Consumer Hacks with Wendy Knowler

Everyday consumer realities you only learn after something goes wrong. Cash, vouchers, homes, cars, and official records - what you need to know to avoid costly mistakes.

Before you renew insurance, reply to a “bank” call, or click that email, listen to this. These Consumer Hacks expose the fine print, the scams, and the small mistakes that can cost you big money.

One small oversight can spiral into a massive financial headache. From phone security and insurance traps to legal admin gaps, these Consumer Hacks show you what to watch out for and how to shut down the risks before they hit your wallet.

Spam that won’t stop, contracts that quietly roll over, scam calls targeting older relatives, costly buying mistakes and credit habits that follow you for years. This episode flags the warning signs early so you can act before small oversights turn into expensive regrets.

From pressured warranties to illegal card fees and quiet product withdrawals, these Consumer Hacks show what’s fair, what’s not and how to push back

From gym contracts you can’t escape to furniture that fails too late, expiry dates that don’t mean what you think, and hidden costs of car ownership. These Consumer Hacks unpack the expensive lessons many only learn after it’s too late, and how to avoid them.

From banking fraud to contract loopholes and online shopping rights, this episode unpacks the week’s biggest consumer risks and how to stay one step ahead

Stay ahead this season with Wendy Knowler’s latest consumer hacks - from safer holiday travel to smarter online shopping and easy home fixes. Quick tips, practical insights, and real stories to help you save money, avoid scams, and make smarter choices every day.

Buying a bakkie? if you get a special price, check that it’s a 4x4 and not a 4x2

Brazen bank employee impersonators target the elderly face-to-face in their homes. Fraudsters are targeting elderly people in their homes and retirement complexes by posing as bank employees.

Brokers are obliged to do more than forward emails from insurers

Don’t put off getting medical aid until you’re older than 35

Educate your teens about signing contracts before they get caught

Disable SMS-es appearing on the screen of your locked phone

Small businesses listen up: if somebody calls you wanting to sell you discounted cleaning materials, just say no!

Kim wrote: “I am about to place an online order with Duck Apparel. A promotional discount has been automatically applied to my purchase. And the Ts and Cs state that items bought on sale or part of a promotion cannot be refunded. So if the item doesn’t fit me, I can’t return it?”

Food delivery apps such as Mr D and UberEats make fast food convenient, but Standard Bank warns that South Africans are overspending on takeaways, averaging R775 monthly, that’s excluding groceries.

Wendy Knowler sets the record straight on cooling-off periods

If you financed your car with one final, very large balloon payment due after, say, six years of “normal repayments” - as a means of reducing your monthly repayment amount, there is a way to make that balloon smaller as you go along.

If you buy a car from a dealership, big or small, you have the benefit of the Consumer Protection Act’s warranty if it malfunctions in some way within six months of purchase.

Looking for a service provider to come to your home? Google is not your friend

Steer clear of cellphone roaming bill shocks

Your new cellphone number could well have had a dodgy past.

Deepfake videos and fake WhatsApp groups are increasingly targeting consumers, with scammers impersonating figures such as retired businessman Laurie Dippenaar, Elon Musk, and Patrice Motsepe to lure investors.

Don’t be fooled by a car salesman into thinking that you have to pay for a so-called after-market warranty when buying a car that no longer has the manufacturer’s warranty.