Netstar (formerly Altech Netstar)
reviews and complaints

Good Morning, I have recently installed a tracking device in my vehicle and about two weeks ago i noticed that my app was not locating my vehicle. I made numerous calls to Altech Netstar call center, emergency center and fitment center. Finally on the 17/11/2017 a technician was sent out. He had confirmed that the cables to my tracking unit had been cut and he would log a request for another technician to come out and fix the problem. Monday the 20/11/2017 i had called the center again to be told that the technician has provided feedback of the unit itself been ''missing'' from the vehicle. What exactly is the purpose of Netstar if and when someone is tampering with my vehicle and disconnecting the unit if they are unable to pick it up. I was unable to locate my vehicle and constantly been told we sending signal to the unit. Check in two hours, now a new excuse is mam, your vehicle was involved in an accident so you need to purchase a new unit R1600. Before you installed the unit, did the techs not notice the vehicle damage? You notice it now? I now wish to cancel my contract with Netstar and speak to a manager but as always i am going through useless agents. Its such pathetic service! Charge me a premium for a tracker that was not in the car? Its exactly two weeks, i have made calls at my expense and still no feedback what so ever! FRUSTRATED CUSTOMER!

I have had a contract with Altech Netstar, the company who fitted a tracking device on my vehicle. The contract was in place since the time of purchasing my vehicle in 2011. It is my responsibility to request a test on the device every year. This I have done since the first year i.e. 2012. Unfortunately, my repeated requests for the results of these 'tests' has not yielded any response except for my last attempt on 18 September 2017. After several attempts in the past to make contact and after long waiting on the telephone I got to speak with a agent/consultant. I eventually got for the first time, after much correspondence and waiting, some response.
They claim that they have no record of the 'tests' done over the 6 year period. I had a promise today that I would get a phone call. Up to this point with the business day nearly at its close, no telephone call as yet.

The service provided by Altech Netstar is really putrid despite my monthly contribution getting deducted religiously every month without fail. I am currently driving a car with insurance cover that has as a prerequisite a functioning tracker device. Should anything untoward happen I can rest assured that I will be the loser because I will not be able to prove that my vehicle is fitted with a working tracker device. The most recent correspondence which I received via email indicates that a report on a test conducted on the tracker device shows that it is not working since it is out of warranty. The mail also states that I have to pay for an upgrade on the device. What baffles me is that I was not notified of this situation for the past 6 years but notifications of increases on my premiums was always sent to the correct email address. I would appreciate your assistance with this issue. My last resort would be to cancel my contract with Altech Netstar if they are not prepared to make good on the level of service they are currently providing.

In 2012 i fitted a tracking device on my car after few months i lost my job and couldn't continue with the monthly premiums . I then went back to netstar offices at nelspruit and spoke to one of the consultants and she said to me because the debit orders were returning the account is cancelled because it was a month to month account so the following year my account was handed to debt collectors which i also explained my story to them and they vanished
But now another debt collector has my account and they are demanding that i pay the money or face legal actions
i went back to netstar and they said to me they do not have any details of my account

My car has 2 tracking devices and they are both active. I requested 1 to be deactivated and continued to pay the 1 I wanted to be active, only to find out they are both still active. Why must I pay 2 devices doing same job? I believe I didn't have to ask them to cancel they should have suggested I cancel nit try make money out of me.

I happened to change bank account and my debit orders were switched over which I believe netstar wasn't successfully switched so I only noticed after 2 months that I haven't paid. When I called as I can't remember netstar calling me to remind me of my premium, I was told my account was handed over to debt collectors which they also contacted me and I asked question they couldn't answer and promised to call back in a day or 2. I am still waiting since last week for their 2 days.
Apparently the tracking devices or accounts were linked and I didn't know because they debited only new amount for the tracker I am aware of its activation.

Today I called netstar again as I am worried about paying my premiums then they said they can't do anything to my account as it is with debt collection management(even if they get back to me next year still waiting) Meanwhile they can't take my money and u guess from my understanding they won't trace my car if it gets stollen bow.

