ITC Business Administrators logo on e-toll threats has no teeth

The reality though, is this 'ITC' brand belongs to a collection company known as 'ITC Business Administrators' (ITC-BA) who are acting on behalf of SANRAL, in their latest round of desperate attempts to collect their e-toll debt. They are not credit listing agents and are unable to blacklist individuals.

Historically, 'ITC' was the brand of a leading credit listing bureau in South Africa, but has since been taken over by Transunion, an internationally renowned credit rating bureau. Its name has since changed from ITC to Transunion, however, thousands still associate the 'ITC' name and brand with a bad credit rating. Thus, the presence of an ITC brand with an outstanding debt notice, does have an impact of intimidation.

We have had many emails from businesses and individuals who are being harassed by the e-tolls “task team” and our advise is, should you be an OUTA supporter, please feel free to inform them of your OUTA supportership and ask them to contact us in all future communication as all OUTA supporters are protected from e-toll prosecution under our E-toll Defence Umbrella.

ITC Business Administrators is the same company who misrepresented themselves over the past two weeks as being 'SANRAL employees' who were about to take legal action, but which the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) exposed as nothing but a false and wrongful intimidation tactic by SANRAL's appointed collection agents.

"We are intrigued to now see that they have 'come clean', but the new challenge is to have the public know that ITC Business Administrators are not a credit rating agency. Therefore, they need not fear these letters of intimidation," says Wayne Duvenage, the Chairman of OUTA.  "I must say, the development and use of a prior prominent credit rating brand by a debt collection company, appears to be a cunning  ploy to give them more 'clout', when in fact they have no teeth in this regard."

Duvenage called on motorists to remain steadfast as they have done for over two years and not to buckle to SANRAL's illegitimate e-toll scheme.

"We furthermore urge the recipients of these e-toll debt notices from ITC-BA, to call the number listed therein and demand that their contact details and names be removed from this list, as the road user has not provided this company or SANRAL with this information. Questions have arisen as to where SANRAL or this company obtained the database containing the personal information from,” says Duvenage.

Debt collectors are legally obliged to conduct themselves consistently with certain pieces of legislation. A failure to do so can in some circumstances even be a criminal offence.

Debt Collectors and debt collection activities are governed by a host of legislation, of which the main pieces are the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, the National Credit Act, The Debt Collectors Act 114 of 1998, the debt Collectors Regulations (Government Gazette No 24351, 2003) and the Debt Collectors Code of Conduct (Government Gazette No 24867).

“Debt collection efforts in this regards constitute nothing other than nuisance and harassment. We will not let the public be victimised by business players trying to make a quick buck at motorist’s expense.”