. Thier approach is the same as they use for the SABC, send an SMS which you can't reply to, send you an e-mail which when you respond they won't reply to, they have an 086 number (is this a premium number?) which takes you through a long message at the end of which is says it's mail box is full. I get the feeling they want to blacklist you and take legal action - they are lawyers and get fees (from the muncipality) so it's a good scam, robbing the rate payers who are essentially the employers of the municipal workers

I am sure that they also take a % of all money that they recover. Posted on 1 Oct 2009 17:48
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FEDUP
VVM 'Attorneys'?-
My husband and I are ready to tear our hair out. At the beginning of August, we received a letter from VVM saying we would be taken to court if we didn't pay 36,000+ for rates and taxes owing on 2 properties we once owned prior to 1994. I phoned the number given on the letterhead, to deny our culpability, but the number didn't exist.

We took the letter to our lawyer. He was able to prove that we had sold the property and it could not have been sold unless we had, in fact, paid the Jhb Municipality in full.

Our lawyer told us to ignore the communications from VVM. Easier said than done! Ever since, my husband has been harassed with at least one sms or phone call from VVM per day, often after business hours or on weekends! We always speak to the person when it's a phone call, but we cannot understand what they say and it is never the same person. Suspicious, to say the least. My husband phoned our lawyer again because he was getting really worried. After all, it's a HUGE amount and must be sorted out Our lawyer again said, "Ignore them. Let them take you to court and we'll prove you don't owe them any money."

When we ask VVM questions regarding the amount we owe, the figure changes all the time - sometimes more, sometimes less - by thousands of rand! My husband has told every single VVM employee who has phoned him since August last year to speak to our attorney. They all ask what the attorney's name and phone number is and my husband gives it to each one, every time, yet no one at VVM has phoned him to date. They obviously have no filing system to speak of - hard copy or digital. Their website has this to say about the company:
______________________________________________________

Our Mission
VVM Inc. builds client loyalty through satisfaction, providing cost-effective service and faster results through competent, motivated staff and the successful application of technology.

Company Profile
VVM Inc. is a young, vigorous company with an outstanding record of growth over the short period since its inception in 1990. Its success is based on the ability to deliver excellent service which truly satisfies the real evaluative criteria of clients. Chief among these are three constructs, namely:

Professionalism
Speed
Cost-effectiveness

To achieve excellence in all three, the company has two main strategies: Its commitment to its people and its commitment to information technology.

The People Culture
VVM Inc. employs people with the necessary skills and experience to be competent from the outset in their initial functions. However, this is only the starting point. Beyond this basic qualification level, staff who show the drive to succeed and who understand the importance of first-class client service as part of the culture of the company, are selected.

From the start, individuals are actively encouraged and assisted in developing leading-edge skills and knowledge in specialist areas of the practice through training and further study. Regular training for all staff ensures a dynamic and stimulating environment in which individuals can develop to their fullest potential.
_______________________________________________________

We got our regular phone call from VVM today. This time, it was a Mr. Fourie on the line. He spoke so quickly that neither of us could understand him, even after my husband and I both spoke to him seperately, asking him to speak slowly and clearly. This is the level of competency of all VVM employees we have spoken to thusfar - both male and female.

