ECR Consumerwatch

After the discovery of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, so many people had to come up with Plan B in terms of their travel plans. That would mean cancellations for everything one might have prepared whether it be going out of SA or coming in. Take a listen as Wendy Knowler shares an important feature on AirbBnB that will come in handy for times like these.

With Black Friday on everyone's lips, it's everywhere on radio and television and on our phones, it is easy to be swept up by the hype. Consumer journalist, Wendy Knowler shares some valuable information regarding ways to stay safe financially during Black Friday. Do it all correctly. Take a listen how that's done.

This question comes after a wedding picture went viral on Twitter as it was included on the FNB website. But who really owns the photograph here? Is the people who bride and his husband or the photographer? Take a listen as Wendy Knowler explains this

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Here is some advice on how to spot a pet scam. The pet scam is by no means new, but a significant number of South Africans are still falling for it. If you type “husky breeder” or “maine coon kittens” into an internet search engine, you will inevitably land on the page of a fraudster. The asking price may seem like a good deal, but given that it’s a pretend pup which a fraudster is dangling as a lure, it’s can turn out to be very expensive indeed. Take a listen as she shares how to demand back some of the money from these scams.

Shopping on the world wide web is very dangerous business, more dangerous than many realise. Too many get caught in the web because they’re too trusting of a good looking website or a great price. Pat Pontack of Cape Town contacted me last week to say she’d lost more than R20,000 to a Durban-based company called Big O Trading, cc. She wanted to buy a Thermomix TM6, a do-it-all wonder kitchen appliance that does slow-cooking, food processing, steaming, mixing, and more. Take a listen as Wendy Knowler helps a victim of being scammed online. She also shares how to avoid it further.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Hollard said it had to implement a second premium increase as result of mortality experience exceeding expected experience across our entire funeral portfolio, over a period of more than a year. It affects the insurer’s direct book of business - that’s policies taken out over the phone and policies sold under the Kaizer Chiefs brand, but excludes any business sourced from partners such as Edgars and Jet. Phumi’s policy document reads: “Hollard may increase the benefit premiums from time to time by giving you 30 (thirty) days’ written notice of such increase.” “Unfortunately,” Hollard said, “the combined effect of the re-rating and the increase have resulted in a substantial overall increase. We realise that policyholders may be facing financial challenges in these tough times, and fully understand if anyone wishes to decrease cover in order to lower premiums. Take a listen as Wendy Knolwer thoroughly explains the importance of checking you funeral policy documents:

Fraudster pay so-called money mules to open bank accounts, and when the victims’ money lands in that new account, they transfer it to the fraudster, thereby ensuring that the fraudster remains untraceable. “Capitec does not currently offer business accounts, therefore people should not believe a business that states it has one,” the bank said. "Should consumers fall victim to fraud – or even if they don’t fall victim to the attempt – it is important to contact the bank to report the incident.” Capitec’s 24-hour call centre on 0860 10 20 43. It’s the same story with African Bank - the bank only has personal accounts, not business ones. Take a listen to how to avoid this scam.

It’s not been a great week for Mango Airlines and its ticket-holding passengers are feeling the pain - again. On Monday the SAA subsidiary announced that it was going to go into business rescue and the next morning hundreds of would-be passengers were left stranded at Joburg’s OR Tambo and Cape Town international airports. In the case of the flight departing from Cape Town at 10:15, bound for Durban, Mango only notified the queuing passengers shortly before 9, via SMS, that the flight had been suspended. That was more than an hour after Mango had expected them to be at the airport! Totally unforgivable. As is not posting a few Mango personnel at the airport to deal with distraught passengers. One Durban family of five is only flying back to Durban this afternoon, having been unable to book seats on other flights on Tuesday or Wednesday. LISTEN here for the full story…

It is called price gouging and if you can prove it if, here’s what to do As the people of this province know all too well, last week’s extraordinary looting of not only supermarkets but their distribution centres, too, led to chronic food shortages, and in some cases, crazy prices. I had people emailing me about tomatoes selling for R200 a pocket, toilet paper R180 for a six-pack, bread loaves selling for twice the normal price and more. Without till receipts as proof of current prices versus previous prices there can be no investigation, and that’s what the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs will require if you lodge a price gouging complaint. “Where wrongdoing is found we will not hesitate to take action which may include fines against those businesses,” said MEC Ravi Pillay. “This cannot be a time for profit-making. Excessive profiteers are warned that the law provides for severe punishment. We will also publish offenders with the consequence of reputational risk.” The National COnsumer Commission has also expressed its outrage at such allegations, because the Consumer Protection Act makes it a prohibited conduct for a supplier to increase their prices unconscionably, in a way "that does not correlate to an equivalent expense in the cost of providing that service or product". A supplier who contravenes these regulations can face a fine of up to R1million or up to 10% of a firm’s annual turnover, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months. Take a listen to what is considered "wrongdoing" in this instance.

