A dispute between a client and Cartrack has led to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) becoming involved. Ofentse Vinjwa, a 36-year-old man from Tshwane, had his car stolen in Hammanskraal in June. He submitted a R150,000 warranty claim to Cartrack, but it was rejected. Cartrack cited two reasons for the rejection: Vinjwa had failed to test his tracking device every three months, and he had missed a few payments.
Vinjwa claims that the conditions of his contract were not properly explained to him. He stated that the terms and conditions were sent to him after he had purchased the contract, and he agreed to them without fully understanding their contents. According to Vinjwa, Cartrack did not explain the terms to him at the time of sale. This has led to Vinjwa approaching the NCC for recourse after his appeal with Cartrack was unsuccessful.
This is not the first time Cartrack has faced complaints regarding rejected claims due to clients failing to test their tracking devices every three months. Last year, Sowetan received several complaints from Cartrack clients who felt that they should not be burdened with testing the system, as it belongs to the company. At the time, Cartrack stated that the practice was fair and in the best interest of their customers.
Cartrack has previously faced consequences for its business practices. In April, the National Consumer Tribunal fined the company R5m for using unfair marketing tactics, including customer referrals, outdated bills, and failure to cancel contracts upon request. Cartrack was also ordered to pay another R5m to settle complaints from 167 customers. The NCC's probe identified six contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
Cartrack spokesperson Lauren Human stated that the company conducted a fair assessment of Vinjwa's claim. According to Human, Vinjwa's account was in arrears when his vehicle was stolen on June 16, 2026. His last successful payment was received on March 28, 2026, and the account was in arrears at the time of the theft. Human further stated that the terms and conditions were provided to Vinjwa when he signed up for the service.
The NCC has weighed in on the matter, stating that Cartrack cannot rely on contractual terms that were not disclosed to the consumer when the agreement was concluded to repudiate the consumer's claim. NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba explained that a term that was not brought to the consumer's attention at the time of contracting cannot subsequently be relied upon as a basis for rejecting a claim.
The NCC's settlement agreement with Cartrack covered specific complaints and circumstances but does not absolve Cartrack from prosecution in the event of new contraventions. Cartrack continues to assess warranty cases in line with its revised terms and conditions, which were refined at the request of the NCC.
Key points
- Cartrack's business practices have been questioned by the NCC and consumers.
- A client has taken Cartrack to the National Consumer Commission over a rejected R150,000 warranty claim.
- The NCC has previously fined Cartrack R10m for unfair marketing tactics and failure to settle customer complaints.
