“CONGRATULATIONS you won a 19 Piece Knife Set from HOMEMARK. To Claim your prize call 011 430 6000. Quote ref:#####. Prizes excl P&P. T&C apply. Reply NO 2b removed” is an SMS I received somewhere last week, not very excited about the prize, I delayed calling them until yesterday, after going through the press one for this, two for that etc, I reached somebody saying “Congratulations on winning this 19 Piece Knife set” and he went on about the features and what is included, but in such an unexcited tone that I thought he was having a burial somewhere in the background.
After he went through the details of the knife set, I asked: “How do I claim my prize?” on which he replied, I’m going to need your credit card number on which I replied, “Can’t I pick it up at a local Homemark store?” on which he replied, “We’re a mail order company and only deliver, but I’m going to need your credit card number so we can deduct for handling and shipping fees”. If I remember correctly, he said the amount would be something like R9.40 for shipping and handling which apparently is from somewhere in Jo’burg to Cape Town.
Skeptical about the whole giving my credit card number over the phone, I said I don’t have a credit card, on which he just said “OK”, he didn’t offer an alternative way of paying and then a dead silence after which I said, “Thank you, but I’m not interested in this offer, have a fantastic day”
The whole thing smells like a scam to me, especially since I can’t remember entering such a competition and the fact that they are willing to give away a knife set worth “hundreds” but not willing to pay the shipping of “R9.40″, almost the same as those schemes saying you’ve won the jackpot, please send us your details so we can send you the money on which they request a handling fee or something similar.
I’m not going to leave it there, if they tried to scam me, they will probably try it with a million other South Africans, the whole thing sounded so legit on the phone until he asked for my credit card number :(
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Tags: 011 430 6000, 19 Piece Knife Set, Card, Credit, Homemark, Knife, Scam, Set, South Africans
You do realise they generate ALL your numbers in an Excel workbook. They don’t have a “Database” of numbers for you to be able to “remove me from list”
If they’re in contravention of the WASP act, whats the fine?.. R2000!!! it doesn’t matter if you complain about them, all they need is 2 sales, then a few illegal deductions from your account to pay for the fine.
There is NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!!! (unless you know someone who is willing to put them on television that is)
I don’t personally know anyone that can get it on television, but I’ll give it a shot, twitter is a good start and people from the press might have contacts as well (know a couple of people that might be able to help)
i m one of those robed by homemark. i bought the smart lids thinking that my problem of rotting food is over. guess what the leads does nothing of the sort and now homemark is not willing to take it back. in fact my lettice got rotten quicker that before i used smark lids.
informalials are betraying us by allowing people to be mislead by products that are just robbing us of our hard earned money and playing with their emotions.
Dude, that’s just nasty :(
Reminds me of my mom who bought their yogurt machine a couple of year ago, according to the infomercials, it makes fantastic yogurt with an out of this world taste … I nearly puked when I tasted it, out of this world, yes, tasty, hell no!
I’ve contacted several places to put an article in a paper or to expose them via television, so far none of them replied. Consumer activist groups just shrug their shoulders and say they can’t do anything about it. Has anyone laid charges against them?
How about, we knock them off the Google search. Currently Reapers blog is second, maybe get them out of first place?
Also check http://marketing.bizcommunity.com/Forum/196/11/8780.html
Some more comments about their rip off smsing
Knocking them off would be a pleasure, although I don’t know how effective it would be (seeing as they own the majority of the http://www.homemark.* domains)
I suggest we go full out, take over blogspot with lots of blogs starting with the word homemark, like homemark-scam.blogspot, homemark-devil.blogspot, etc etc
Wikipedia is a good place to post about homemark and their evil doings and also link to the existing blogs complaining about them.
A twitter and facebook page to spread awareness and link back to blogs.
Maybe some high-traffic forums as well, maybe they’ll listen once we’ve taken them off the search results.
I like it!
Maybe try organise this on a Facebook group to coordinate the strike properly. Enough techies will get in on the idea i’m sure to knock them off. Some SOE guy like yourself and me will be able to make a dent.
As long as we all know what we have to do, I’m willing to spend time to get them off the search engines.
I’m already part of the FB group “The biggest anti…”
Me SEO guru? Ugh, I still have lots to learn, but I’ll give it a shot, this sounds like a fun game :-D
I see the twitter page is already up and running, nice going!
Will do the wikipedia entry later today, send me a link to the facebook group once you’ve created it!
oh yeah :)
OMW, check out this article on hellopeter: http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=246111
That’s just wrong.
“trying to barracade me”
I know a place that sells tazers for R100
When did this assault happen? You must remember we are all consumers who have rights! I would not leave it there! I will go out of my way to make their lives a living hell.
Can anyone tell me, what was the outcome of Get Closure?
This is the response I got from them on getclosure.co.za:
Seeing as I’ve asked to be removed before and still got spammed by them, I believe what Anon said about them not having a database.