If you have car and household contents insurance cover, then a tiny part of your monthly premium is paid every month by your insurer to Sasria, a government-owned insurer providing cover against risks such as civil commotion, public disorder, strikes, riots and terrorism. The good news is while Sasria’s (the South African Special Risks Insurance Association) policy wording states that looting in itself is not considered to be a Sasria event, Sasria accepts that it falls under civil commotion so all related losses are covered. More good news is that Sasria MD Cedric Masondo says they have enough capital to cover what he currently estimates to be claims of between R3.5billion to R7billion. About 85% of all commercial properties and government buildings in South Africa have Sasria cover, along with all privately mortgaged properties, and all insured cars. The two thirds of cars on our roads which aren’t insured, don’t have this civil commotion cover. But there’s something you need to check about your household contents cover. Take a listen…

Seeing is believing - but seeing on a computer screen can be tricky When buying goods on line you always run the risk of being unpleasantly surprised when they are delivered. Going by photos and descriptions can never come close to being able to see and interact with a product physically. That’s why you get a “cooling off” period in terms of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act when you buy something online. That means you have a week, from date of delivery, to change your mind and send it back (at your expense, if the company chooses not to absorb that cost) for a refund. It doesn’t have to be defective in any way, and legally you don’t have to provide a reason - you just say, within 7 days, that you don’t want it. You don’t have that “out” when you buy something in a shop. Only if it breaks in some way, within 6 months of purchase, through no fault of yours, do you have the right to return it for a refund - or replacement or repair; your choice. Tessa bought a few items from Weylandts Umhlanga recently - including a table, which was discounted in price to around R10 000 due to scratches. She was happy with all the items when they were delivered to her, except for the table - it was smaller than she’d thought it would be. Turns out the table wasn’t in the store the day she’d bought it - the store assistant showed it to her online. ssentially an online one. Take a listen to this lesson learnt

One hotel said it’s closing for two weeks and no, the family couldn’t get a refund of their deposit because they don’t have the money. Just like that. Now the crucial issue is that while last week someone cancelling a hotel booking or a wedding because of COVID-19 fears was entirely a voluntary decision, this week, if it’s a booking for an event in these two weeks, it's not. And that means those who paid deposits for events that now cannot legally take place are legally entitled to a FULL refund - the CPA’s “reasonable cancelation penalty” no longer applies. Ideally, as we keep saying, the consumer should consider accepting a postponement, but in the case of many wedding cancellations, the couple, exhausted from all the on-off uncertainty, and the impossibility of knowing whether guests, especially those travelling from overseas, will be able to attend, have given up on the idea of a wedding and have just had very small private marriage ceremonies. So a postponement is not appropriate. So what about “Force Majeure” - uncontrollable events such as war, political unrest, strikes, acts of God, national lockdowns? Can companies play that card to avoid paying refunds for events that now can’t happen because of government restriction? LISTEN here to find out…

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Wendy Knowler is arguably South Africa’s most experienced consumer journalist. She’s helped more consumers over her 20 year career in consumer journalism than she could count. But while known as a champion of consumer rights, Wendy is also known and respected by corporates for her fair, accurate and balanced reporting. Want to be a more sussed consumer or corporate? Listen to Wendy's episodes here.

Never say die - those accounts that defy closure In last week’s Consumerwatch we talked about the many Edgars account holders who’ve been battling for quite some time to close their accounts - in some cases those accounts suddenly came to life again last year with amounts for club membership, and service fees, when the account holders thought the account had been closed quite some time ago. The account chaos is the result of a whole lot of dramatic change for the 92-year-old iconic South African retailer, behind the scenes. Edgars has been sold by Edcon, which is currently in business rescue, to the Durban-based Retailability group, and its accounts management has been outsourced to RCS. As if that wasn’t enough fragmentation, Hollard underwrites the insurance policies which Edgars has sold many of its account holders, their monthly premiums being paid via their monthly accounts. All in all, for many accountholders, settling the amount owing in order to close their accounts seems like an impossible task. That’s mainly because those extra monthly charges, which get added to their account whether they buy goods or not - service fee, club fee, insurance premiums - keep being added for as many months as it takes for the company to process their cancellation request. Many just don’t have the time or the energy to get to the closed account stage, and for many, especially the elderly, the stress and aggravation is dramatically affecting their quality of life. The issues include: Account was closed in store or via email, but not actioned Club fee memberships not being cancelled, despite requests Long delays in responding to account closure requests, with the result that the “value adds” keep on being added to their accounts” Being sent “from pillar to post” in trying to get closure So at the end of last week’s show, after recounting a particular bad case of an elderly woman who had been handed over to debt collectors for an Edgars account she closed at a store.

