East Coast Radio - Catch Up Consumer Hacks with Wendy Knowler

Bought something online and the retailer has vanished? Here's what to do

Loading player...
An online retailer called Online Car Parts allegedly ignored the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, moved premises, and left consumers with incorrect parts or no refunds.

This case is a textbook warning about buying from unfamiliar online retailers. Before purchasing from any online store you don't recognise, Google the business name alongside the word "complaint" or "scam." Check whether they're registered with the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud at cgso.org.za.

If a retailer disappears after taking your money, report them to KZN’s Office of the Consumer Protector or CGSO - both have powers to pursue non-compliant sellers, even if they've moved.
23 Jun English South Africa Education · Self-Improvement

Other recent episodes

Are you overpaying for your pet’s meds?

Vet bills are brutal, and medication is a big slice of them. But you may never be told that a cheaper equivalent of what you're being dispensed exists, because nobody at the counter is obliged to raise it with you. So ask. Ask whether there's a generic or a cheaper…
21 Aug 1 min

Check your credit record before it costs you

A listener wrote to me about a phone account written off years ago. He doesn't dispute the money. What he disputes is what the listing has since done to him. Most people only find out they're listed when a loan or a rental application is turned down, and by then…
20 Aug 1 min

Scammers still getting away with the fake POP tactic

Selling something on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace? The oldest trick in the book is still working beautifully for scammers. The "buyer" sends you a proof of payment, often a very convincing one, and arranges a courier to collect that same day. The money never arrives, the goods are gone, and…
19 Aug 1 min

It pays to know your CPA

Mitch of Durban bought a second-hand phone from well-known national retailer. Six weeks later it failed. The shop refused a refund, refused a credit, refused a swap, and offered him a repair. That is not how the law works. Under the Consumer Protection Act, if something you buy fails within…
18 Aug 1 min

Free for three months. Then not.

A Discovery member took advantage of a free health check and then got a sales call offering her a three-month free Vitality trial. She agreed, on condition that she be contacted before the free period ended. Nobody contacted her. The membership rolled over into a paid one, and the fees…
17 Aug 1 min
All episodes