Tribunal upholds debarment of financial adviser for intentionally dropping customer calls
A former employee of Pineapple Tech, who was accused of dropping customer calls and falsely recording them as unsuccessful contact attempts, has failed in her bid to overturn a debarment that effectively bars her from working as a financial services representative.
The Financial Services Tribunal has dismissed an application by Sibongile Mashego for reconsideration of her debarment by Pineapple Tech, finding no basis to interfere with the company's decision that she no longer met the honesty and integrity requirements prescribed for the financial services industry.
According to the tribunal's decision, Pineapple Tech initiated debarment proceedings after an audit of Mashego's calls in January 2026 allegedly revealed that she answered incoming client calls but either remained silent before ending the calls or terminated conversations shortly after introducing herself. The company further alleged that she incorrectly recorded these interactions as "not reached" calls.
Pineapple Tech argued that the conduct amounted to manipulation of internal processes, performance metrics, and reporting systems, directly affecting commission calculations. The company regarded the actions as dishonest and inconsistent with the standards expected of a senior retentions agent.