There has been an usually large number of people interacting with the Edgars blog that I uploaded regarding how to close your Edgars account or fix the unfair 'extra' charges' charged even without purchase. I decided to share some more insight on how to deal with these problems. I also planned to host a Masterclass on retail accounts on the next Consumerwatch on Thursday, June 10

The hardest goodbye I continue to get a steady stream of complaints from Edgars customers, most about battling to close their accounts, and some about battling to stop the extra charges or interest being applied to their “six months’ interest free” accounts. The Edgars accounts story is such a sad, complicated one, the bottom line being that for many, settling the amount owing in order to close their accounts seems like an impossible task. That’s mainly because those extra monthly charges, which get added to their account whether they buy goods or not - service fee, club fee, insurance premiums - keep being added for as many months as it takes for the company to process their cancellation request. Many just don’t have the time or the energy to get to the closed account stage, so I hear from quite a few sons and daughters of accountholders, or mothers of people too busy in their jobs for the time they need to devote to closing their accounts or settling a dispute. A quick recap - Edgars has been sold by Edcon, currently in business rescue, to the Durban-based Retailabilty group, and its accounts management has been outsourced to RCS. And Hollard underwrites the insurance policies which Edgars has sold many of its account holders, their monthly premiums being paid via their monthly accounts. Sayon Pather wrote to me about this 79-year-old mother’s Edgars’ drama. “She has always maintained an impeccable financial track record,” he began. “At this stage in her life she should not have to deal with the stressful harassment proffered by Edgars, and now the debt collectors they have handed her over to, for R511,11, which in fact she should not owe. “My mother's Edgars account was made paid-up in full and the account closed in January 2020. This was confirmed by the cashier and witnessed by family.

Got quite a bit of cash to deposit? You’ll pay less in fees if you do it at the supermarket, says Consumerwatch’s Wendy Knowler. That’s provided you’re depositing larger amounts - R1200 or more. For smaller amounts, your bank’s ATM deposit fee will probably be less than the supermarket’s standard R19,95 fee. The Shoprite group has followed Pick n Pay in making it possible for customers to deposit cash directly into their own bank accounts at till points of its Shoprite, Checkers and USave stores. All you need is your card and the cash, plus a transaction fee of R19,95 - the identical amount Pick n Pay charges for the service at its grocery, clothing and Boxer stores. It’s a safer, more convenient cash deposit option than using a bank ATM - especially for those who get paid in cash and live in rural areas where ATMs are relatively scarce. Shoprite caps its till-deposit amount at R3000, while PnP allows customers to deposit up to R5000 cash, still for that flat fee of R19,95. I asked Pick n Pay how shoppers had responded to the service offering and what their average deposit amount is. “Customers are absolutely loving it,” I was told. “We have seen a jump of 159% in the number of deposits from level 5 lockdown to level 1.” The average deposit amount in the last financial year was R1600, so clearly most have cottoned on to the fee issue. You pressed the lock button on your remote, but is your car really locked? Are you in the habit of locking your car by pressing a button on your remote while walking away from your car parked in at a shopping mall? Criminals use signal-blocking technology to effectively blocks a vehicle from locking properly - as you press that button on your remote, so they press their’s and the result is your car isn’t locked and they can help themselves to what you have stashed in your boot - often a laptop. It’s not a new scam, but it’s still very prevalent.

Could those SMS bank notifications be false security? The Ombudsman for Banking Services of SA released its 2020 annual report yesterday, revealing that fraud cases dominated the five top complaints categories: current accounts, internet banking, personal loans, credit cards and ATMs. Current account cases increased by a dramatic 7% from 2019, with complaints relating to fraud, bank fees and charges and banks not giving notice of account closures account for 80% of current account complaints. The report features 15 case studies and they make for very compelling reading indeed. “These cases are more relatable and engaging than a list of statistics,” Steyn said. “It’s in the telling of the stories that we succeed in our consumer awareness efforts and in changing banking practices, from time to time.” Several case studies had the same theme - the bank’s failure to tell their customer about a very real risk of fraud. In one of them, a bank customer complained to her bank that she wasn’t receiving SMS notifications regarding credit card payments. She was told there had been a technical issue, but that her SMS notification system was operating again. Cool, she thought, all sorted. When fraudulent transactions totalling R200 000 went through on her account, without her being notified, the bank told her that because her account had been accessed via her banking app, no SMS notifications were sent to her. That’s because she had failed to register specifically for banking app notifications. Can you believe it?? The OBS said it was a reasonable assumption that the notifications applied to all notifications on her account - it was unreasonable for the bank to expect customers to explicitly request notifications on their banking app. And so it was that the bank accepted responsibility for that R200 000. Pity the bank isn’t named, but the story serves as a strong warning to make sure that your bank sends you SMS notifications about all activity on your account no matter what

Don’t let a retailer charge you extra for card payments, or dictate how much you must spend, says Wendy Knowler in this week’s Consumerwatch. IT’S ILLEGAL! Wendy also shares: What your car colour choice tells your insurer about you Did you know that the colour of your car has an impact on your insurance premium?