It's becoming utterly ridiculous and I hope someone, somewhere, exposes this unscrupulous company! Posted on 9 Jan 2010 11:28
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VVM attorneys or crooks?-
I just received an sms telling me that vvm are expecting a payment from me. I battled for a year and a half trying to get my license cancelled, after many conversations and faxes sent I eventually recieved a letter in the post from the SABC confirming that my license had been cancelled. So who is this bunch of clowns vvm attorneys to come months later demanding money from me? Definitely sounds like a scam. Maybe this should be reported to the fraud department at SAPS. Posted on 27 Oct 2009 15:47
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incompetant personnel-
i agree with the comments made about v v m attorneys ,i contacted the council for debt collectors and unfortunately they advie that they cnnot do anything against them as they r attorneys and several complaints have come past them.
how can you run a law firm with employees that don't know or understand the work they are doing also been so arrogant ,rude ,unprofessional hard of hearing ,don't give you a chance to vioce your side all they want is money for the fallen SABC. LIKE I SAY THE SABC LICENCE DOES NOT FORM ANY PART OF THE NATIONAL CREDIT ACT IT IS NOT A CREDIT AGREEMENT ,suppose i have to pay the o/s fees for my crayfish permit that i stopped using since 1989 ,rtry thinking about that ,what they are doing is so illegal ,wish they would do soemthing about it now they sre getting out of hand Posted on 3 Nov 2009 10:58
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tv licence-
My father bought a tv set on 2006 and he passed away on 2007 he was the one who was paying the tv licence, now they had sent my mother letter saying that she must pay R1400 my mother did not buy any tv ,my mother is 68 yrs where will she find such amount of money. Posted on 5 Nov 2009 15:09
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Beau
wtf?-
These monkeys are useless. I still live with my parents but was required to purchase a tv license when I bought my first TV a few months back. I purchased the TV license and received a final letter of demand from a law firm last week. I liaised with my attorney and he gave me a copy of his middle finger to send them. Made my day :)
I shudder to think what will happen when I change addresses at the end of this month... Posted on 9 Nov 2009 18:10
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optimist
VVM Attorney Harrassment-
I am so relieved to read that I'm not the only one harrassed by VVM... I too lived in the UK for eight years and came back, didn't take the SABC reminder too seriously and was as a result "handed over". The letters of demand, the un-answered emails, the unpleasant sms's, not to mention the expensive phone calls, are so stressful. Are there any lawyers reading this forum, can they comment? Thanks. PS Has the TV program mentioned by "Truth" been produced (see June 2009)? Perhaps it has been blocked by the SABC?? Posted on 11 Nov 2009 12:49
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Melanie
VVM Attorney-
I am having exactly the same problem. My daughter lived in Cape Town in 2005. When she returned to Johannesburg in March 2006 she left the TV with her boyfriend as she was moving in with me. In the November of 2006 we were told she owed R300 odd rand which I paid on the SABC TV web site. We then phoned them sent through a proof of payment and a letter to cancel the TV licence - I put my cell phone number on the letter. Now three years down the line I am getting harrassing sms's about R3000 outstanding. The only way they got my number was if they received the letter in 2006. We have faxed through a new affidavit to both SABC and VVM attorneys and I am still being harrassed and threatend with legal action. This is beyond a joke! I have never experienced such harrassment like this before. Posted on 26 Nov 2009 21:02
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billozero
But that's not all!-
My wife and I have been receiving threatening texts from VVM attorneys to pay for outstanding sanitation and refuse service from City of Johannesburg. We pay our monthly bill on time every month have never received an additional request for payment from City of Johannesburg. I tried querying it but VVM are so useless I just end up losing my temper. I've called them 5 times and 8 days ago I made a payment of over R5000 - even thougfh they have not produced the bill for the amount they say I owe. In addition the payment I made hasn't been reflected on my statement! They come across as incompetent at best and crooks at worst. Posted on 3 Dec 2009 10:25
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Ken
Van De Venter Mojalelo "attorneys"-
We have had threatening notifications for years, all our correspondence goes nowhere, it is impossible to talk to anyone but an utter imbecile

