The quote trap, the courier oil leak and the car scam

1. Always demand a quote before repairs

Garyn’s air compressor broke, and a repair company fixed it without first giving him a quote, then billed him R5,000 - double the cost of a new unit.

When he protested, he was told that they assumed that as it was an urgent job, he didn’t need a quote. The Consumer Protection Act requires service providers to give customers a quote and get consumer approval before going ahead with repairs. 

So always insist on a written quote upfront – inform

the service provider that if they do any work without your approval, you won’t be liable to pay for it.

2. Don’t courier oils

Oils - be they edible, therapeutic or mechanical - have a tendency to leak and can be flammable, which is why most courier companies won’t knowingly transport them, at least not without pre-approval.

Charlotte only discovered that after she sent a bottle of massage oil, in a box, to her cousin, via a well-known courier company. 

When her cousin later told her the oil hadn’t been delivered to her, Charlotte contacted the courier company and was told that the oil had leaked, and she wouldn’t be getting a refund because it’s clearly stated on their packs that no oils should be packaged for couriering. So - no recourse for Charlotte.

3. No getting out of gym jail free

Louis’s wife joined a gym while on holiday, signing a 12-month contract.  Weeks later, back at work, her hours changed, meaning she couldn’t attend gym often.

But she was told she needed to give a month’s notice to cancel, plus pay half the fees for the remaining 11 months. 

Louis wanted to know from me if that was legal.

Yes. The Consumer Protection Act allows this, as long as the cancellation penalty is “reasonable”.

It’s typically 30-40% in the fitness industry, so 50% is a tad high, but not illegal.

Always check a gym’s cancellation policy before signing up. You are very unlikely to be able to avoid paying a cancellation penalty entirely but at least you can avoid a nasty cancelation fee surprise.

4. Beware the “car pulled off auction” scam

Cars do not get pulled off bank repossession auctions and sold on the side for ridiculously low prices. So if you see such an ad on social media, know that it’s a scam - the fraudsters are pretending to be a legitimate auction house.

I continue to hear from people like Hennie who fall for this scam.

“All the correspondence was on Whatsapp,” he told me. RED FLAG.

“They asked for a 50% deposit to remove the car from the auction line. I paid the money and the following morning I was contacted via phone to request the other 50%. I paid it and to date no car. Now they refuse to refund me.”

Of course - they are crooks.

5. New fridge won’t fit through your doorway? Whose fault is that?

Email from Debbie: “A major appliance retailer deducted a 15% surcharge from my refund when the fridge/ freezer I bought had to be sent back because it could not fit through the door from the pavement into my house. 

“I want a refund of that 15%.”

Well, Debbie is not entitled to it. In fact, the store was not obliged to take back that appliance and refund her at all, because it was not defective.

It is our responsibility as consumers to check the measurements and make sure that the lounge suite, bed or oven can get into our homes.

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