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ECR Consumerwatch

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.
Weekly English South Africa Leisure · Business
239 Episodes
88 – 108

What if your Valentine's Day flowers are delivered late?

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…
13 Feb 2020 4 min

Cracked TV: Who is responsible?

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.
6 Feb 2020 6 min

What to do with an excessive municipal bill?

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?
30 Jan 2020 9 min

How dare you?

Wendy Knowler asks what it’s going to take to nab the airport baggage handlers who can’t keep their hands off our stuff…
23 Jan 2020 10 min

Return of the original Rice Krispies

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…
9 Jan 2020 7 min

Got a garnishee? You’ve been overpaying, says Wendy

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.
19 Dec 2019 9 min

Credit Card agreements during the festive season

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?
12 Dec 2019 10 min

Surviving Black Friday

If FOMO sees you partaking in the spend-fest, says Wendy Knowler, here’s how to get the most of out it
28 Nov 2019 8 min

There’s a body in the passage

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.
21 Nov 2019 7 min

No more free ride for your golf clubs on SAA

Up to now, South African Airways has allowed its passengers to check in a bag or suitcase plus certain sports gear, including bikes, golf clubs, horse saddles, and sailing equipment, at no extra charge.
7 Nov 2019 6 min

Wendy Knowler on Vodacom data scam WhatsApp alert

A voice note supposedly released by a policeman, who warns about a new scam, has resurfaced. The man claims that criminals are targeting people outside shops with a scam data competition, only to steal their money. Wendy Knowler looked into it and confirms the WhatsApp clip is a scam. Listen…
25 Oct 2019 2 min

Watch out: no service, no warranty

On Consumerwatch this week, Wendy’s Watch Out for consumers focuses on the harsh consequences on missing a service of your car, and on ShopTalk, she cautions companies on compounding a mistake with bad handling of the fallout.
10 Oct 2019 8 min

Wendy looks at Vodacom cell contracts + shares two personal bugbears

In today's Consumerwatch, Wendy Knowler looks at two cases of somewhat misleading cellphone contracts with Vodacom that locked in two consumers for longer than they'd bargained on. Vodacom has since said it was an isolated error. Wendy investigates. Meanwhile, in Shop Talk today Wendy shares details of some of her…
3 Oct 2019 6 min

You have no legal right to return clothes that don’t fit you

Are you one of those people who grabs an item of clothing off the rail and buys it without trying it on? Who’s got the time or inclination to face those changing rooms, right? Well, best you do and here’s why? So many people believe they have the right to…
19 Sep 2019 6 min

Finger Trouble at Woolies + Social Media advice for businesses

In today's Consumerwatch, Wendy Knowler reports on a spot of finger trouble at Woolworths, while in part 2, she asks the important question of business: Why do brands have social media accounts when they are not active or they ignore customers’ queries?
12 Sep 2019 4 min
88 – 108