Overzealous regular sanitising of workplaces and schools is totally unwarranted. You get the coronavirus from breathing, not touching, says top health body, as Consumerwatch’s Wendy Knowler revealed in this week’s show Forget what you were told at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic - you are actually very, very unlikely to contract the coronavirus from touching surfaces. The US’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has this month confirmed what scientists have been saying for many months - the chance of getting the virus from surfaces is around 1 in 10 000 contacts. So you don’t need to be wiping down your groceries when you get back from the supermarket, and if you’re a school or business you don’t need to spend a fortune on routine professional sanitising or fogging or electrospraying… that’s only necessary if you’ve had a Covid-positive in the past 24 hours.Wash your hands, wear your mask and VENTILATE.. that’s how you slash your chances of getting Covid. So what will it take for the sanitisation industry to stop exploiting consumers’ fears? Is hailing an Uber costing you extra in bank fees? Capitec bank is getting a hammering on social media for the international credit card processing fee it introduced last month. That’s because it doesn’t only apply when you’re shopping overseas - every time a Capitec customer hails an Uber or Bolt, or buys something on iTunes or from Netflix - in fact any purchase from any company they get charged a R3 processing fee.“Definitely not cool, Capitec,” said Ceeces Travel on Twitter. “This is literally for every Uber or Bolt online payment, it’s insane..” Capitec responded: “This is a fee (R3) charged for international purchases both successful and unsuccessful transactions, whether it was initiated cross-border from outside SA or locally from within SA. “This includes your Bolt and Uber rides and Netflix payments.” So what are the other banks doing?

In this week's Consumerwatch, Wendy Knowler shares with consumers ways to go about spotting and avoiding beauty products that are too promising. She also sheds light regarding the "on the road" (OTR) fees added by car dealerships Learn all about this and more on this podcast below:

Do your homework - on the bed and the retailer - before you commit. Never has it been more important to do your research on a company before doing business with it. Check how they handle complaints on HelloPeter, on Twitter, if they have an account, and do a general Google search for complaints. Had Cookie done that before buying a bed from The Bed King in Chatsworth, she may well have decided to choose another bed retailer. If she’d Googled the store name she would have found a Public Service Announcement posted by The Bed King of Cape Town, warning: "If you are in KwaZulu-Natal and looking to find a Bed King in Durban, then please note that the following stores are not authorized Bed King Dealers & they are using our trademark name illegally: Bed King Springfield, Bed King Phoenix, Bed King Tongaat or Bed King Verulam, Bed King Pietermaritzburg, Bed King Chatsworth We’ve received messages from unhappy customers mistaking us for them. We’d just like to provide clarity to our customers that we are in no way associated with the above-mentioned stores. Please be aware that any items sold at any one of these unauthorized Bed King Durban and Bed King Pietermaritzburg stores are NOT covered by our product warranty or Bed King returns policy." Take a listen to that squeaky bed and find out what happened when Wendy tried to engage with the company, here.

I often warn people to check, check and check again when making payments via EFT or at an ATM. Choose the wrong beneficiary or transpose an account number and your money will end up as an unintentional gift in someone’s account. That someone may well choose not to give it back, and the bank can’t compel them to, leaving lengthy, costly legal action as your only option. Just last night I got an email from a woman who transferred R60 000 to what she thought was a friend’s Standard Bank account from her FNB account. “Now the recipient is refusing to reverse the funds and the bank cannot help,” she wrote. It’s a story I hear so often. But Joseph Slater alerted me to another problem area: like many others, he pays his utility account at his local retailer, and in such cases it’s the till operator you rely on to key in the right numbers. But what if they don’t? That’s what happened to Joseph nine months ago - his R980 went into the wrong municipal account nine months ago, and he’s and he only got his money back this week - after I took up the case. For the full story and key advice if you pay your utility at your local supermarket, listen now.

In early December, Keryn Harrison gave her 2008 Mini Cooper S to KZN Cars in Pinetown to sell on consignment - it was agreed she would be paid R75,000. In late January, the dealership told her she’d be paid that day. That never happened. By early March, the dealership verbally offered to pay her back in monthly R25,000 installments, but when Keryn accepted via email and repeatedly asked for an acknowledgment, she was met with silence. Finally, this week, after she approached Consumerwatch for help, she received a payment of R25,000. Sound familiar? Take a listen to hear what advice Wendy has to offer.

By getting clued up on their tricks, says Consumerwatch’s Wendy Knowler If you’ve got electronics - cellphone, laptop - or a generator to sell, it is sure to be snapped up by a buyer on Gumtree or OLX. The trouble is. many of those supposed buyers are crooks, their aim being to get their hands on your laptop or bicycle. A few months ago, Roland placed an ad on Gumtree for PC parts and ended up gifting them to a thief. “In hindsight, I now realise all the suspicion markers were there. But men posed as church members said they needed my pc parts urgently, had someone come around and pick up the goods, sent fake proof of payment routed through some SMS portal, and of course, money never came through.” In Laché Pretorius’s case, it was a keyboard, which she advertised for sale on Gumtree just last week for R12 000. As a first-time seller on Gumtree, she missed all the red flags. To find out what they were, and what Gumtree’s doing to protect its users from fraudsters, and how to spot them when posting something for sale, take a listen...

