‘Make smart decisions’
HAPPY new year!
Over the course of the global COVID-19 pandemic, commercial landscapes across the world have drastically changed. This is evident with the shift in consumer behaviour to more value-based shopping, where due consideration is given to much more than just traditional aspects of products such as price, features and convenience.
More and more consumers now consider the effects their purchases will have on the next person or on the environment. This also means that the interloping of values in purchasing decisions has shifted consumers towards more locally produced and sustainable products.
In 2022, the council encourages consumers to continue the trend of valuebased shopping and make smart consumer decisions. To do this, the council recommends the following tips which consumers should be mindful of heading into the new year.
Practising sustainability in 2022
The pandemic, along with worldwide advocacy and action on climate issues, has boosted global awareness of environmental issues and sparked a renewed commitment to finding solutions. This is now also evident in the consumer sphere as consumers increasingly factor sustainability into their online and offline purchasing decisions. Some consumers also factor in whether the seller has ecofriendly product packaging and delivery when making purchasing decisions. For 2022, let’s join this global movement and better our consumption patterns by choosing sustainably.
Tips on how to be a sustainable consumer in 2022 Buy products: that have long life spans — avoid disposable items;
that requires minimal packaging;
that you need — by consuming less, you dispose of less waste;
made from recycled material — this encourages manufacturers to produce more sustainably; and
that are easy to recycle. This puts materials back in the loop for use in other products.
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Being frugal with your finances in 2022
With the festive season now nearing its end, many consumers may be looking back at how much they have spent and whether this spending has placed a dent in their bank accounts. The calendar shift to the new year serves as a good opportunity to freshly assess finances.
Making money-related resolutions this year could be a good opportunity to improve financial health.
Here are some steps to fortify your finances for 2022 and beyond.
1. Keep track of expenses — The first step to saving money is gauging your expenses. Knowing how much you spend on a periodic basis will let you know things like what you can stop buying, how much of your earnings is spent on expenses and the possible savings you can have in a month or a year.
2. Set a budget — Once you have an overview of your expenses, you can now set a fixed budget for the whole month or year. This will prevent you from overspending. Similarly, you will also be able to save a certain amount of money every beginning of the month while still being able to shoulder all your necessities and occasional wants.
3. Know your priorities — To efficiently stick to your budget and ensure that your savings will be kept untouched, you should analyse your priorities. The things that come first should be the ones that you spend your budget on. If an expense is on the last of your priority list or it is not there at all, then it means that you should delay that expense for when you have extra money to pay for it.
4. Follow the “Pay Yourself First” rule — “Pay Yourself First” means taking out a portion of your income (as soon as you receive it) and putting it aside as savings before allocating budget on fixed and variable expenses. For instance, when person X receives her fortnightly salary, $100 is automatically deducted (standing order) and transferred to her savings account.
5. Avoid debts — Another one of the many essential tips is to avoid debts. If something is not necessary or worth buying, then do not splurge in it. Also, avoid bank loans if you are not planning to use them for businesses and other things that can generate profits.
Become a smarter online shopper
Online shopping is a great way to compare prices, find bargains and save money from anywhere with an internet or mobile data connection. But as its popularity has increased, so have the risks. Going into the new year, consumers should be mindful of the following tips when shopping online.
1. Read reviews. As online shopping gives consumers access to markets around the world, it is very important to do some research to find out if the business you are contemplating dealing with has a good reputation. Also, keep in mind that not all reviews may be authentic.
2. Make sure the website is secure. How can you do this? Look out for:
Padlock symbol — There should be a padlock in the address bar next to
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the website address.
Website address — This should start with https://. The ‘s’ stands for secure.
Green address bar — On certain browsers and websites, the address bar will turn green.
Valid certificate — If you click the padlock symbol or just to the left of the address bar, you should see information on the site certificate. This should tell you who has registered the site. If you get a warning about a certificate, avoid the website.
3. Know your rights and the company’s returns policy.
4. Keep software and virus protection up-to-date and use strong passwords for online accounts.
5. Do not enter sensitive information such as passwords while using public Wi-Fi. Your standard data connection is more secure.
6. Consider paying using a credit card. You will have more protection. Alternatively, online services like PayPal mean scammers will not be able to get hold of your bank details.
7. Be smart. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
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Cancellation of events and services
During the festive season, many consumers plan social/family functions such as vacations, weddings and other engagements. This results in consumers booking hotels, events venues, decorators and other similar services. There is also considerable inter-island travelling via the available shipping companies.
However, at times, consumers and even service providers themselves tend to cancel planned bookings. Hence, consumers must be vigilant and take heed of their responsibilities in such instances. These include;
1. Being assertive. In instances where service providers behave unscrupulously by not providing a refund or services at a later date, consumers should not be passive and let the business dictate the terms. Consumers have the responsibility to be assertive and demand for best services — do not settle for anything less.
2. Critical awareness. Consumers have the responsibility to keep themselves abreast of their rights, the rights of events service management businesses and relevant consumer protection laws. This will ensure that consumers are not misled by shoddy businesses.
3. Action. Consumers must liaise with their relevant service providers to come up with an amicable resolution. If consumers believe that the trader is being disingenuous, they must seek the assistance of consumer protection agencies such as the Consumer Council of Fiji. Consumers also have the responsibility to keep documentation such as receipts, which will be instrumental in seeking redress.
Fijians with any consumer issues are encouraged to contact the council on tollfree number 155 or email complaints@consumersfiji.org. Alternatively, complaints can also be lodged in the Consumer Council of Fiji mobile app available for download on the Google Play Store.
From the board, management and staff of the Consumer Council, have an enjoyable and safe new year!