ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch

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… ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR 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. ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch

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. ECR Consumerwatch