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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
120 – 140

How safe is your child strapped into a car seat in the back?

If you don’t know your ESC from your ABS, you could be part of the reason why most of the non-premium cars sold in South Africa don’t have some basic, lifesaving safety features which have been legally compulsory for about six years.
30 May 2019 14 min

You break it, your waiter pays for it

As anyone who has every worked tables in a restaurant will know, waiters and waitresses are often on the receiving of some pretty unpalatable treatment at the hands of restaurant owners and managers.
16 May 2019 10 min

Ombud warns consumers about 5 online retailers

When a company takes a customer’s money and promises to deliver the goods a few weeks later, and then fails to do so - for many months, refuses to refund them, and then ignores them, they’re asking for trouble. When they do that to enough people, the trouble, when it…
2 May 2019 10 min

If things fall apart - are you covered?

The short-term insurance industry is no doubt bracing itself for a flood of flood-related damage claims from the people of Durban after the monster storm of Monday night and Tuesday. Wendy Knowler asks though, will you be effectively covered?
25 Apr 2019 9 min

What’s your data privacy worth to you?

Do you value your ID number, employment history, address, relationship status, cellphone number and email address enough to stop people who don’t have a legitimate right to it from accessing it?
18 Apr 2019 7 min

Extended warranty - sign up or lose out

There are warranties, and then there are warranties - says Wendy Knowler. The best one is the Consumer Protection Act automatically bestows on everything you buy - it’s for SIX MONTHS, irrespective of whether what you buy is new or used, on sale or not.
7 Mar 2019 7 min

Yay or nay to eating food past its best before date?

The idea that shelf-stable food such as biscuits, canned goods, cereals, maize meal, sauces and pasta goes from being perfectly okay up to the 'best before' date on the pack to 'rotten,' 'off', 'toxic' or 'unsafe' is as ridiculous as it is widespread.
21 Feb 2019 7 min

Love me, love my privacy

Who besides you knows your personal details, bank account details and passwords, enabling them to impersonate you, open and close accounts in your name and transact online, buying stuff and transferring funds out of your account? When I asked a short version of that question on Twitter this week, I…
24 Jan 2019 8 min

Wow service! Now for the fun stuff on Consumerwatch

Thanks to social media, consumer discontent confronts us everywhere - Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp groups - lots of grumpy, angry, frustrated consumers venting, naming and shaming. And yes, most of it well justified! But we also need to take the time to let others know when the service is amazing. So…
13 Dec 2018 10 min

That “free” thing will cost you lots

The lure of free goodies has been used by marketers for generations to lure consumers in, and then get them to commit to paying - usually a lot - for anything from timeshare deals to vacuum cleaners, dietary supplements and face creams.
6 Dec 2018 6 min

Open lines on ECR Consumerwatch

This week was our last episode of the year for Consumerwatch with Wendy Knowler, so we gave listeners a chance to speak to her about any consumer issue affecting them. Listen here…
29 Nov 2018 10 min
120 – 140