I sold my car and called on the 8th may 2017 to alert you and even went as far as giving the new owners detail but because the new owner didn't take the contract altec continued to debit on mine, I called on the end of july to alert you again but I was told to hold as my call is being redirected but my call was not taken, I was on hold for hour until I gave up, mid August I got a call from a lady regarding my overdue when I explained to the lady she said she will find the recording and get back to me but she didn't now on the 1st money was debited again, please look into this and address it as I will not continue to pay for a sold vehicle and I want my money back. My ID no! Portia Makgosa my number is [protected]

I did a routine check on my vehicle tracker - report came back that the unit in my car is outdated and I need a new 1 installed (outdated for almost a year)
found this out in March, have requested a new item to be fitted, no response to all my emails; I get a new ref no. all the time
Have been paying my account monthly as well BUT if my vehicle is stolen, I wont be able to track it
last ref no. cas1582899

During the 3rd of August 2017 I made contact with Altech Netstar as I do not receive any monthly statements or letters advising of increases, etc. Enquiring the reason therefore, I've been informed by Phetogo @ Altech Netstar that my account with them (Acc. 1021581) has been cancelled / closed during June 2015 (voice recording available), however I've never received written confirmation of the fact that my account was indeed closed, therefore I proceeded to make monthly payments up to the end of July 2017.

I did at some point inform them threaten them to close my account with them as their account statements were always incorrect, and they hand you over to a pre-legal department for ridiculous amounts, however this was never ever communicated that they did indeed cancelled the agreement / account, hence my monthly payments to avoid the monthly calls again re. payments / variances on the statements, etc.

I've telephonicallly spoken to Chantel Olivier in their Credit Control Department advising that she will investigate and provide me with feedback by no later than 04.08.2017.

I confirm that I had no feedback and then submitted an e-mail to her with all the proof of payments provided confirming monthly payments them, requesting for them refund me ASAP, however no responses to my e-mails.

You are further unable to get hold of Chantel telephonically, and majority of the times your calls are cut off.

I need assistance to get my refund as this amounts over R4 500.00 that I paid for nothing.

I will provide all information via e-mail and not via internet due to banking details, etc. being involved I can't submit all documentation via internet. . Kindly contact me on [protected] or [protected] (o/h) and I will provide all documentation / voice recordings, etc. via e-mail

Irene Emslie

Good day

Please assist as my account was handed over without my knowledge.i have contacted netstar for the past 3 months even wrote to Hello peter because of the bad service i was receiving.

My account was stopped being debited reason why i dont know, i have arranged to pay monthly with them amount of R250 to cover amount in arrears, As agreed with them last month on the 25th i have paid an amount of R500 instead of R250.

Today i get a call saying Altech has handed over my account reason why i don't know.

I have communicated with Sibusiso referral times to explain to me why my account was not deducted, and he said i must pay the amount in arrears .Of which i started paying last month.

I need explanation as to why my account was handed over, If Call centre and Altech doing their work correctly there wouldn't have this misunderstanding.Now their lack of not doing their job is reflecting bad on my side .

I need resolved ASAP.

My car was involved in an accident and written off in 2009, it had a tracker fitted. I informed Netstar and I was told to pay R600, which I paid. Now in July 2017 I'm receiving phone calls from the debt collection companies saying that I'm owing Netstar close to R6000 for the tracker. I phoned the Nestar offices, answered by the call centre agent who transferred my call to the people handling my account but I hold the phone for almost 2o minutes but no one answered. I've been trying for almost a week but the same thing happens (no answer) or they send me from pillar to post. Can someone assist my number is [protected].

From: jan de klerk
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2017 11:28 AM
To: [protected]@netstar.altech.co.za
Subject: [protected]: DE KLERK JH

Refer to above. +- three months ago I was at Netstar Nelspruit to change my telephone numbers as they said they could not get hold of me... Yesterday I pressed the panic button to test my Netstar device.

Yesterday the same happened and eventually at 11h43 someone of Johannesburg phone, the same excuse of not having the correct telephone numbers ? I have asked the person to reset my device and I am still waiting ? At 01h23 this morning a women phoned and asked me what's wrong I told her that my device must be reset and then she disconnected the line, nobody phoned me again ?

I cannot activate my device until it is reset ?

What will happen if my vehicle is stolen, will Netstar take full responsibility ?

At this stage I am so unhappy with Netstar that I will not advise anyone to use Netstar as a service provider !

Hope I will receive better response as up to now ?

Regards.

Jan.

[protected].

