Author: wks9c

Airline damages or loses your luggage- what are your rights?

You are barely surprised any more when the conveyor belt rolls around and you find a few additional scratches on your luggage. But what if it’s more serious? In the case of international flights, the Montreal Convention of 1999 is applicable. Article 17 of the Montreal Convention provides that the airline is liable for damages […]

Open Letter to the Minister Regarding Banking Fraud and Consumer Protection

MINISTER ENOCH GODONGWANA PAYMENT ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA BANKING ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK     FINANCIAL SECTOR CONDUCT AUTHORITY FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTRE   E-mail: egodongwana@parliament.gov.za pasa@pasa.org.za governor@resbank.co.za info@resbank.co.za privacy@resbank.co.za info@fsca.co.za fsca@behonest.co.za scams@fic.gov.za fic_feedback@fic.gov.za     RE:  INTRODUCTION OF A MANDATORY REIMBURSEMENT POLICY FOR VICTIMS OF BANKING FRAUD   We are a law firm […]

Massive recall of poular pet foods

Please click on link to view article: https://www.news24.com/business/companies/massive-recall-of-popular-pet-foods-including-bobtail-and-catmore-as-safety-scare-expands-20260305-0878

Landmark ruling holds banks liable for faulty car sales

Stephen Grootes speaks to Fortune Chego, a candidate attorney at Trudie Broekmann Attorneys about the implications of the landmark Van Niekerk v FirstRand ruling, which has reshaped consumer rights in vehicle finance. Please click below to listen to the full interview:  

Click on link to view the full article https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/volkswagen-polo-vivo-recalled-in-south-africa-25000-cars-recalled-faulty-handbrake/

Practical Tips from a Consumer Lawyer for filing a successful insurance claim

As consumer attorneys, we am well aware that many South African consumers are unhappy with their claims against insurance being rejected for invalid reasons. If you are unhappy with the payment offer you receive, the National Financial ombud, which has replaced both the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance and the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance, will investigate […]

Top 3 Tips for Private Car Sale 

The Consumer Protection Act is not applicable when a sales transaction is concluded between private parties (in other words, when the seller is not acting in the ordinary course of his business). Nevertheless, there are ways in which one can ensure that you are protected when concluding a private sale agreement. Here are 3 things […]

Egpaar wen eis oor plaas sonder dam

Klik op die skakel om die artikel te lees: https://www.netwerk24.com/nuus/aktueel/maar-waars-my-krok-egpaar-wen-eis-oor-plaas-sonder-dam-20260103-0808  

Are you safe when shopping online?

Please click on link to view full article: https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/2025-09-18-are-you-safe-when-shopping-online-experts-warn-after-shocking-pillow-find/

Care for your loved ones by skillful nomination of beneficiaries for your pension

We’ve recently been struck by how stressful it is for grieving family members to deal with technical financial decisions in the period just after their loved one has died. We have even seen this lead to devastating decisions which deprive those who are supposed to inherit from what was intended for their benefit.   If […]

Cancer survivor triumphs in tribunal case

Click on link to view article: https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/weekend-argus-saturday-edition/20250906/281951728948487?srsltid=AfmBOorTcFLsskWoGOd6ZU_-cEgxcrAcyB_b50XQCAC7tYT7I2K3mbad  

Is Your Landie Giving You a Headache? You May Not Be Alone.

Have you had strange issues with your Land Rover, Range Rover or Jaguar diesel vehicle?  If so, you are not alone, and you may have a right to take legal action. Across Australia and the UK, thousands of owners have joined class actions against Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), alleging that certain vehicles were sold with […]

Information officers: 30 June deadline for your 2025 PAIA report

The online portal for submission of Promotion of Access to Information Act annual reports opened on 1 April and will close 30 June 2025.   Step 1 is to register on the Information Regulator’s eservices- you can do that here: https://eservices.inforegulator.org.za/. The actual report is a 5 minute exercise unless you’ve had lots of PAIA […]

Tribunal orders dealership to refund R680 000

https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/dealership-ordered-to-pay-back-man-over-r680000-after-his-new-haval-computer-system-crashed-during-repairs-51a8ed3e-aa5b-4d85-9c2a-d617443b60b2  

Our wish list for International Consumer Rights Day 2025

Fewer scams aimed at consumers. This can be achieved by better policing and if government requires online platforms to prevent criminals from misusing their platform, and if government requires banks to consistently refund scammed consumers.   Speaking of banks, we wish savvy consumers could trust their bank again. We hear story after story of consumers […]

Have you been injured due to a defective product? The law is on your side

 PIETERSE AND OTHERS V ORGANIC SYNTHESIS (PTY) LTD AND ANOTHER (61861/2017) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1195 (14 NOVEMBER 2024): A WIN FOR CONSUMERS In a recent decision, the Pretoria High Court in Pieterse and Others v Organic Synthesis (Pty) Ltd and Another (61861/2017) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1195 (14 November 2024) reaffirmed the rights of South African consumers to […]

Developer rejects life right claim

The legal battle lines are drawn between a jobless widow, Erica Schroeder, her unemployed children, and the developers of a retirement village who have rejected their claim of the estate of her ex-husband, Carl Schroeder, after he bought a life right in a retirement village and passed away just four months after taking possession.   […]

Huge win for consumers on roaming costs

We won against #CellC in the National Consumer Tribunal in a case challenging the proviso on the #capping of #internasionalroaming charges by Cell C. The consumer capped her charges at R2k but got a #billshock for R7480.32 due to a sneaky contract proviso in the terms read to the consumer over the phone in terms […]

A WIN FOR CONSUMER REDRESS AND PRESS FREEDOM

ELS AND ANOTHER V EMEDIA INVESTMENTS (PTY) LTD (25902/2021) [2024] ZAGPJHC 1164 (19 NOVEMBER 2024): The Johannesburg High Court recently delivered a judgment which has affirmed the public’s right to transparency and accountability and has delivered a crucial win for both consumer redress and press freedom. Gregory John Els and his company, Praxley brought an […]

Unseen threats: vulnerabilities in POPI endanger our privacy and safety

In a recent case in the Cape Town High Court, disturbing details are emerging about how former rugby player, Zane Killian, who, along with 14 co-accused, has been charged with the murder of the head of the Western Cape division of the South African Police Service’s Anti-Gang Unit, Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, used a cell phone […]

Beware of banks requesting your location

Risks, the impact on your privacy and what you can do In recent times, a concerning trend has emerged among South African banks, particularly Capitec Bank and FNB, where customers are increasingly being prompted to enable location services when using their banking apps. Although the purported aim is to enhance security and assist in fraud […]