This site requires JavaScript to be enabled. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings, or upgrade to a modern browser.

Consumer scams and traps you need to know about right now

Loading player...

Wendy Knowler unpacks the latest consumer traps to watch out for. From a fake Woolworths meat box scam spreading on Facebook to hidden rental admin fees and insurance claims rejected over small details. She also explains how search engine ads can send you to the wrong business online and why romance scammers often play the long game. Practical tips to help you protect your money and avoid costly mistakes.

13 Mar English South Africa Education · Self-Improvement

Other recent episodes

Sold a dud car on finance? Chase the bank

If you buy a used car on finance and it turns out to be a lemon, don’t spend all your energy on the dealer. The bank that financed it is on the hook too. Our Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed it recently: when a bank finances a defective car, it…

24 Jul 1 min

“Show Me the Podium": the phrase that could save you thousands on car finance

When you apply for vehicle finance through a dealership, the finance manager submits your application to multiple banks - and gets back a "podium" showing every offer, with different rates and terms. They're not obliged to show you all of them, and have every incentive to push the one earning…

23 Jul 1 min

Know when your cellphone contract ends — or face a bill up to three times more

When your cellphone contract expires and you haven't given 30 days' notice to cancel or signed a new deal, your network can move you onto a month-to-month rate — at a dramatically higher price. Nadene's MTN contract was R189 a month. When it expired at the end of May, she…

22 Jul 1 min

That grocery app search result isn't showing you the best deal — it's showing you who paid the most

When you search for a product category on a grocery app like Checkers Sixty60, the results aren't random — they're influenced by which brands have paid for keyword placement. Search "tea" and Five Roses appears first; the far cheaper Checkers own-brand equivalent – Forage & Feast - doesn't show up…

21 Jul 1 min

Wait 72 hours before committing to anything you didn't plan to buy

Retailers - online and in-store - are experts at manufacturing urgency such as flash sales, "only 2 left," countdown timers. The antidote is simple: wait three days before purchasing any unplanned, non-essential item. Write it down if you need to, then revisit after 72 hours. Research consistently shows the urge…

20 Jul 1 min

All episodes