How not to buy a puppy
From how not to buy a puppy to funeral policy advice, Wendy Knowler has five new Consumer Hacks for you.
1. How
not to buy a puppy
Put the name of any breed of dog into an internet search engine and you will
find adverts for the cutest puppies, selling at a great price.
Please know that the images were lifted from the internet and if you make a
payment for that fictitious puppy or kitten, the fraudsters will arrange to
have the pup couriered to you, by a fake courier company, and when the big
day arrives, you’ll get a call from the “courier” saying you need to pay a
refundable deposit for a special flight-friendly crate.
If you pay, the demands for more money just keep coming.
This is an awful version of the classic 419 scams.
2. Insist that your dormant store account is closed
Many people think that by paying off what’s owed on their store account in
full, the account closes automatically.
Big mistake. Always specifically instruct the company to close your account and
send you written confirmation of that.
If the account remains open, the retailer can legally keep charging you monthly
service fees, whether you’re making purchases or not.
Also, dormant accounts are often taken over by fraudsters, who run up massive
debts - a nightmare to sort out later.
3. Building on a false foundation
The builder you’ve called in to quote on building a “granny flat” above your
double garage assures you that he is registered with the NHBRC (National Home
Builders Registration Council).
Know that that is totally false reassurance, because using a NHBRC-registered-
builder only protects you with new builds, not alterations or additions to
existing properties.
4. If you love your family, make a will
Did you know that about 70% of South Africans die without having valid wills in
place?
There’s no excuse - it’s not an expensive process, and a will determines how
your assets are shared when you are no longer around.
It can direct what you want to be done and avoid confusion and conflict within
a family.
5. Before you take out that funeral policy…
Funeral insurance is a booming business in South Africa - about 42% of adult
South Africans have funeral cover, while only 10% have life insurance.
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority is constantly warning the public to
avoid rogue operators by only taking out funeral policies with companies
that are registered with them.
To check if a company that’s selling funeral policies is registered with the
FSCA, and for which services, go to www.fsca.co.za.
Listen to more Consumer Hacks below:
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