If you have a bottle of shampoo labelled as being for “normal” hair, it could soon become a relic of a bygone age. Normal is a problematic word. What’s normal, and who decides what is? Because the inference, of course, that if you are not normal, you are somehow deviant. Not usually a positive thing. Last week Unilever - the owner of the Dove, Lifebuoy Vaseline and Sunsilk brands, and more, tweeted: “We’re removing the word ‘normal’ from ads, products and packaging across our entire range of beauty and personal care brands, all over the world.” The company said it will also stop digitally altering the body shapes and skin colour of its models. More than 100 Unilever brands will replace “normal” with terms such as “grey hair” for shampoos or “moisture replenish” for skin creams by 2022. This after Unilever commissioned a 10,000-person study across nine countries, including in South Africa. Take a listen to what the respondents had to say….

It’s a very curious story. Lay’s marketing director Agnes Kitololo said recently that the brand had listened to its customers, “so we wanted to give them another chance to indulge in this exceptional flavour experience that only Lay’s Salt and Vinegar seems to give them”. That begs the question: “So why were they discontinued, then, if they are so popular and so exceptional?” For the full story, and the latest on what’s going on with the iconic HP Sauce, listen here.

South Africa has returned to level one lockdown, and while some restrictions have been lifted and things have been becoming more relaxed, it seems like one industry has now been hit with new constraints. Airlines are prohibiting travelers from eating or drinking on flights. Does that mean you'll be dehydrating making your way from Durban to Cape Town? Did the airline have any say in this change? Dont stress because Wendy Knowler will tell you everything you need to know.

It’s been a year of pain for cruiseliner operators and their passengers. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced a few days ago that it has canceled its 2020/2021 cruise season. Voyages for the remainder of the 2020/21 cruise season will be moved to the next local cruise season between November 2021 and April 2022, with embarkation from both Durban and Cape Town. With this in mind, Wendy Knowler discusses the future of the industry.

Identity theft is no joke! Here's a not-so-fun fact: fraudsters had a field day in 2020 with so many people working from home, sending sensitive information across servers that don’t have the same level of security as the servers at their normal place of business.

Tracking contracts are easy to get into but harder to get out of. It may seem like a good idea to sign a three-year tracking contract for your car and avoid the upfront payment of the tracking device itself, but if you sell the car within three years or you can no longer afford the monthly payment, things can turn bad pretty fast. The contract might seem like the best option, but it really isn’t. One individual who reached out to Wendy Knowler shares the tragic story of how her contract has led to her facing legal action.

You need credit to get credit but you don't want credit, at the end of the day the credit cycle can be confusing and difficult to navigate, but Wendy Knowler is here to help! Wendy says that this is the issue she is contacted about the most. For example, she recently received an email from a mom whose daughter has returned to SA from a 10-year-stint in the US. Now she’s battling to get credit because of her lack of credit activity in SA all those years. Take a listen as Wendy shares her advice on this type of situation and tries to dig deeper to help find a possible solution.

The travel industry, from its knees, is busy introducing the kind of flexibility into its fares that we would all have loved and appreciated all these years. Last month British Airways (operated by Comair in SA) announced that it has introduced new booking options, giving customers the flexibility to change the dates and destination of a booking without any change fee. Also this week, leisure and hotel management company First Group advised consumers to ask four questions, at least, before confirming travel bookings. Take a listen to find out more

The Hilton Durban Hotel closed its doors last month, another COVID-19 casualty, and one of 1000 Hilton hotels to close since the start of the pandemic. Jan Van Der Putten, who is Hilton’s Vice President Operations - Africa and the Indian Ocean, told me that it’s a temporary closure and that the hotel will re-open, but that doesn’t help those who’ve made bookings for events in the meantime. People like Tracy, who booked a Hilton Durban function room for her February 13 wedding for 80 guests, and paid the hotel R28,690. Take a listen to find out what Wendy has to say about this type of situation and where you should start in an attempt to get your hard-earned cash back.

While the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying regulations have put businesses like Citiliner, Greyhound, Musica, and more in danger, it was only contributing to escalating the inevitable. People are no longer buying music from stores, bus ticket sales have declined as well as poor regulatory compliance in the bus passenger industry, have led to all these businesses having to re-evaluate their positions. With the final decision probably being quite a heavy one, but ultimately the best possible conclusion. On this Consumerwatch episode, Wendy Knowler breaks it all down and goes into further detail explaining exactly how, when, where and why these businesses will be shutting their door permanently.

Carol Fourie’s experience in trying to close her Edgars account is shared by many others. She wrote: "I have had numerous calls from Edgars/RCS agents since last year regarding non-payment on my account. During these calls, I indicated that I wished to close my account after paying the outstanding balance. The procedure, I was told, is for the customer to request a settlement letter which would be emailed. I made several requests telephonically but to date, no email has been sent to me. Every enquiry is met with the same rehearsed script: “You need to request a settlement letter after which an email will be sent…” So, many months later, no settlement letter has been sent by Edgars/RCS in spite of continuous efforts on my side and in the meantime, interest and fees on the account are added monthly! "I have attached some screen grabs from Twitter, in which other customers have voiced similar complaints. “Something is very wrong, hence I believe this matter is worth investigating.” Wendy Knowler took up the issue with Regan Adams, CEO of the company RCS, which handles Edgars’ accounts. Listen to the podcast to find out the outcome.

