Complaints Resolution

WE CARE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE. If something has gone wrong, please tell us — we want to make it right.

1. PURPOSE OF THIS PROCEDURE

This Complaints and Dispute Resolution Procedure (“Complaints Procedure”) sets out how Smart Online Trader S.A. (a brand of Diversit-e Smart Trade College (Pty) Ltd, Registration No. 2026/199265/07) and Smart Online Trader LLC (Tax ID: 37-2060884), collectively referred to as “SOT”, handle complaints and disputes raised by Clients, Users, and Members (“the Complainant”).

The purpose of this Procedure is to:

• provide a clear, accessible, and fair process to raise concerns;
• ensure all complaints are investigated promptly, objectively, and thoroughly;
• resolve disputes efficiently and transparently;
• prevent misunderstandings and disputes from unnecessary escalation;
• maintain and improve SOT’s service quality and accountability.

Complainants are encouraged to use this internal process before initiating payment chargebacks, credit card disputes, social media complaints, or legal proceedings. Engaging this process does not affect your statutory rights under the CPA or any other applicable law.

2. WHAT IS (AND IS NOT) A COMPLAINT

2.1 What Constitutes a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction regarding SOT’s Products, Services, or conduct, including:

• enrolment processing, billing, or payment administration;
• access to the LMS, Community Hub, or any SOT platform;
• the quality, delivery, or availability of programme content or coaching;
• communication from SOT staff, coaches, or representatives;
• administrative errors, incorrect charges, or billing discrepancies;
• alleged breach of the Terms and Conditions of Purchase or these terms by SOT.

2.2 What Does NOT Constitute a Complaint Under This Procedure

The following do not give rise to a valid complaint under this Procedure:

• trading losses, unprofitable trading, or failure to achieve profit targets;
• Simulated Funded Account outcomes determined by the Preferred Broker;
• dissatisfaction with market conditions, asset price movements, or economic events;
• unmet income or profit expectations that were not explicitly guaranteed in writing by SOT.

SOT does not guarantee trading profitability. All educational content and trade ideas are provided for informational purposes only and are not financial advice or trading guarantees.

3. HOW TO SUBMIT A COMPLAINT

3.1 Required Format

All complaints must be submitted in writing by email. Verbal complaints, social media messages, WhatsApp messages, and Telegram messages will be acknowledged but cannot be formally processed until a written email submission is received.

📧 To: info@smartonlinetrader.com  |  Subject Line: FORMAL COMPLAINT — [Your Full Name]

Your formal complaint must include:

• your full name;
• your registered email address and contact telephone number;
• the specific programme or service you are enrolled in;
• a clear and detailed description of the issue, including relevant dates;
• the specific outcome or remedy you are requesting;
• any supporting documentation, screenshots, or correspondence that supports your complaint.

3.2 Important Note on Broker Disputes

If your complaint relates to a matter that falls under your Preferred Broker’s terms and conditions — such as Evaluation outcomes, Simulated Funding account rules, trade execution, or Broker platform issues — you must contact the Preferred Broker directly. SOT may assist with facilitating communication but has no authority to override or alter any decision made by the Preferred Broker.

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT

SOT will acknowledge receipt of a formally submitted complaint within:

2 Business Days — A unique Complaint Reference Number will be issued to you

Please retain your Complaint Reference Number for all correspondence relating to your complaint. Include it in all follow-up communications.

5. INVESTIGATION PROCESS

Upon receipt of your complaint, SOT will:

• assign the complaint to an appropriate staff member for investigation;
• conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant account records, transaction history, and platform logs;
• review all communication records between the Complainant and SOT;
• consult relevant staff members, coaches, or instructors as appropriate;
• contact the Complainant for any additional information required.

Both the Complainant and all SOT staff involved are expected to cooperate fully with the investigation process. SOT is committed to conducting a thorough, impartial, and evidence-based investigation.

6. RESOLUTION TIMEFRAMES

Acknowledgement	Within 2 Business Days of receiving a formal written complaint
Standard Resolution	Within 10 Business Days of acknowledgement
Complex Cases	Longer than 10 Business Days — the Complainant will be notified with a revised timeline
Internal Escalation Review	Within 15 Business Days of an escalation request being submitted

7. POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

7.1 Outcomes SOT May Provide

• Clarification of a misunderstanding or miscommunication;
• Technical assistance, account correction, or restoration of access;
• Correction of an administrative or billing error;
• A formal apology where SOT has fallen short of its obligations;
• Goodwill assistance, at SOT’s sole and reasonable discretion, where justified by the circumstances.

7.2 Outcomes SOT Cannot Provide

• Compensation for trading losses or failure to achieve profit targets;
• Reversal of legitimate charges made in accordance with the signed Purchase Agreement;
• Override, reversal, or modification of any decision made by a Preferred Broker regarding Evaluations or Simulated Funded Accounts;
• Compensation for external market conditions, economic events, or factors outside SOT’s control.

8. INTERNAL ESCALATION

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the initial investigation, you may request an internal escalation review within 10 Business Days of receiving the initial outcome by emailing:

📧 info@smartonlinetrader.com  |  Subject: ESCALATION REQUEST — [Your Complaint Reference Number]

Your escalation will be assigned to a member of SOT’s senior management who was not involved in the original investigation. A final internal response will be issued within 15 Business Days of receipt of the escalation request.

9. EXTERNAL REMEDIES

If your complaint remains unresolved after the internal escalation process, you retain the right to approach the following external bodies:

National Consumer Commission	www.thencc.gov.za  |  0860 266 786
Consumer Goods & Services Ombud	www.cgso.org.za  |  0860 000 272
FSCA	www.fsca.co.za (for FAIS-related matters only)
Information Regulator	www.inforegulator.org.za (for POPIA-related matters)
South African Courts	As appropriate to the nature and value of the dispute

SOT will cooperate fully with all lawful investigations by regulatory bodies and will provide all requested documentation as required.

10. CHARGEBACKS AND PAYMENT DISPUTES

By entering into a Purchase Agreement with SOT, you agree to use this Complaints Procedure before initiating a chargeback, payment reversal, or payment dispute with your card issuer or bank.

Initiating an unjustified chargeback — that is, a chargeback for a charge that was validly made under a signed Purchase Agreement — without first following this Complaints Procedure may result in:

• suspension of your access to SOT Products, Services, and The Hub;
• formal debt recovery proceedings being instituted against you;
• reporting to national credit bureaus.

This clause does not remove or limit your statutory right to initiate a legitimate chargeback for an unauthorised transaction or for goods and services genuinely not delivered as agreed, as protected by the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008.

11. CONDUCT DURING THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS

During any complaint or dispute process, you must:

• engage respectfully and professionally with all SOT staff;
• refrain from posting defamatory, false, or misleading content about SOT or its staff on any public platform;
• refrain from harassing, threatening, or intimidating any SOT employee, agent, or representative;
• continue to comply with The Hub Community Guidelines and all other applicable SOT terms and conditions.

SOT reserves the right to suspend access and close the complaint process if a Complainant engages in abusive, threatening, or seriously improper conduct.

12. RECORD KEEPING

All complaints and their outcomes are documented and retained for a minimum of 5 years for service improvement, regulatory compliance, and legal purposes, in accordance with POPIA, 4 of 2013.

13. CONTACT

Formal Complaints	info@smartonlinetrader.com
Support Desk	helpme@smartonlinetrader.com
Telephone (SA)	(+27) 010 753 2460
Telephone (USA)	+1 302 208 7284
Address	Manhattan Park, 16 Pieter Street, Highveld Techno Park, Centurion, Gauteng, 0169