The rest of my message they ignored.
I have received many of these fake prize sms’s from Homemark - its time they learn a lesson.
Isn’t there a law about this somewhere?
How can they claim u have won a prize and then want money?
If u have won something then it is yours..
They must deliver the prize or be prepared to be burned!!!
Definitely smells funky…
Hey Re@per,
do a Search on FB for “The SEDO Project” - We’ll give this a bash.
Search Engine DE-Optimisation, haha, that’s absolutely brilliant!!!
[...] on the hit list is homemark, is it possible to outrank homemark.co.za? This is where the idea for SEDO started. Homemark based [...]
Many, many more complaints about Homemark on Hellopeter.com
Also read this: http://www.gottaquirk.com/2009/02/18/homemark-twitter-abuse/
Yeah, Hellopeter is full of angry people, thank goodness they didn’t take any of my money, imagine how far I would’ve taken this! This blog entry is my way of taking a stab at them for their scaly practices, what they’re doing is downright illegal and nobody is doing anything about it!
Kudos for whoever is running the twitter account, hopefully people will finally notice and expose them!
I’m trying to build a page on wikipedia stating the facts about the company as well as putting a small section in about their recent marketing methods that triggered a negative response from the public. If anyone wants to edit the page and add more info about them, take a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homemark
PS, wikipedia puts a warning above the page saying the page is due for deletion when I put too many links in it, have linked to their blogspot page in the meanwhile. It’s difficult to keep the page neutral and not biased.
I work internationally and when checking my online banking I noticed a “reserved for purchase” on my credit card account of R1799-00 from homemark!! I called my wife and asked her if she had purchased anything from these assholes and she said not a thing. But, this is the catch, they had apparently phoned her about a week ago, did not even speak to my wife but my daughter about qualifying for some or other free prize and about this special they had on for something costing only R4999-00 and can be paid in payments of R1799-00 per month. This telly sales jockey then stated that they could courier the package to us no problem. My daughter explicitly told the guy that they are talking to the wrong person and that my wife was not available, they needed to call back later. Now about a year ago my wife did purchase some or other useless item from them that did not work properly with her credit card (my account, joint cards) which put my credit card details in their hands like, I would imagine, thousands of other consumers in SA. They never phoned back to talk to my wife, get approval or authorisation for a sale on this in no uncertain terms, next thing my account is being debited!!!! Now my question is this, if they are a legally registered business and have so many consumers banking details, HOW SCARY IS THAT !!!!!! For a company whose existance is based on sales and handling so many consumers confidential banking details, something like this can crucify their reputation and sure as shit is blatant credit card fraud and theft, just to start with which last time I looked was a criminal act and AGAINST THE LAW. My wife has already contacted my bank to try and stop the payment as well as my lawyer, I will be taking this further and wil be filing a law suit against them as well. I will take this to every national newspaper in SA and as far as I possibly can to nail these dickheads. Myself and all those other consumers, work hard for a living, is it that easy to steal a mans hard earned bread & butter?? Iwill also be asking my bank questions as to what the f…. is up with my security on my bank account that someone can just debit my account with no form whatsoever of authorisation from me as the client and account holder. I have transferred all my funds to my cheque account for obvious reasons. ONLY IN GOOD OLD SA.
Let us know if we can maybe sign a petition against these people!!! Maybe that will help! I think all of us had it with them so I believe everyone will be more than willing to help!
Thanks, will keep you posted, once I am back in SA and have had a good sit down brain storming with my lawyer, this will go further. I am sure I can get thousands of signatures from pissed off customers.
Just received this email from homemark’s customer service manager. Looks like they saw a law suite coming their way that they would have lost!!
Good day Mr. Holl
I have received the complaint that you and your wife lodged against Homemark regarding order 799490, placed 02/20/09. I have listened to the recording and found that the order was not in fact placed with Mrs. Holl but with your daughter. This is NOT the way that Homemark does business. The Consultant had NO right to process a transaction without the express consent of either you or your wife. I have reversed the charges to your credit card immediately and stopped the parcel from being sent out. I have also suspended the consultant with immediate effect pending a disciplinary hearing on Monday Afternoon where I will recommend immediate dismissal from the company.
Please accept my most humble apologies for the inconvenience caused to you in this regard. Please believe that this is NOT standard practice at Homemark, and I will personally see to it that this consultant is removed from the company.
Kind Regards,
Craig Stadler
Customer Service Manager
Homemark (PTY) LTD
39 Commerce Crescent
Sandton
2148
Head Office Tel +27 0…
Direct Line +27 0…
Fax Line +27 086 686 8338
Call Centre Tel +27 …
Web http://www.homemark.co.za
Email craig@homemark.co.za
NOW WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE CRAIG……..!!!!!!!
Yes Mr. Craig Stadler you owe allot of other people apologies too!!!!!!
Stii got scammed by homemark as well: http://stii.co.za/general/and-so-homemark-hits-us/