Over the last couple of months, I have received numerous calls from NBA regarding an Altech Netstar account. In spite of promises to have my number removed from their system, I today received more calls & sms’s. Some just missed calls... Who has the authority to remove my number from your system if at all? Pure harassment and invasion of privacy! Sort out your house money hungry corporate!

I had a Netstar contract which I thought I cancelled. One day I received a call from Netstar rwgarding this contract they informed me that I have not cancelled the contract I had to pay a cancellation fee along with a cancellation letter. In Novemelber 2016 I paid the cancellation amount of R694 and sent a cancellation letter. After making the payment I sent proof of payment to Netstar where I asked them to inform me whether or not it has been cancelled. I have been in contact with 4 people at Netstar all promising to get back to me. Then I started receiving threatening messages from ITC regarding the non payment of this account. I phoned the number attached to the message and spoke to a lady who asked me to sent all communication with netsar via email which I did. She promised to give my information to her supervisor who would contact me. It is the 30th June I have not heard anything from Netstar or ITCBA instead another sms about them putting judgement on my name. Is this fair? I did exactly what Netstar advised me to do in November 2016, and now in June 2017 the same Netstar wants to mess up my name? What am I to do? I am frustrated and very angry.
Could you please help me?

I installed the tracker on my car on the 16th of May the following Monday on the 22nd of May the app was not updating all my trips I called I was told there is nothing they can do theyll speak to a technician and get back to me, nobody did, how will I get paid because I need to submit my trips as proof of hours worked. Please attend to this urgently as I need to submit an invoice

I was followed home from Morningside Rivonia. I pressed my panicked button and my husband and I called the emergency number several times with no response. I managed to lose the guys following me but I really was scared. Your useless call centre has not responded to the panic alert or bothered to contact us back.

Your service is pathetic and I'm going to be broadcasting this far and wide!

In 2015 I took Oakhurst insurence and i was told that it comes as a sort of a combo or package that includes Alter Netstar trackor in it. Nothing was explained to me thouroughly as i think it should have and i never dealt with anyone from Alter Netstar except the people from ther insurence campany. Only when i terminated the contract with the insurence, I got a call from Netstar informing that i took a 3 year contract with them and if i terminate with them too, there will be a charge/ certain amount i have to pay. Fair enough, i paid their money and only to find out that they handed me over to itc. First of all it was never explained to me the part of the trackor as a seperate thing and secondly im being handed over, not only that, after i have paid the money and settled it, Alter Netstar company is playing hide and seek, they dont want to update my profile from the itc and sending me the paid up letter, i dont know how many time i have called requesting assistnce in this regard, I spoke to a lady called Abeeda Titus whom she referred me to a guy called Mohammed (legal dept) whose never in the office. Eventually when i found him He, Mohammed told me i shouldnt be talking to him, now how is it that its not up to him yet i was told by Abeeda that he is at the legal department in the company?. i have been having this problem with this company and i regret the day i took Oakhurst insur that brought me this problem. If anyone would assist me to get my naam cleared without the help of Mohammed Abeeda or anyone on this company i would really appreciate. I need to get on with my life and make applications for finance.