Malcolm Kinsey, a legend in South African motoring circles, and the man behind the Kinsey Report which exposed car parts prices for the past 30 years and kept the manufacturers in check, died last week. Wendy took a long hard look at his last Report - his 30th! - released exactly three months ago - to find the most ridiculously expensive parts (compared with their competitors) and ask one of the manufacturers if they’ve adjusted their out-of-whack prices since the release of the report. He and his wife Jill usually collect prices - directly from dealerships in the greater Durban area, to simulate the consumer experience - in May/June but last year that was the height of restricted travel and social distancing with many dealerships on light duty. So they delayed the massive job until September. His approach was slightly different, too - along with personal visits to dealerships, he approached a few manufacturers to supply their retail prices, including VAT – which he then randomly checked at dealerships.

In this, the first Consumerwatch feature of 2021, Wendy Knowler reveals why the price of ginger has skyrocketed, and why the government’s Disaster Management Act regulation preventing landlords from cutting off electricity to tenants who are in arrears is, in reality, hollow protection.

It’s Christmas time and we’re experiencing a second wave of coronavirus infections. Not a great combo. Quite a few people have voiced their concerns to Wendy about employees in shops and restaurants not wearing their masks properly and making them feel unsafe. And yes, many consumers don’t do their bit other - wearing masks with noses exposed, or as chin buffs or so loose and wafty on their faces, they may as well not bother. Engage with management if you feel unsafe - for all our sakes. This week, Wendy received an email from a Durban University of Technology (DUT) student, saying that students had been “forced” to go to campus to write tests and other assessments, but that no covid protocols were being followed - no social distancing, not enough sanitizers provided, and no screening. Wendy took it up with the Univerisity. With President Ramapahosa's recent address, resulting in beach closures due to the second wave, you want to cancel your holiday. Can you demand a full refund? Listen to the podcast for Wendy's advice.

Recently Tim shared with Wendy Knowler email correspondence he had with a salesman at the Honda & Suzuki dealership in Pinetown, part of the massive CMH dealership group.The salesman told him in an email that R1100 was for the licensing of the car - “an outsourced company does our licensing but I can speak to the boss if you want to license the vehicle on your own”, he said. So Wendy took that up with the dealer principal of the dealership, Darryl Sclanders. In today's ECR Consumerwatch, Wendy Knowler gives advice about what to do in a situation like this, as well as what to do if you get a call from your bank’s fraud department.

Keri Miller was unexpectedly pushed into a tight budget this December after receiving a letter from the Municipality to settle a very big electricity bill, lest her lights are cut out by the 7th of December. This has been giving her sleepless nights and to get to the bottom of this, she enlisted the help of Consumerwatch's Wendy Knowler. Following Keri's story about being slapped with a hefty electricity bill by the Municipality, many other people came forward with their own stories. Whether it’s a computer glitch, a water leak, or the result of your meter finally being read after months of estimated consumption, getting unexpectedly high water or electricity bill from the municipality is a terrifying experience, especially this year, when so many of us are battling financially. Listen to the podcast as Consumer Journalist, Wendy Knowler, decided to prioritise the matter by investigating the issue further and offering some solutions.

With the rainy season well underway in most parts of South Africa, the office of the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance is bracing itself for a spike in complaints from distressed homeowners whose building insurance claims have been rejected. The office dealt with 1800 cases of rejected building insurance claims during 2019, most of them roof-related. Wendy Knowler spoke to Peter Nkhuna, senior assistant ombudsman at the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance and he has some advise. “Roofs are exposed to natural elements, so they take a hammering, especially in hot, humid areas such as Durban. When you start seeing streak stains on the wall and discolouration on your ceilings, don’t do nothing - get it checked out.” Listen to the full podcast for solutions.

The good news for those holding Kulula or British Airways tickets for domestic flights they couldn’t use during hard lockdown is they can use the value of those tickets towards new bookings on those airlines, both owned by Comair. The bad news, says Wendy Knowler, is that while Kulula planes take to the skies again from December 1 and BA planes from December 9, Comair they’re only taking fresh money during the peak festive season. Wendy also looks at what’s happened to the Durban - Cape Town route, as Durbanites wanting to fly to Cape Town are not exactly spoilt for choice at the moment - the route is currently very “underserved” by domestic airlines. LISTEN to Wendy Knowler explaining why…

Still battling to get a refund for your cancelled trip? You’re far from alone in that. Wendy Knowler's received a deluge of complaints from South Africans who've had their paid-for overseas trips cancelled because of COVID-19:-- flights, tours, accommodation, and while many service providers have issued refunds, others have dug in their heels and refused. Meanwhile, with Christmas - the season of all things sparkly just around the corner, it’s a good time for a fresh warning about cake glitter and sparkly glitter balls. Listen to the podcast to get the lowdown.

