FCCC Steps Up Consumer Protection During Festive Season
With Christmas right around the corner, part of the preparation for the upcoming celebrations and family gatherings includes shopping sprees as Fijians flock to make the most of the many sales and specials that are part of the festive season.
The increase in tempting promotions and deals brings with it a substantial increase in shopping - not to mention, the subsequent increase in spending by consumers.
There is also an unfortunate trend during the festive season where unscrupulous traders take advantage of the hustle and bustle to cheat consumers.
To avoid overspending, or being taken advantage of, consumers need to do prior planning and be vigilant while shopping to ensure that they get value for their hard-earned money and are not wasteful.
In tandem with the need for personal caution by consumers, consumer protection agencies like the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) also increase their presence on the ground to ensure fair conduct by traders.
It can be easy for consumers to be swayed by the ‘specials’ and fail to exercise their responsibility of inspecting the items for expiry dates and quality before finalising their purchase.
For example, some traders try to clear out their old inventory during busy events or holidays by offering discounted prices, knowing that customers may be in a hurry and less likely to pay attention.
What do consumers need do to?
It is important for Fijian consumers to be aware of potential scams or unethical practices by some traders and to protect themselves by reviewing the terms and conditions of any offer that seems too good to be true, and always double-checking the details before making a purchase.
Some other tips for Fijian consumers this Christmas, include:
Comparative shopping - Check out special prices in advertisements and stores before deciding which outlet to shop from.
Do your research - Get as much information as possible, including learning what others have to say about the seller.
Read the fine print - There may be a
lot of small details buried at the bottom of an advertisement or on the side. Misleading or vague fine print may signify a trick or a false and misleading representation.
Scrutinise the terms and conditions - Read and understand the terms and conditions of a deal before making a decision to purchase the product or service.
Ask for a receipt - Receipts act as proof of purchase and will be required when returning/changing products, and are crucial for the purposes of redress.
Make a budget and stick to it - By having a carefully planned list of items and sticking to a budget, you will ensure that you do not overspend.
FCCC’s role during the season
festive
FCCC ground teams ramped up inspections and continue to have an increased presence on the ground to cater to the festive season, ensuring traders and service providers are in compliance with the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Act 2010 (FCCC Act 2010).
During inspections, FCCC issues infringement notices to traders and businesses who fail to comply with the FCCC Act 2010.
In the past the inspection team has noted issues of non-compliance amongst some traders which include; no price marking, price display, overcharging on Price Regulated Items and no marked pull dates.
Such inspections allow for traders, particularly those issued with infringement notices, to undertake appropriate remedial actions to ensure compliance.
The FCCC team revisits the traders issued with infringement notices to follow up on the compliance level.
Between 9 December to 15 December 2022, FCCC enforcement teams conducted a total of 372 pre-Christmas inspections where 2 trader in the Western Division were warned for prosecution.
Any traders that are found to be engaging in unfair or deceptive trade practices will be liable for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Thankfully, the majority of businesses do follow the rules, especially businesses that have taken the initiative of joining FCCC’s Voluntary Compliance Framework to better comply with the FCCC Act.
Apart from trader inspections, the FCCC has also continued to engage in trader awareness sessions.
The key purpose of awareness raising is to highlight to the traders, ways of engaging in business within the ambit of the law.
The FCCC through its proactive measures intends to ensure that traders do not breach provisions of the FCCC Act 2010 by engaging in prohibited acts.
Especially in light of how challenging the past few years have been for the average Fijian, it is particularly important that traders treat their customers fairly.
FCCC also encourages consumers to act in mutual support and report unethical trade practices if they encounter them.
Fijians deserve a fair marketplace, and this festive season FCCC is committed to ensuring that they have one.