National Consumer Commission warns consumers against Milo Designs

The NCC is warning South African consumers to exercise caution when transacting with Milo Designs, the supplier seems to be a scam purporting to be an online store that designs and sells furniture, using different social media platforms.

The Commission received complaints from consumers alleging that they have been scammed by Milo Designs after paying for the goods (furniture) advertised on their Facebook page: Milo Designs and on Instagram @milodesignskzn. Consumers allege that they have paid between R10 000. 00 and R1.2M per transaction.

Their Facebook page describes Milo Designs as a supplier that “manufactures unique furniture with world-class standards to satisfy the requirements of the most”…(sic). The Facebook page was created in 2014 and has about 264 000 followers. 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.

The Acting National Consumer Commissioner, Ms. Thezi Mabuza, says both LM Kotze and MC Wood have no intention of delivering the goods or refunding the consumers.

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. Addresses provided by these persons show dilapidated buildings”. The Commission also discovered that the images of the furniture they claim to manufacture are in fact not from South Africa but obtained from suppliers based in countries such as Columbia and Canada.

The Commission has confirmed that these images were stolen from other sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. “We call upon South Africans to exercise extreme caution when they transact with Milo Designs as their modus operandi is to advertise the goods and take money from consumers with no intention of delivery”, she concluded. It is the supplier’s responsibility to deliver the goods to the agreed place, on the agreed date, and time. Consumers are urged to exercise caution when transacting online. Anyone who might know the whereabouts of these individuals is urged to notify the Commission.

Issued by: National Consumer Commission (NCC)