MUST be a scam - Carte Blanche need to visit these guys - could be an eye opener Posted on 10 Dec 2009 16:05
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Nisha Mohan
VVM Attorneys- incompetance at it's best!!!!!-
I have now exhausted all avenues of trying to get these morons to understand, that sending out threatening sms's at midnight, is already a no-no, nevermind the fact that it is grossly incorrect, as payments are made, but for some unearthly reason, they have not updated their lists of payments from COJ, and 4 months later, i still have to repeatedly educate the minion at the other end, that unless you get your mess sorted, plse refrain from harrassing me. i waste my time yet again........GRRRRR Posted on 19 Apr 2011 09:08
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Rocky
Affidavit sent-
I have been receiving harrasment SmS's from VVM for the last 2 years claiming R4500 for TV licence going back 12 years. I sent them an affidavit a year ago that has been ignored. They are still harrassing me. I am retired, sold my house and contents including the TV 13 years ago and moved in with my daughter who has a TV licence.
I will have these clowns on my back untill my last days. Posted on 17 Dec 2009 14:29
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GLORIA
VVM ASSHOLES-
I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS PPL, FOR ME THEY NEVER SEND ANY SMS OR NOTHING I FIND OUT WHEN I WENT TO APPLY FOR VEHECLE FINANCE THAT IM ON ITC FOR MY TV LICENSE. THE WORST PART IS THAT I NEVER PAY IT FOR A YEAR AND 7MONTHS BUT I HEAR PPL TALKING ABOUT 1998 ONLY RECEIVED THREADS NOW, I THINK WE SHOULD COMPLAIN TO THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THIS IS REALY A BIG ISSUE FOR US CUZ WE ARE BEING RIPPED OFF FOR NOTHING, I MEAN NO ONE IS USING THAT STUPID AIRIEL ANYMORE WE ARE USUNG DSTV. I MEAN MULTICHOICE IS PAYING THEM EVERY MONTH YET THEY STILL WANT US TO PAY THEM ALSO, I THINK SOMETHING IS UP WITH THIS SABC AND VVM THEY ARE HAVING SOME DEAL TO STRIP US MONEY. I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS THING. I PAYED THEM THE AMOUNT THEY ASK FOR IM WAITING TO SEE IF MY NAME IS STILL BLACK LISTED OR HELL WILL BREAK. Posted on 17 May 2011 13:29
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StuffUSABC
nasty sms's from Van De Venter Mojapelo Inc-
these monkeys are annoying - where did they get my details from. SABC, you are to blame for hiring monkeys to harass people. Posted on 21 Dec 2009 10:23
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Rocky
Learn from the disadvantaged-
Best is, copy the disadvantaged.......stolen electricity and TV, don't pay rates and V V M will never know and no one will bug you. Buy a TV from Gumtree and you don't need a licence. SABC will never know. The TV licence inspectors are as lazy as the rest of them.
MMMMMM....If V V M are claiming a back licence amount it is also up to them to prove in court that you own a TV for all that time. Posted on 22 Dec 2009 10:32
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VVM demands payment without proof docs-
I have received sms messages from this company stating that I must pay for Rates and Taxes and amount of R443,19. I managed to get an answer to my call after much effort and patience and was told it was for an address where I have never resided.
I have requested a copy of the bill so that I can verify that the amount is not my debt - but to no avail. Just a printed letter of demand.
This cannot be the legal way of going about things - Clearly the manner in which this company of (supposed) Attorneys harrass people by cell phone is illegal and highly questionable.
Judith Sternberg Posted on 2 Jan 2010 09:51
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Just Ignore them-
Thats what I do,just ignore all the BS letters emails and SMS's

They can keep sending them. If everyone just ignored them they could not stay in business.

I do however wish they would send me an actual court summons but they never will because they know they can't win a case where they need to prove you had a license and the SABC certainly can't keep records of all the letters they have received for cancelations so the way I see it is they can just keep sending stuff and I'll just keep deleting it. Posted on 6 Jan 2010 00:12
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SABC TV LICENCE SCAM-
How can these people get away with this. Just recently (can't remember exactly when) I saw an article in the Mecury, I think that mentioned DOING AWAY WITH TV LICENCES. Please someone tell me what is the progress on this.

I gave my Tv away in 2001 and boarded with people. I bought the TV over 20 years ago and the lady at SABC tells me that I should remember the EXACT DATE of purchase. These people are bloody idiots and the whole of SA should boycott paying TV licences or the false arrears that they demand! Posted on 7 Jan 2010 12:22
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Mike
MTN in on the action.-
I know this is not about the TV licences but seeing as everybody is on about VVM Lawyers I added my comment:

Somehow my MTN debit order was stopped without my knowledge and the account was not paid for 3 months. I then started receiving SMS threats from VVM that legal action was going to be taken against me. I owed something like R2700 according to the sms.