FINALLY! Manufacturers will be forced to take responsibility for recovering their products or product packaging and getting it recycled. From cardboard boxes to electronic goods, lightbulbs, all forms of plastic and glass jars and bottles, the manufacturers or importers will have to make a plan to get it back from consumers after they’ve done with it, so that it can be recycled or reused instead. There’s literally no time to waste - landfill space is fast running out while currently just 10% of the things we throw out which can be recycled is actually being recycled. They will have to start new programmes, set up collection points, do regular audits and achieve stringent new targets in terms of new amendments to the National Environmental Management’s Waste Act. Wendy Knowler provides insight on this, as well as the risky and expensive ATMs withdrawals. Despite a dramatic swing towards digital banking, South Africa is still a long way away from a cashless society, with more than half of the population still transacting in cash daily. But many people are unwittingly paying far too much to move their cash around. What is the cause? We find out on Consumerwatch.

So what category of vehicles are involved in most serious accidents on South African roads? If you said minibus taxis you’d be wrong. The answer, shared by Wendy Knowler in today’s Consumerwatch, will probably surprise you. A renowned, Durban-based forensic accident investigator has shared his findings and road safety suggestions after analysing more than 650 accident scenes between 2009 and 2016. Wendy also looks into the issue of losing your cellphone and how you should protect your bank accounts on your apps.

In this week’s Consumerwatch, WENDY KNOWLER explains why so many people are battling to pay off their store accounts. All those extras - club fees, service fees, and fees for calling you about your overdue account - add up. Also in today’s episode: how not to buy a puppy.

This week Wendy Knowler is wishing credit card holders would no longer fall for the phishing scam - that’s when fraudsters trick them divulging their banking details over the phone, by pretending they are phoning from their bank,”to help them stop fraudulent transactions on their account”. She also looks at the new mask/buff guidelines from a consumer perspective.

Last week, Edgars hastily reinstated its 6-months interest-free account plan after announcing it was scrapping it just days before. This week, a “valued customers” got another interest shock - double interest charged to their October accounts because a “system glitch” meant that no interest was charged last month. Consumer journalist Wendy Knowler gets to the root of this scandal as well as the Comair issue.

The company which recently bought the 91-year-old retail chain Edgars decided it would be a good idea to scrap the six-month interest-free account plan, but its accountholders were having none of that… Wendy Knowler waded in on that story on today’s Consumerwatch. She also investigated what’s up with another iconic brand - Johnson & Johnson - and its current batch of foul-smelling baby wipes.

FlySafair has adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding mask dodgers on its flights from this week. This after Wendy Knowler raised the issue after experiencing, first-hand, cases on recent flights in which passengers were not fully compliant. She’d also received numerous complaints about it from other passengers. Wendy takes up the story…

It’s been a very hot topic throughout lockdown - how the various gym companies treated their clients during the five months they were unable to open. So Wendy Knowler did a follow-up on contract cancellation. With borders set to open soon, and local flying already in full swing, Wendy also gives consumers some flying tips.

The surprising result of lab tests on the “glass” found in Liquifruit red grape juice cans, and what the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman thinks of what some gyms have been doing with their members’ contracts were the issues Wendy Knowler looks at in this week’s ECR Consumerwatch. Listen here for the details.

Is it legal for airplane companies to have flights packed to capacity? What do you do if you want to terminate your gym contract because you do not feel safe? How do you deal with event argonisers refusing to pay back your breakage deposit? KZN asks Wendy Knowler for her consumer advice.

Banks are morally required to be sympathetic towards vulnerable customers which are; financially illiterate, old or sick. But what happens when you are unemployed because of COVID-19 and even though you are paying a small fee, your bank charges you more interest than you can afford? Wendy Knowler has all the answers on this issue, as well as other issues posed by a landlord, a new home-owner and others.

The scathing truth is that although we are advised to pay off our debt earlier than our agreement with our lender, some of us will incur penalties for settling our debt early, which forces us to maintain a substantial debt. But is this legal? Wendy Knowler answered this question and more.

This week Wendy Knowler took the opportunity to cover some of the most asked questions she received on social media. Many consumers are unaware that they are paying insurance on cellphones they haven't used in a decade, fly-by-night companies are scamming innocent lay-bye customers and what is the policy on returning online purchases?

Can the municipality demand full immediate payment for electricity usage they neglected to bill for during the previous two years? Can landlords and rental agents insist on a two-month notice period, and when are landlords entitled to withhold deposits? These are among the issues listeners raised with Wendy Knowler in this week’s Consumerwatch.

Gyms that are still debiting members’ bank accounts while gyms remain closed during lockdown; a cruise company refuses to refund a family for their cruise which the company was forced to cancel because of Covid-19, and instead has unilaterally re-booked them on a specific cruise next year; the multi-branch paving company which won’t honour a client’s warranty because the branch closest to her home has closed, and events organisers which use “force majeure” to defend their decision not to refund at all or only a small percentage of ticket prices. Where does that leave those customers? Our consumer journalist Wendy Knowler shed some light on those scenarios, and others, in this week’s Consumerwatch.

