Your essential consumer hacks for the festive season
From beating the ironing blues to flying smart, shopping safely online and staying secure on KZN’s wet roads, these consumer hacks help you save time, money and stress.
1. Hate ironing? Switch to a clothes steamer
If you hate ironing, have you considered ditching that clumsy board and iron for a clothes steamer?
Handheld steamers start at about R400, but you’ll have to fill its small water canister often.
The larger standing models are far more user-friendly, cost between R800 and R1800, and are the absolute bomb. There’s no board setup, the steam kills odours and bacteria, it’s safe on delicate and sequins and you can steam curtains and suits while they are hanging.
They build up a head of steam in just 30 seconds, so you can avoid lengthy steaming sessions and just steam your shirt or dress a minute or two before you need to wear it.
2. Flying this Christmas? Here’s what the airlines want you to know…
I asked all the domestic airlines what they really, really want their passengers to know, as we head into the peak air travel season, and here is some of the advice they gave me:
Most important: Get to the airport early, about two hours before your flight departure time, ideally.
If you are checking in luggage, use a lockable suitcase or roller bag and personalise it. Take photos of it at check-in (noting the make and any unique markings), and make sure you put your cellphone number along with your name on the luggage tag.
Don’t put lithium battery-powered devices or power banks in your check-in luggage. And check if your chosen airline allows you to take them on board in your carry-on luggage.
Put your belt, watch, jewellery, loose change, car keys and any other metallic items in your carry-on bag BEFORE you arrive at the security checkpoint.
Know the carry-on luggage limit in terms of size and weight and pack accordingly.
3. What to know before you buy online
The downside of buying online is that you can’t get to touch, prod or try on a product before buying, and then, of course, you have to wait for it to be delivered.
The upside is that you have a legal right to a 7-day cooling period from the date of delivery, in which to change your mind, alert the retailer and send it back for a refund.
The catch is that the retailer can make you pay for the return courier, so if that item is bulky and/or heavy, that will reduce your refund quite a bit.
Oh, and that cooling-off period legally applies whether or not you bought something on sale.
Don’t let an online retailer tell you otherwise.
4. Summer in KZN - not the time to skimp on tyres
Sufficient tread on your car tyres is essential on any road surface, but especially critical during the rainy season - that is now. Tread channels water away, so if there’s not enough tread, expect to hydroplane on a flooded road. Not a fun experience.
The legal minimum is 1.6mm tread across the full width of the tyre, but smart drivers ensure that there’s at least 3mm in summer.
Test data reveals that at 100 km/h on dry tar, a tyre worn to 1.6 mm already needs 3–6 metres more to stop than one with 4–5 mm tread.
And fully bald tyres can add another 10 or more metres to that.
5. Private sales are hugely risky as they are “voetstoets”
We all want the best bang for our buck when we’re in the market for a used car, and clearly, if you buy privately, you’re likely to pay less because a dealer hasn’t added their profit to the price.
But the lower price comes with a potentially expensive risk - it’s a voetstoets deal, meaning you have no recourse should the car develop a fault. When you buy from a dealer, on the other hand, you have the protection of a six-month legal warranty. In theory, anyway.
Nabeelah learnt the hard way: “We bought a car and later discovered there are no airbags and it has been in a serious accident,” she told me.
If you are going to buy from a private individual, have the car fully checked out by a professional first.
Listen to more Consumer Hacks below:
Contact Wendy Knowler:
Get in touch with Wendy via her website or her Facebook page. Please note that Wendy is not able to personally respond to every email she receives. If she is able to take up your case, she will contact you directly. Here are other avenues for you to consider.