Hellopeter.com - more than meets the eye.

[IanF]

I find Hello Peter a good site to deal with big companies like MTN. I just ported to them it "only" took 2 weeks but had to go on to HP 3 times as their shops and call centres are populated by idiots. I even offered to meet with their MD on HP but then they sorted the problems out.
I called them "idiots on HP but this came up as *****

[eskimo]

hellopeter is a load of crap, you can't actually see the real replies from the company, you can't actually discuss anything with the representatives.

i have made a complaints forum (http://www.freedumb.co.za) where you can post complaints and people can discuss the issues. I have got in contact with some of the companies to arrange a representative, so hopefully soon we can rip em apart! the site only launched today - so its still small, but join anyway!

[Dave A]

Good luck with the forum, Eskimo.

[insulin]

I don’t think anyone is going to care much for my post. However I find this information distasteful at best. See the Consumer Council is useless most of the time and more people will Google the net to find help and or answers to their predicaments.

Fact is our government is failing us because there is really no way to find help when you really need it. If I have a legal question I have no clue where to find the answers because every lawyer is out to get you and you are afraid to ask them anything because lawyers have the knowhow to destroy your life. So you only go to a lawyer if you have the money...

I don’t know of any lawyers or Law firms that are operated by government so I end up going to a website that is ultimately blackmailing people. This is sick and shows that our government is inadequate in almost all fronts.

This “Hellopeter� website saw an opportunity because they know that we the consumer have nothing to fight for us. My question is: Would this “Hellopeter� website be successful if our Consumer Council functioned properly? The answer is NO! So point blank: This “Hellopeter� website exists because our government is useless to start with.

[BryanCasson]

Hi All, I may have a solution for you. I have created a website called http://pantsonfire.co.za that is similar to HP, however, it is free for all to respond no matter how big or small. The site is new but has over 100 members already and has a resolution rate of 72% so far. Big companies have come on board and the response has been fantastic. Go check it out and let me know what you think

[Porcupine]

Every Kingdom must fall!
Remeber the realestate company WENDY MECHANIC?
That has to happen some other time and if they keep it up by blackmailing some1 els it is bound to happen to them as well.

I really think that going onto the HP site and reporting a complaint might sometimes make things worse then actually helping,because it would make some companies employees feel even worser and then you even get the heat from your boss about bad service you gave to a consumer.

I really think ppl post theire problems first before taking it up with the company first and then it cost the company alot to clear it's name but if the complainee only took it to the company first and try to solve it themselfs before giving up hope and posting it on HP site.

i think the q that needs to be answered is: "If i were to blackmail you whould you be happy about it ,because i didn't give you a chance to set it right and now you have to pay me BECAUSE i think your a company that doesn't give proper service to consumers,if you don't pay or reply i will put you on the NAUGHTY LIST so that every1 that uses your company might see your a BAD BOY."

I think if your an extortionist this is the best way to MAKE MONEY without being arrested and keeping under the radar from the TAX MAN.

Why not go with your complaint to carte blanche? they don't extort buisinesses for money? and they try to find the truth behind your story. So they give companies a sporting chance to make things right with consumers and you won't be put on a 'NAUGHTY LIST' just because you got a consumer that wasn't happy with your service.

The only reason HP exicts is because south african siciety has fallen and allow our standards to go that low,and despite many complaints that were posted on HP or any other sutch website ,there is still so many complaints that go missing every day without it being resolved.

[BryanCasson]

Porcupine, maybe you did not read my post correctly... Pants of fire is completely FREE to all. No Extortion... just a way to voice your concerns. Plus, most people go to sites like Pants On Fire because the company they are complaining about did not listen in the first place. My bet is that almost everyone did indeed "go to the company first".. but the companies service was a nightmare

[JoBi]

Tool for extortion

The problem I have with HelloPeter is that there is no validation done. Any one can make a complaint without it first being validated with hard facts. Don't get me wrong I think there is a place for a site like HelloPeter and a lot of valid complaints have been addressed. However a lot of undue harm has been done as well, where a consumer just has to threaten the use of HelloPeter to get their way. Without regard to whether they are in the wrong or not. This is often aimed at small business who cannot afford the bad publicity let alone the fee to try and justify themselves. A case in point I know of is a small company that arranges events was forced to repay a non-refundable deposit after having spent a considerable amount of time planning the event; the customer was fully up-front aware that the deposit was non refundable, and even signed a document stating so. The bad publicity that would have been generated by a post on HelloPeter forced them to refund as it would have been cheaper than the fees required by HelloPeter and certainly cheaper then the bad publicity would have cost them. Remember this is a small business. That's just not right.
I feel the HelloPeter should be pressured to offer a fair consumer rights site where companies and consumers are given equal opportunity. Where the popularity of the site will ensure consumers rights are upheld and there is no chance that HelloPeter can be used to extort money from small business.
Something needs to change; either their revenue model, or their complaints validation process.

The bottom line is that we need a fair and just consumer protection site. HelloPeter is currently not that site.

Regards,
John

[Justloadit]

Hi John,

Fisrtly welcome to the forum.

