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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
184 – 204

When all that glitters is stolen…

Here’s s a not-so-fun fact - KZN is the capital of jewellery store heists. So what happens if your precious heirloom is taken while at the store? Wendy Knowler has the details…
30 Nov 2017 6 min

Making the best of Black Friday

Black Friday is next week, and if it seems to become a bigger deal in South Africa every year, that’s because it does. More with Consumerwatch's Wendy Knowler…
16 Nov 2017 7 min

Why you should care about the cost of car parts

If you’re in the market for a new set of wheels, you should care - a lot - about how the cost of the parts for the cars your wish list compare, because the parts costs has a major effect on the overall cost of car ownership over time.
28 Sep 2017 8 min

No, it's not Telkom calling...

So in 2015 there was Directories Services 2 which had businesses thinking they were just confirming or updating their white and yellow pages entries - and then demanding R7200 from them for some obscure directory listing. And now there’s the Telecom directory doing the same thing. Same company? Wendy Knowler…
21 Sep 2017 9 min

R300 restaurant corkage legal?

What’s a reasonable amount for a restaurant to charge as a corkage fee on a bottle of champagne? Well, a Durban family wasn’t expecting it to be R300 on a single bottle, which came a surprise on their bill for a special birthday dinner. The issue of disclosure aside, can…
14 Sep 2017 9 min

Consumer crunch time: recession is biting

Tough economic times are seeing a change in consumer buying patterns - shopping online, switching brands and buying in smaller quantities. More with Wendy Knowler on Consumerwatch today.
17 Aug 2017 9 min

Bread and butter issues + Durban's orange recycling bags

Last week’s Consumerwatch was all about the butter shortage and its hellishly high price, and this week Wendy Knowler is focusing on bread. She also has the latest on the eThekwini municipality's orange bag recycling programme, and why there's a shortage of those bags…
3 Aug 2017 8 min

Price of butter leaves bitter taste

The price of butter is skyrocketing, not just in South Africa, but globally. Wendy Knowler picks up the story in today's ECR Consumerwatch…
27 Jul 2017 6 min

Are customer body searches lawful?

When is it okay for a security officer appointed by a retail store to body search a customer? ECR Consumerwatch's Wendy Knowler chats to a Durban customer, Mooceda Mthini of Chatsworth, about her unpleasant experience.
20 Jul 2017 8 min

Time to tell all, timeshare owners

The National Consumer Commission is conducting public hearings around the country, and hard-done-by timeshare consumers are invited to tell their stories, in person, with a view to coming up with a single piece of legislation that will be used to properly regulate this controversial, law-unto-themselves industry. ECR Consumerwatch's Wendy Knowler…
13 Jul 2017 6 min
184 – 204