• The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is warning South Africans to not make use of Milo Designs when purchasing furniture online.
• Following complaints received from customers of Milo Designs, the NCC says the online store is in fact a scam.
• Looking at its social media platforms, the website is not functioning, and the only way to contact the company is via email.

It looks like online scams are on the rise in South Africa, as the National Consumer Commission (NCC) is now warning people to not purchase furniture from an online retailer called Milo Designs.

Seemingly situated in Hillcrest in KwaZulu-Natal, Milo Designs claims to sell furniture via its social media channels, but following several complaints from customers, an investigation from the NCC asserts that the company is in fact operating as a scam.

“Upon investigating their conduct, the Commission’s preliminary assessment indicates that the operators of this scam, LM Kotze and MC Wood, are not cooperating with the Commission [and] both LM Kotze and MC Wood have no intention of delivering the goods or refunding the consumers,” the NCC’s Thezi Mabuza said in a statement per SA News.

The Acting National Consumer Commissioner also noted that customers have paid between R10 000 and R1.2 million per transaction, which is highly concerning.

“The Commission arranged several times to meet and serve them with an investigation certificate to no avail. In most cases, they cancel meetings on the eleventh hour, making it difficult to finalise our investigation,” she continued.

Looking at the social media channels on Milo Designs, the URL featured in the bio of its Instagram page leads to a placeholder website with no content. There is no such URL featured on its Facebook page, with a contact number and email address being the only ports of call for those wanting to purchase furniture.

The assertions of the NCC therefore seem to track, with the online retailers Hello Peter mentions adding credence to the claims that it is indeed a scam, as many customers have complained about failure to deliver goods ordered and no form of refund.

It remains to be seen what further action will be taken against Milo Designs, but the NCC is trying everything it can to contact its management.

“Anyone who might know the whereabouts of these individuals is urged to notify the Commission,” she concluded.