I called them up and the lady eish said she will call me back with an amount. After an email of complaint I eventually got phoned back after TWO weeks! Right now we owe R600.
The R600 rands paid, debit order arranged again and guess what? The debit order does not go through again. I arranged to pay at the end of the month which I did. After paying I still receive SMS from VVM saying that I am going to be blacklisted because I did not honour the agreement. What BS.

I am so glad I saw this on the internet. I am not alone. Does anybody from VVM read this or shall I forward the website address to them? Posted on 2 Feb 2010 06:22
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Jason
VVM-
VVM Attorneys is a scam. I also got an sms that I'm in arrears in my cell phone contract - I'm never in arrears - and my network provider debits the amount from my account every month. I even received an sms from them that they will organise a discount for my tv licence.
Don't pay them anything. Posted on 11 Feb 2010 09:17
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Rocky
VVM-
When is the story going on 3rd Degree or Carte Blanche to make it public so everybody knows what is going on here. C'mon Derek give them a go. Posted on 13 Apr 2010 14:31
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VVM Attorneys-
Unfortunately this is not a scam. This is a collection agency which seems to specialise in intimidation and harassment
I too have had years of this treatment, despite not living in South Africa. I have been back for one year, and made the mistake of paying my tv licence. This has provided VVM with newer contact details, and we get calls late at night and regular rude and threatening sms, which are escalating in their threats of legal action.
Thanks to Hello Peter for a forum to air our grievances BUT SOMETHING MORE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE DONE. The manner in which this business operates is unconstitutional. Posted on 30 Apr 2010 15:58
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Paul
We should sue them-
Hello, I have sent them proof of payment and they still threaten me. I am planning on suing them. Posted on 21 Jun 2010 11:43
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jabu
mtn and vvm atteoneys sucks-
they are after money,they dont update thier systems and keep treat people Posted on 28 Oct 2010 15:06
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confused
MTN-
Listen to this...My sister opened a mtn contract, 4 months later she still hasnt recieved a single bill in the mail, plus her lines still hasnt been activated after many calls to mtn and being assured by many consultants/opperaters that it will be activated. But being the good South African that she is, she paid R200-R300 amount into mtn's bank account monthly anyways. Then all of a sudden these atorneys starts smsing her telling her that she must pay them R3000 for outstanding bills on her mtn account, to avoid being black listed. Then they called her and explained that if she cant pay the R3000 then she has the option to pay only an activation fee of R620 then her line will be opened again and she will continues her 2year contract. So she paid them. But her line was still not activated. Then 2weeks later they smsed her again with a new ammount to be paid immediatly..... So she called mtn to find out what this is all about , THE MTN CONSULTENT TOLD HER THAT IT MUST BE A SCAM, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT KNOW ANY VVM ATORNEYS AND THAT SHE MUST NOT PAY THEM ANYTHING AND JUST IGNORE THEIR SMS'S AND IF THEY CALL HER AGAIN SHE MUST TELL THEM THAT SHE WAS INFORMED BY MTN THAT ITS A SCAM AND BECAUSE HER LINE HAS NOT BEEN ACTIVATED SHE DID NOT HAVE TO PAY MTN THE MONEY THAT SHE PAID THEM MONTHLY.... This guy acctualy asked her if she still wants to activated her line and an hour later her line were activated!! She also got her first statement that month and she was acctualy credited for the money that she has been paying into mtn's account for the 4 months (while not activated)..... Okay, so we felt much better knowing that it was just a scam, we have nothing to worry about.