It seems that 1 of SA's largest tracking company Altech Netstar employs the services of any outsoured call center to conduct their business. There is zero due diligence done. No proper security checks are done on these call centers. I have solid evidence that some of these call centers have staff members who have been dismissed by previous employers for fraud. Some of them are operating from garages of houses and even worst, from houses in residential areas. Customers information is available to any of their outsourced call centers to conduct fraudulent activities. There are no proper data security systems in place with these make shift outbound call centers. It seems that Netstar is more interested in sales than protecting their clients. What's even more frightening is that no police clearance are done on theses little doggy call centers owners and staff together with previous employer/s references. If i am apart of a vehicle hijacking and theft syndicate, I could open an Altech Netstar call center as it's so easy to do so as theirs NO due diligence. They give you access to all their fitment centers and internal systems. It's shocking that a company who is suppose to protect you and your family against crimes within the motor vehicle industry can align themselves with such partners. When I enquired and informed them, absolutely nobody got back to me to date so I took it upon myself to conduct my own investigations and my findings were absolutely shocking. Now this is 1 of SA's largest and leaders within the vehicle tracking industry. Now I understand why there's so many clients who are complaining of being debited by Altech Netstar even after they cancelled their services with Altech Netstar. These scrupulous call centers are definately the reason why. There's even 1 owner of a call center who once worked for an outsourced call center of Altech Netstar that was terminated due to fraud, but guess what, the same guy now owns an outsoured call center doing work for Altech Netstar. These scrupulous call centers have zero credentials to operate as a call center. We were told that Altech Netstars FD does due diligence on every outsourced call center, I think Altech Netstars executive board needs to investigate what due diligence was done. All these outsourced call centers are based in Durban. Everything stated above is the truth and we are willing to provide solid evidence regarding all statements made against these scrupulous outsourced call centers. We will even provide the directors of Altech Netstar this evidence. We even suspect that the owner of their outsourced call center who was involved in fraud a few years ago is a silent partner in 1 of these call centers as his ex executive manager now owns an Altech Netstar fitment center. I would like to see the comments of Altech Netstar directors as we have solid evidence! We willing to make this evidence available to the public and any existing client of Altech Netstar. Its extremely important that you do your due diligence of the tracking company you chose as it's quiet apparent that Altech Netstar does no diligence regarding the partners they align themselves with. We have done this investigation at our cost and we have no alliance or relationship with any tracking company in SA, nor do we have any financial gain in reporting this to the complaints board, neither is it our intention to bring disrespute to any company, we are merely stating the facts of our investigation.

In 2015 i called netstar to inform them that i will be trading in my car and would either want the device de-activated or put into my new car . The lady that i spoke to advised me that they do not deactivate however i should let them know a week in advance before trading in my car so that they can have the device removed, which i did and was told that i would be called for arrangements to have the device removed ( this did not happen )

Thereafter debit orders kept running monthly and i continuously had to reverse them as at that time i felt i was no longer liable for the monthy premiums .

I had debt collectors calling me non stop and i had to explain the reason why i would not pay for the defaults, it was quite frustrating because i was forced to explain myself over and over again and this was due to a consultant that probably didnt do their job properly .

My debt with Netstar kept accumilating until such a point that they listed me to say that i am a bad payer and held me liable to pay R10 000 to clear my name .

At this point i am still puzzled as to why i would be listed under the red tape for a mess that was not initially started by me . Heaven knows how long i will be listed for to have my name cleared as i am honestly not prepared to begin paying for this debt .

I was contacted by Bradley in Sales at Altech Netstar to inform me that my tracking unit needed to be replaced (it did because the alarm kept going off randomly) I said that is fine, I will accept the same unit that is currently in the vehicle.
The technician arrived looking for M Orlik who drives a Peugeot, well I drive a KIA!
He fitted the unit and when he's done I ask where the remote is to arm and disarm the alarm? He says there isn't one as this is just a safe and sound unit which basically just tracks the car.
So if I go to the shopping center and my car is stolen and I'm there for 4 hours let's say, we don't know until I report it missing? Yes!
Not good enough, it must have the ability to warn Altech if the car has been broken into immediately, just like before.
I call the customer services and speak to Duran, he says he will escalate it.
I get a call from Bradley to apologies and he will make sure it is rectified.
I have waited 3 weeks for them to get back to me! I try to call and I get put on hold for 10 minutes before the call drops. So frustrated.

My contract with Altech Netstar was cancelled two to three years ago. The tracking device in my vehicle was tested several times and did not work. Altech promised to contact me to replace, this never happened. The device still does not work until today. Last months Altech Netstar started deducting debit orders from my account which varied from R 200-00 to R 2200-00. The debit orders were cancelled by me as why should I pay for something which is non-existent. Today I received an sms that my account with Altech Netstar has been handed over to CWX for collection. The reference number is ALT 40467. These actions by Altech Netstar is seen in a serious light and I would like your legal department to contact me urgently in an effort to find an acceptable solution.

I had a contract with Altech Netstar in 2013 where Altech didn't deduct for 2months premium. When I queried why the consultant advised me that they didn't have my banking details. I then requested to terminate the contract as I had added my banking details on my contract. However on the 3rd month Altech deducted. fast forward 2017 they have handed me over and I now owe R7000. for a 24 month contract that I requested to terminate. I got in touch with [protected]@netstar.altech.co.za and Mohamed advised me that the company was at fault and I then requested transcripts of all my communication, that was 13/01/2017. how does one take such a matter to the Ombuds?