Welcome to the first edition of Consumer Fair Online, brought to you monthly by the National Consumer Forum, publishers of Consumer Fair newspaper.

In this Edition:

LOCAL

Government must now rein Eskom in

Unless government acts decisively to rein in Eskom's flagrant abuse of consumers, it runs the risk of breaking one of its most important promises to the electorate: universal access to electricity at an affordable price.

Click to READ MORE

GLOBAL

Fried and tested: marketing of fast food to children

A new report from Consumers International (CI) shows how McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC are still marketing meals with high levels of fat, sugar and salt to children.

Click to read the SUMMARY FULL REPORT

CONSUMER TIPS

Getting your car fixed

The NCF gets plenty of complaints about car repair workshops that rip them off. Here are some tips to avoid finding yourself in this situation.

• The Retail Motor Industry (RMI) advises consumers to use car repairers who are members, so that you can go to the RMI to complain if you are unsatisfied with the work done. Go to www.rmi.org.za for more information.
• Ask the workshop for a written estimate before any work is done.
• Ask them to give you back all the old parts they have replaced; this hopefully proves that they have done what the invoice says.
• Ask for all the work done (and parts) to be listed on the invoice.
• Check that there is a guarantee on the ‘workmanship’ (the labour) – most workshops will guarantee their work for three months.
• Also ask what the guarantee is on the parts that they replace. The manufacturer of the parts usually guarantees these.

Try and find a reliable workshop BEFORE you need one. Ask your friends and family for recommendations of places they trust. Also make sure they know how to fix your kind of car (especially if it is quite old).

USEFUL LINK

Consumer's Survival Guide brochure

Download this brochure from the Western Cape Consumer Affairs Office.

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Spot survey

Do you know who your MP is?

The NCF has a quick survey on our home page; we will use the results to draw attention to important issues facing consumers. Click here to have your say, and we'll make your opinion count!

NCF news

The NCF is also invited by radio and television stations, as well as print media, to comment on consumer-related issues. Here are some recent broadcasts or articles you can download:

The NCF is an independent non-governmental organisation working for a consumer-friendly South Africa – where the rights of consumers are respected and enforced. To become a member of the NCF, click here. For more information, visit www.ncf.org.za.
Contact NCF:
Tel: 012 428 7071
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© National Consumer Forum 2009