Then, when i also got a sms out of nowhere from this vvm attorneys, saying that i must pay them R6000 for my mtn account, I immediatly called my sister to confirm the name of the attorneys that were smsing her a few months earlier, because i also havent had my line activated and havnt got any bills from mtn. When she confirmed that it was the same people from the so called 'scam' i ignored the smses and didnt answer the phone calls.
Now a year later i get a phonecall from MTN, telling me that my account has been in arrears since last year!!!!! Its been a YEAR and i havent heard a thing from them, not an sms, phonecall, monthly statement, nothing! Couldnt they atleast call me earlier!! Or atleast sent me a monthly statement to tell me what i must pay!!! I didnt think i have anything to pay seen as mtn told my sister that "if your line is not acctivated you dont have to pay, and that the smses we get from VVM attorneys were a scam" !!!!
Now Mtn waits a year to go by and then tells me im in arrears!? ""How must i know what to pay you guys if you guys dont send me a bill ??!!""
They cant just give you over to their attorneys while not informing you about anything!!! Esspecially not to an attorney company that contact you via sms... im not going to pay every sms i get from unknown numbers telling me to pay money into their account!!! are they mad? It just doesnt work that way! Do they think that money is just lying around here and i will pay every tom dick and harry a large ammount of money as soon as they sms me? They must be crazy!

And whan you call vvm call center each consultend you speak to tells you a diffrent story! The same with mtn! Whats that about? Cant they train their people so that they can acctualy assist you in a matter? How can they assist you if you dont know if they really does know what they are talking about?
I mean i dont even trust or believe a word that any consultend tells me anymore, cause how do you know who to believe and who not? Posted on 3 Dec 2010 02:39
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SABC Activist
Consumer protection act-
The state is excluded from this new act to protect consumers. This is unconsitutional and unlawfull. Please would an attorney take this on. It is further unconstitutional and something that can hopefully be brought before the constitutional court soonest, is the provision in the act whereby the onus is on the licence holder to prove he/she is not liable for payment of the licence fees. The is absolute bullshit and tantamount to the dark old apartheid days whereby the government controlled us. I grew up with a belief in law and justice. I qualifed myself to work within the framework of the law. Unfortunately the fine words and sentiments about justice did not coincide with reality. I honestly and sincerely believe in legality but when the laws have as their prime aim and protection and promotion of the interest of such a corrupt organisation like the SABC , I shall forever work towards the destruction of these laws and the destruction of these even more corrupt attorney's who harrras innocent law abiding individuals until justice prevails. Lets take a stand against the SABC and these attorneys what they are doing in many instances is unlawful and should not go unpunished - I would be happy to pay a licence for a pay channel but SABC transmits absolute rubbish and wont even let poor Thabo speak shame on you fuckers Posted on 23 Jul 2010 23:31
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Law Firm Tribunal-
We need a law firm tribunal, just like the media tribunal to deal with such firms as vvm and the like. this vvm is good in harassing, intimidating law abiding citizen of RSA. Action must be taken against them and the government must protect it's people from the likes of vvm Posted on 30 Sep 2010 10:29
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Robin
So called Outstanding TV license-
You need a top attorney to deal with VVM. There is a missing legal requirement that is a technicality that SABC will fail on hopelessly if they take it to court.SABC and VVM have not realised this yet. Lets wait until they have faltered enough then everbody will be let off the hook. DON'T PAY ANYTHING IF YOU ARE NOT GUILTY. Posted on 13 Oct 2010 11:58
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Rolo
VVM think they have it sewn up-
I got news for them. The disadvantged have set a precident. There are more unpaid and illegal tv viewers than paid ones so why must the minority pay up? Give it up VVM don't waste consumers time. Besides read the last comment about a legal requirement. I know what it is that is why I have given VVM my middle finger. Posted on 26 Oct 2010 11:13
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Cathleen
Disadvantaged are not imune to VVM!!!-
My Dometic, who lives in a SHACK in Diepsloot, has started receiving threatening sms's from VVM for an outstanding municipal account aof R63,000.00??? She has never received a statment of demand from council, recieves no statements, and makes a payment on her water and electricity monthy. No one is immune, and it is even more erroneous to constitute such actions, when people have no means to create a papaer trail, or afford an attonery to represent them. Posted on 4 Nov 2010 08:17
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SABC Guess what...-
FUCK YOU OES Posted on 17 May 2011 13:43
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