At best, telesales scripts go big on the benefits of the proposed deal and skim over the not-so-great bits. At worst they mislead the consumer either directly or by omission.The Consumer Protection Act states that when marketing any goods or services, the supplier “must not... express or imply a false, misleading or deceptive representation concerning a material fact to a consumer, or fail to correct an apparent misapprehension...”
That’s what some MultiChoice subscribers have accused the pay TV company’s appointed telesales agents of doing – misleading them.
MultiChoice is no longer producing or “supporting” the old SD PVR and DualView decoders so, if they break, they won’t repair or replace them, meaning you’re forced to buy the latest Explora decoder, which retails for around R2000.
The company has appointed a third party, On Air, to cold call MultiChoice customers who still have old decoders “to see if we can help them upgrade”.
This is the offer: a DStv Explora, DStv HD decoder and XtraView installation for R169 per month over 24 months.
And the two decoders are linked under one subscription.
The initial On Air sales script detailed the Explora’s benefits including more movies, sport and series on Catch-Up, but was completely silent on a very important fact, at least in the two cases I investigated.
And that is that there’s a world of difference between DualView and XtraView.
DualView allows subscribers to have one decoder and one subscription, but watch two different DSTV channels on two different TV sets, each with full PVR capability.
What the new Explora can’t offer is DualView technology, and that’s a monstrous material fact.
Because with the deal currently on offer, subscribers get great functionality in the prime “viewing environment”, but when it comes to the second TV, linked to the HD decoder, you can watch a different channel, but you can’t pause, rewind or fast forward. You can’t watch your favourite shows on Catch-Up, you can’t watch Box Office movies and you can’t record a show.
If you want all that on the second TV, it’ll cost plenty – a second Explora and another full monthly subscription.
None of that was explained to Jane Middleborough of Hillcrest or Johan Odendaal of Pietermaritzburg in the sales pitches they got from On Air telesales agents over the phone.
They only discovered the drastically reduced functionality after they’d agreed to the deal and their new decoders had been installed.
HER STORY
Middleborough contacted On Air in early August to complain about being misled and was told they had listened to the call, and that there was no misrepresentation, because she was told she’d be receiving an Explora with XtraView, and that’s what she got.
“The dispute is not about the equipment received,” she argued, “it’s the fact that the consultants are not explaining to the public that the Explora, combined with XtraView, does not function the same as the DualView PVR.”
Middleborough said she wanted her old PRV back “and On Air can take their XtraView back as this unit is worthless to a household of five”.
HIS STORY
“The sales consultant told me that with XtraView I would have “two separate dedicated TV environments” which, to me, was the same as what I had,” Odendaal said.
“I was shocked to discover I had no PVR functionality on the second set. I’m worse off than when I had the old PVR.”
On complaining to On Air, Odendaal was sent a copy of his telesales call recording, but then ignored.
Having listened to the call, I pointed out to MultiChoice that as in Middleborough’s case, Odendaal hadn’t been told a thing about the lack of DuelView functionality, which falls spectacularly foul of the Consumer Protection Act’s full disclosure provisions.
Odendaal also called for his deal to be scrapped and for his previous set-up to be restored.
MULTICHOICE’S RESPONSE
Responding, MultiChoice said recordings of the two telesales calls in question revealed that vital information had indeed not been disclosed.
“We sincerely apologise. We have taken this up with On Air and amended their scripts to ensure this is explained to our customers in future.”
As compensation, both Odendaal and Middleborough have been given a second Explora decoder to replace the HD one in their XtraView set-up, giving them access to PVR functionality and Catch Up services on both decoders in the home, for just one subscription fee, plus R80 for XtraView.
Clearly anyone else who wasn’t told the full story by On Air would be entitled to similar compensation.
MultiChoice says they have only received these two complaints “but we will review each case on its merits”.
Experience – and the Hellopeter complaints site – tell me that Middleborough and Odendaal aren’t the only two who were misled by this deal.
And had I not escalated their complaints to Multichoice, they would have remained unaddressed.
If you’re in a similar position, I suggest you contact MultiChoice directly and ask that they retrieve your telesales call to establish whether or not you were told the deal’s second decoder had no PVR functions.
In fact, what MultiChoice should do is proactively listen to every one of those successful sales calls and offer a free second Explora to all those who were misled. If you ask me.