With the many financial changes that have been brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic, employees have had their eyes opened to the corruption that their employers have been involved in. Wendy Knowler sheds light on the topic - as well as on other questions asked by you.

What is up with all these blue Clover milk bottles? ECR Consumerwatch's Wendy Knowler sheds light on the topic - as well as on other questions asked in our latest round of Consumerwatch QnA Live, on Darren, Keri & Sky.

This week on ECR Consumerwatch we gave you the opportunity to ask Wendy Knowler any consumer questions you may have. As the expert, she gives advice on landlord and tenant disputes; the no-return and no-refund policy as a result of COVID-19, and many other related issues.

In this edition of Consumerwatch, Wendy Knowler investigates business interruption insurance payouts during lockdown and why insurance providers have been rejecting claims.

Here’s how to protect yourself, writes Wendy Knowler.

Here’s how to protect yourself, writes Wendy Knowler.

How is it that Durban homeowners are being saddled with black refuse bags which are poor quality to the point of ripping and/or the wrong size? Wendy Knowler tried to find out.

Wendy Knowler speaks on miscommunication when it comes to delivering of your items

Tunnel vision - disinfectant tunnels continue to be erected in transport hubs, schools and residential estates, despite growing warnings - from very high places - that they are ineffective and unsafe.

Wendy Knowler discusses the regulations under Level 3 Lockdown.

Returns policies - new lockdown polices apply. So it’s a case of buyer beware, warns Wendy Knowler

What to buy? New government regulations aim for function over style, says Wendy Knowler.

So you can buy winter clothing now, but you can’t try anything on first - is that legal? Your daughter’s ballet teacher is demanding full payment of her fees, 40 days into lockdown - what are your rights? When will you be able to buy or sell a car again?

Friday is the 1st of the month, traditional moving day, May 1 is also Worker’s Day, marked this year by milions of workers being unable to work, and, of course it’s the day we move from level 5 lockdown to level 4.

Missing your local restaurant, pub or neighbourhood business and wondering how if they going to survive lockdown? There’s a way to help, says Wendy Knowler

Expiring warranties travel cancellation compensation and the dangers of home brewing - Wendy Knowler gives the lowdown on the latest lockdown consumer news.

Wendy Knowler looks at what the various insurers are offering their clients in terms of relief during this time of lockdown…

One of the main conversations which this extraordinary lockdown situation has led to is: what is an essential service?

COVID 19, commonly referred to as the corona virus, is causing major havoc in the travel industry: international conferences are being cancelled, and flights to many destinations are being cancelled, because people are too terrified to travel, even to places like Cyprus which hasn’t had any confirmed cases; and airlines are laying off staff, and grounding planes.

It’s annoying when the power gets cut during “load shedding”, but it’s when it comes back on that our precious appliances and electronics are most at risk, says Wendy Knowler

For florists, Valentine’s Day is their Black Friday and Christmas all rolled into one. There’s big money to be made, but the risk of reputational damage for service delivery fails is also massive. What are your rights as a consumer when you don’t get what you paid for, at the promised time? Wendy Knowler tells all...

If you buy a new TV and when you remove the packaging at home, you discover the screen is cracked, who is responsible? Well, that depends. Best to get clued up on how to avoid such a horror show in the first place. Wendy Knowler explains how in today’s Consumerwatch.

What do you do if you open your municipal bill and discover you’re being asked to pay ten times your usual monthly amount, because you’ve been using a massive amount of water for the past two months?

Wendy Knowler asks what it’s going to take to nab the airport baggage handlers who can’t keep their hands off our stuff...

Not being a commercial breakfast cereal kind of person, I didn’t realise quite how many South Africans felt really strongly about their Rice Krispies until about 18 months ago when Kellogg SA replaced the original version with something very different - Rice Krispies which were no longer made just of rice, but of corn and wheat as well - a so-called multigrain. But that’s not all, they also added a vanilla, flavour, and about twice the amount of sugar than the originals. That did not go down well with their customers.

Friday the 13th of December was anything but unlucky for the more than a million South Africans whose take-home is reduced every month because of garnishee orders. What a Western Cape judge had to say on that day will bring massive financial relief, says Wendy Knowler.

If you’ve got debit order agreements with various companies, there’s a good chance that some of them will take their money from your bank account early next week instead of at month-end date, as usual, anticipating that you’ll get paid early for Christmas. But can they do that?

So you saved 60% on a new gizmo on Black Friday - fabulous. But did you really? 60% off which price?

If FOMO sees you partaking in the spend-fest, says Wendy Knowler, here’s how to get the most of out it

A KZN family’s funeral policy claim has thrown a spotlight on the way that industry handles its policyholders claims in their hour of need.

Most South Africans seem to have got the idea that the Consumer Protection Act entitles them to demand a refund if they want to return something they’ve bought - for whatever reason.