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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – CANCELLATIONS AND COVID-19

20 March 2020,  Ian van Zyl

Amid all the hysteria surrounding the Covid-19 virus, we as suppliers of goods and services and the consumers thereof have... to take cognisance of the far-reaching effects of the virus on life as we know it. As the virus continues to spread across the globe at an exponential rate, travel bans are imposed or limited travel is encouraged, borders are closed and cancellations of meetings and events have become  necessary within reason or even peremptory, all in an attempt to contain the Covid-19 virus and prevent it from mushrooming. As a result, the questions on the minds of many suppliers and consumers are:  what about flights, trips and events already booked and paid for? Is the supplier, on the one hand, obliged to refund deposits/advance payments in respect of goods which were to be supplied or services which were to be rendered, and on the other hand, is it possible from a  consumer’s perspective to recoup deposits or payments already made in full for goods that would have been supplied or services which would have been rendered?

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1294
Article
What print or font is too small for a contract?

07 June 2018

I recently bought a second-hand car from a local car dealership. Not long afterwards the car started giving me trouble.... When I took it back to the dealership, they said it was not their responsibility as the contract I had signed transferred all responsibility to me. They showed me the contract, but most of it was printed so small that I couldn’t even read it let alone understand it. Surely I should at least be able to read a contract to be bound by it?

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298
Article
Is the ‘indemnity’ still alive and well?

07 October 2016

Over the last few years I have read a number of articles that talk about the new Consumer Protection Act... and how it provides protection for me, the consumer. Yet, whenever I visit a shopping centre or sign an in-store agreement, I always wonder whether these disclaimers and indemnities are really enforceable, and if so, how has my position as a consumer, been improved by such legislation.

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385
Article
What to do when your new second-hand car turns out to be a ‘lemon’

11 August 2016

I bought a second-hand car from a dealership about three months ago. The last week I’ve noticed that the engine... sounds terrible. I asked a mechanic to have a look at it and according to him the engine is shot and needs a complete overhaul, which  will be very expensive. The dealer said nothing about the engine being in such bad shape. But it is a second-hand car, so I’m not sure if I can return it or have the dealer fix it properly?

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415
Article
Consumer complaints can no longer be ignored

16 July 2015

I recently bought ready-mix cement at a chain hardware store. I followed the instructions carefully in mixing the cement, but... when I started pouring it the consistency was clearly not right and it would not set. I went back to the hardware store to complain that the cement quality was unsatisfactory, but the store clerk said he couldn’t help me and that I must write a letter to the store with my complaint and attach photos, which I then did but have still not heard from them. Surely they are required to respond to a written complaint and cannot just ignore me?

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337
Article
Direct marketing: How POPI has redrawn the battle lines

11 September 2014

More and more consumers are becoming aware of the war being fought for their attention. The ammunition being used includes... e-mails, faxes, sms’s and other forms of electronic communication. The prize: The attention of the man on the street, your average consumer. Enter the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) which will redraw the battle lines of this war for consumer attention. POPI aims to (at least in part) ensure that whoever wins this war for attention, wins it fairly and legally. But how have these battle lines been redrawn and can your business still market directly through electronic means to consumers?

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517
Article

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