Comments on: Flaws in the South African debt review awards program

By: ANONYMOUS

ANONYMOUS — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 12:06:52 +0000

In reply to Maria.

Well lets look at the current runners for this years awards, then you can judge what they’ll have to say for themselves:
DCASA NEC’s:
*Russel Dickerson (NEC President) – RD Debt Counsellors – Currently in the running for: Medium top 10
*Paul Slot (NEC member) – Octogen – Currently in the running for: National top 5
*Gerhard Stoltz (NEC member) – Gerhard Stoltz Debt Counsellors – Currently in the running for: Medium top 10
*Eugene Cilliers (NEC member) – Payplan Solutions – Currently in the running for: Medium top 5
*Wendy Masegane (NEC member) – Debt Mend – Currently in the running for: Medium top 10

*So that’s 5 NEC members out of 6*

DCASA Branches:
*Saun Zeelie (Eastern Cape branch) – Master Your Money – Currently in the running for: Small top 5
*Reinhard Pettenburger (Western Cape Branch) – Debt Therapy – Currently in the running for: Large top 5
*Drisha Pillay (Kwazulu Natal branch) – Octogen – Currently in the running for: National top 5

*So that’s 3 branches out of 4*

So how do think they will respond?

By: Maria

Maria — Thu, 31 May 2018 16:01:15 +0000

What does DCASA have to say about this?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 31 May 2018 15:25:54 +0000

DCASA is the biggest Debt Counselling Association in South Africa. They should protect their members by insisting that the awards are stopped or properly investigated, in order to make sure that the methods used by the organizers truly reflect who the best Debt Counsellors are. Their members might be prejudiced by these awards and what is being done by them to prevent or stop this?

An industry can have an awards program, but then surely the way the winners are determined must be disclosed in detail to the stakeholders in that industry.

Why does Debtfree digi, as the organizer, not disclose in detail to the industry how they determine who the winners are? Apparently certain questions are posed to Credit Providers to determine the winners. What are these questions and who are the Credit Providers? The problem is that these questions can be tailored to suit certain debt counsellors. Somebody pointed out in an earlier post that one of these questions that determines the best debt counsellor is around the usage of DCRS. DCRS is optional and has many flaws that everybody knows about. Why should a debt counsellor be penalized for not using this rule system,if they believe that it is not in the best interest of their client!

Apparently the vote of one of the four big banks counts exactly the same as the vote of a Credit Provider with almost no clients under debt review. How on earth can this be fair?

DC’s should put pressure on their associations to investigate this.

By: JustSaying

JustSaying — Thu, 31 May 2018 15:06:48 +0000

Many in this industry have worked hard, since its inception, to give credibility to it. Consumers need this remedy. Having a ceremony that continues to create the perception that only a handful are qualified to do so, is damaging to the industry as a whole. It has been a joint effort by many to get debt counselling working properly, realistically and sustainably, over a long period of time.

Why isn’t there rather an awareness campaign around this form of help? Focus rather on consumers and their need? Let people know about debt counselling and how it works. And the life changing impact it has.

Rather turn it into recognition for the consumers who committed to the process and on the fact that debt counselling works, with living examples thereof, to show others that they can turn to debt counselling too.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 31 May 2018 14:52:22 +0000

I think the awards should be abolished completely. If the aim is to recognise institutions (creditors/PDA’s/debt counsellors), it should be done by an independent body or the NCR, who regulates them all. The opinions are just that…opinions. The criteria to vote on are subjective and not professional nor are they relevant. If you ask a question for example about support being given – this can vary from day to day, situation to situation, and person to person. What day does the voter pick to base it on, or which person’s support. One might prefer dealing with one individual for specifically that reason, so is a vote for a whole company based on that?

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 31 May 2018 14:27:03 +0000

I wonder why the organizers of these “awards” refuse to comment on this open forum. There are obviously a lot of people who are concerned about the fairness of these awards, but that does not seem to worry them at all.

I agree that these “awards” should be taken away completely. I am of the opinion that it does not show the best DC’s in the industry, but rather those with the right connections and who knows what else.

Who is Debtfree Digi to decide who is the best Debt Counsellor in SA and how it is determined.