CONTACT WENDY: E-mail: consumer@knowler.co.za Twitter: @wendyknowler
OPINION: Decoding omissions and unpacking a sales pitch
That’s what some MultiChoice subscribers have accused the pay TV company’s appointed telesales agents of doing – misleading them.
MultiChoice is no longer producing or “supporting” the old SD PVR and DualView decoders so, if they break, they won’t repair or replace them, meaning you’re forced to buy the latest Explora decoder, which retails for around R2000.
The company has appointed a third party, On Air, to cold call MultiChoice customers who still have old decoders “to see if we can help them upgrade”.
This is the offer: a DStv Explora, DStv HD decoder and XtraView installation for R169 per month over 24 months.
And the two decoders are linked under one subscription.
The initial On Air sales script detailed the Explora’s benefits including more movies, sport and series on Catch-Up, but was completely silent on a very important fact, at least in the two cases I investigated.
And that is that there’s a world of difference between DualView and XtraView.
DualView allows subscribers to have one decoder and one subscription, but watch two different DSTV channels on two different TV sets, each with full PVR capability.
What the new Explora can’t offer is DualView technology, and that’s a monstrous material fact.
Because with the deal currently on offer, subscribers get great functionality in the prime “viewing environment”, but when it comes to the second TV, linked to the HD decoder, you can watch a different channel, but you can’t pause, rewind or fast forward. You can’t watch your favourite shows on Catch-Up, you can’t watch Box Office movies and you can’t record a show.
If you want all that on the second TV, it’ll cost plenty – a second Explora and another full monthly subscription.
None of that was explained to Jane Middleborough of Hillcrest or Johan Odendaal of Pietermaritzburg in the sales pitches they got from On Air telesales agents over the phone.
They only discovered the drastically reduced functionality after they’d agreed to the deal and their new decoders had been installed.
HER STORY
Middleborough contacted On Air in early August to complain about being misled and was told they had listened to the call, and that there was no misrepresentation, because she was told she’d be receiving an Explora with XtraView, and that’s what she got.
“The dispute is not about the equipment received,” she argued, “it’s the fact that the consultants are not explaining to the public that the Explora, combined with XtraView, does not function the same as the DualView PVR.”
Middleborough said she wanted her old PRV back “and On Air can take their XtraView back as this unit is worthless to a household of five”.
HIS STORY
“The sales consultant told me that with XtraView I would have “two separate dedicated TV environments” which, to me, was the same as what I had,” Odendaal said.
“I was shocked to discover I had no PVR functionality on the second set. I’m worse off than when I had the old PVR.”
On complaining to On Air, Odendaal was sent a copy of his telesales call recording, but then ignored.
Having listened to the call, I pointed out to MultiChoice that as in Middleborough’s case, Odendaal hadn’t been told a thing about the lack of DuelView functionality, which falls spectacularly foul of the Consumer Protection Act’s full disclosure provisions.
Odendaal also called for his deal to be scrapped and for his previous set-up to be restored.
MULTICHOICE’S RESPONSE
Responding, MultiChoice said recordings of the two telesales calls in question revealed that vital information had indeed not been disclosed.
“We sincerely apologise. We have taken this up with On Air and amended their scripts to ensure this is explained to our customers in future.”
As compensation, both Odendaal and Middleborough have been given a second Explora decoder to replace the HD one in their XtraView set-up, giving them access to PVR functionality and Catch Up services on both decoders in the home, for just one subscription fee, plus R80 for XtraView.
Clearly anyone else who wasn’t told the full story by On Air would be entitled to similar compensation.
MultiChoice says they have only received these two complaints “but we will review each case on its merits”.
Experience – and the Hellopeter complaints site – tell me that Middleborough and Odendaal aren’t the only two who were misled by this deal.
And had I not escalated their complaints to Multichoice, they would have remained unaddressed.
If you’re in a similar position, I suggest you contact MultiChoice directly and ask that they retrieve your telesales call to establish whether or not you were told the deal’s second decoder had no PVR functions.
In fact, what MultiChoice should do is proactively listen to every one of those successful sales calls and offer a free second Explora to all those who were misled. If you ask me.
CONTACT WENDY: E-mail: consumer@knowler.co.za Twitter: @wendyknowler
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos