Your guide to smarter shopping and safer choices
From car finance tricks and debt scams to unsafe cake glitter and fake online deals, these consumer hacks will keep you sharp and protect your pocket.
1. Don’t assume that the car instalment you’ve agreed to will remain the same for the full term
When it came time for Tebo to finance his new car, he says he told the finance and insurance person based at the motor dealership that he could only afford to pay a finance instalment of about R6,500 a month.
The first deal he was offered was R7,800 per month, which he rejected. Then came one for R6,500pm, which he accepted. What he didn’t notice on the contract is that he’ll be paying more every year – up to R8,700 in the eighth and final year.
The financing bank, Nedbank’s Motor Finance Corporation, insists that everything was fully explained to him in the dealership, but, of course, there’s no proof of what was and wasn’t said at the time.
Yet another reason why it’s crucial to read every word – and number – in a contract before putting your signature to it.
2. If you get a call from someone offering to reduce your “too high” monthly repayments, END THE CALL!
Debt counselling scams are rampant in South Africa. Call centres, often linked to registered debt counsellors, cold-call consumers, falsely promising reduced interest rates or debt write-offs.
They also often claim to be mandated by the National Credit Regulator (NCR) or, as in my case recently, your bank.
They trick people who aren’t over-indebted into debt review, a legal process meant only for those unable to pay debts. Victims sign the so-called Form 16 unknowingly, thereby losing control of their accounts. Regaining control is usually an expensive, time-consuming process.
Avoid unsolicited calls, especially ones about your personal finances, and don’t sign documents hastily. Report scams to the NCR at [email protected].
3. You may have bought that cake glitter from a baking supplies store, but that doesn’t mean it’s edible
Beware of shiny cake decorations!
A Carte Blanche exposé broadcast in August revealed that Rolkem’s Lumo and Glitter ranges, used by many South African bakers, allegedly contain non-edible dyes from industrial sources like AECI and Delta Colours.
Despite being marketed as edible, these products may include microplastics and unsafe pigments.
This is not a new issue. Back in 2018, the UK’s Food Safety Agency flagged Rolkem for failing safety assurances.
Always check for a full ingredients list, batch number, and supplier details on cake decoration products.
Avoid eating shiny glitter and super brightly coloured icing unless you’re 100% sure that what’s in it is intended for human consumption.
And commercial bakers demand a Certificate of Compliance and MSDS from suppliers.
4. Did you know?
All online vendors are required by law (according to the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act) to clearly display their refund and returns policies in plain, easy-to-understand language, and to provide a full, valid physical address, not just an email address or a city.
“We also advise consumers to check if the platform participates in the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud scheme, as this is a clear sign of intent to play by the rules,” the ombud’s office says.
5. Beware the knock-offs being flogged on big-name online sites’ marketplaces
Many well-known retail sites allow third parties to trade on their sites – referred to as marketplaces.
“As these proliferate, we anticipate more complaints from consumers who think they are trading with a well-known platform, only to find themselves having to deal with an unknown vendor when things go wrong,” the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud has warned. Many a nasty knock-off of big brand products is being flogged on online marketplaces.
The Wheco Group, which owns the Cielo brand, says many Cielo knock-offs are being put up for sale by vendors on online marketplaces, including Takealot, Amazon and Makro.
“Fortunately, we have established channels to report and remove fake listings, and that now usually happens within 24 hours.”
In the space of a month recently, the Wheco team successfully requested online retailers to remove more than 100 fake listings.
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