Whilst on the surface, your post sounds correct, the companies that are mentioned in the hellopeter.com, have a fair chance to state their case. I think the small company that you mentioned in the post was far to hasty to give into the customers demands. Had the customer placed the complaint in the hellopeter web page, the company concerned has full right to respond with the facts. It probably would have been good publicity for the company concerned, and would have pointed out that the customer concerned was the guilty party for not honoring the agreement, and that other companies to watch out for the customer concerned.

[Dave A]

Had the customer placed the complaint in the hellopeter web page, the company concerned has full right to respond with the facts.

Provided they pay... otherwise they'd be listed as a company that does not respond. I'm still not convinced that can be classified as "full right to respond."

Here's a question to consider now that time has moved on - are name-them-and-shame-them sites as influential as they were three or more years ago?

I get a sense that the typical internet browser has become far more savvy when it comes bad to revues on the internet. I think most people can spot the difference between malicious slagging and reasonable cause for dissatisfaction nowadays.

[AndyD]

I'd like to know if a complaint was lodged on a website such as hellobleater and it was shown with evidence that it was untrue and malicious;

1. Would there be any liability on behalf of the website for a financial damages claim by the injured business?
2. Would the website be held to the same standards as other media and be required to publish a retraction/correction/apology?

[Dave A]

I've been given to understand the key to determining the web site's liability in respect of content posted is the issue of pre-publication editorial control. This is where social media sites differ from news websites or traditional news media. Essentially on a social media website the publisher is the person posting the content, not the website hosting it. On a news website such as news24.com you will have a writer of the piece, normally a journalist, but the publisher is the entity that operates the web site. They decide what gets published and what does not.

Sometimes there is a line in the content too, particularly given that news sites often have an interactive facility nowadays for readers to post comments to their published stories. I believe in this instance the news site would be responsible for the story, but not for the comments section.

[garthu]

I have to agree with the whole extortion.blackmail issue here... but it can be dealt with also. Some time ago we referred a company to one of our clients for some work. The client eventually did not pay the provider, the provider came back to us and insisted we pay. They lodged complaints with the head office, ourselves to try and get payment but failed. They then insisted they would post on HP in order to get there way.

In an email to them i made it very clear that we would not respond but hold them liable for any payments to have it removed as well as damages in a civil suite. They never did the post. The amount in question was around R1500.00

This whole situation painted a very negative picture for with HP and that it is used for blackmail/extortion. Having to pay to defend this .. WHAT FOR!!! Even worse to go through a court case to resolve... yes there is space for it, i agree but the terms of payment i REALLY disagree with

[Mariana]

I agree that "HelloPeter" is a scam!

This my story:
The "Wiseman Concept" was approached to look for a property in the Nigel area for a client!
The "nature" of the "Wiseman Concept" is to save people money, because no Financial Adviser, CA or Banker can do that. This statement is proved!
We got a R 4 000 000 house for only R 1 100 000 ( R 2.9 million saving ) We charged R 30 000 for 3 weeks of effort ( Normal agents would have charged 110K.

While the bank processed the deal, the buyer got approved, only to find out that the property was sold on a auction without the knowledge of the owner. The property was in arrears , but the owner did not know about the auction. Giving the bank the benefit of the doubt, we preceded by talking and signing with the bank. The bank demanded R 1 600 000. We made the bank aware of the fact that they are legally not suppose to make a profit of R 500 000 from a stressed auctioned property. They agreed and went down to R 1 100 000.

An estate agent demanded R 70 000 ( We have put them to bed as well ) They did not do anything!

A nameless, no address, no phone number lodged a complain against the R 30 000 we charged ( After saving them millions )
MY PROBLEM IS:
HELLO PETER charged me R 640.00 to respond to this blatant accusation which carry's no substance and are full of lies. They never even mentioned the saving!
David are 100% correct...they blackmail people to respond to these complaints.
"Hello Wiseman" will be released shortly with zero cost to complaints
My first complain will be...IS HELLO PETER a money making scam........THE ANSWER IS ...YES!!!!

[Phil Cooper]

There is another side to hellopeter too. In my opinion, the PROMOTE the companies who have lots of complaints!

I follow the complaints against Direct insurers with great interest.

When I last did an exercise, some 88% of the complaints regarding non-payment of claims etc. in the site were against Direct underwriters, who hold some 22% of the market. In itself that says a lot!

HOWEVER - Direct Insurer A (will not use names as this was some time back) was listed by Peter as a GREAT company to do business with as they has a great "frown to smile" ratio.

SO - what he is saying is because they have the highest number of complaints, to which they ONLY responded because of HPDC, they are suddenly heroes.

The next interesting fact I found, when looking at a number of the complaints at random, is in a number of cases the insurer in question had actually paid claims which clearly were not covered. It was not covered on their policy wording, and there is not an insurance company in South Africa that would have paid under those circumstances.

However, Insurer A did pay. These were small claims, in the range of up to R 5,000. It became apparent to me that the Insurer in question is using the website purely as a form of advertising. people get a "warm fuzzy feeling" knowing that they actually do respond: the fact that they are one of the highest complaint ratios is immaterial.

Ah well!