2810 complaints worth $4.5 million received by Consumer Council

The Consumer Council of Fiji has received 2810 complaints this year with a monetary value of $4.5 million. This was between January 1, 2019 to October 18, 2019. Consumer Council chief executive officer Seema Shandil said consumers were now becoming aware of their rights and responsibilities and were bold to lodge complaints against unscrupulous businesses.

The main reasons for the complaints included:

Breach of consumer protection laws by traders and traders selling pricecontrolled items beyond regulated prices.

Influx of sub-standard and inferior quality goods in the marketplace Misleading and bait advertisements Old /expired stock or defective goods sold to consumers Discount/advertised prices not reflected at point of sale or checkouts Receipts are not issued Landlord and tenant related complaints were the highest and Ms Shandil advised consumers to ensure they get a signed landlord and tenancy agreement and that they understand the clauses of the agreement before they sign them. “Consumers also have the responsibility to look after the property and pay their bills and pay rent on time as stipulated under their agreement. Tenants should also demand for receipts upon payment of rent,” Ms Shandil said.

She also revealed the council has been active in its market surveillance and because of this, supermarkets have discarded meat among other poor quality food items. “For food and drinks, consumers need to be vigilant and check products, especially meat, before purchasing it,” she said. Ms Shandil also reminded consumers to check the genuineness of mobile phones before buying them because they had received many complaints in this regard.

She added the national consumer helpline, which was launched in 2016, has been very helpful in enabling consumers to lodge their complaints.

“The helpline has already proven to be a success because the council has been inundated with complaints/queries across the country,” Ms Shandil said.