Creating confidence
Consumer advisory services
THIS special edition by the Consumer Council of Fiji highlights the common queries which were raised by consumers in 2022 and advise given to them. This is in line with the council’s efforts to foster solidarity and create confidence in consumers to freely raise issues with the council.
Being in operation for almost 44 years, the Consumer Council of Fiji (CCoF) has become a household name and is widely perceived as the principal agency on consumer rights and interests in Fiji.
The core functions of CCoF includes consumer rights advocacy, mediation, policy recommendation, advisory and information. One of its main daily functions is advisory services to consumers. This service allows consumers to reach out to the council via social media, helpline or face to face in order to seek clarification and advice on consumer issues.
This ensures that consumers receive clarification on issues and make informed decisions. In 2022, the council issued a total of 1800 advisories however, this year we hope that more consumers reach out in order to seek advisories and clarifications.
The dedicated team of complaints officers at the council continuously strives to provide the best advice and guidance to Fijian consumers.
In order to shed light on the types of queries consumers can raise, some of the common advisories provided in 2022 is provided below.
1. Issues pertaining to landlord/ tenancy were at the top of the list with a total of 489 queries.
Your Query
Is it mandatory for landlords to provide a tenancy agreement? Our response
Yes, there must be a written letting/tenancy agreement between all the landlords and tenants. The agreement must be provided by the landlord at his/her cost. Some important aspects of an agreement are commencement date of the agreement, the terms of the agreement; termination date, landlords’ duties, tenant’s duties, responsibility for repairs and maintenance, due date for rental payments, methods of rental payment and length of tenancy.
Your Query
Can I use the bond money to pay my rent for the last month of the tenancy?
Our advice
Please note that tenants cannot ask the landlords to use the bond money as rent. The rental bond can be used by the landlords to cater for the damages done to the rented premises, unpaid utility bills by the tenants and any rental accrues when the premises is vacated. However, if no legitimate deductions need to be made, the full bond should be refunded to the tenant.
2. A total of 156 consumers posed questions in relation to food and drinks. Some common queries include?
Dear CCoF,
What can I do if a trader refuses to provide my any redress (replacement or refund) if I had purchased an expired product from them?
Dear consumer,
Please note that sale of expired food products is a breach of the Food Safety Act. If you have been sold an expired product, please forward us a copy of the receipt and the product so that we may obtain a redress on your behalf. Furthermore, we will also flag the case to the relevant Municipal Council and the Ministry. Dear CCoF,
Can the retailer/supermarket sell rotten and wilted produce? What can I do as a consumer? Dear Consumer,
All retailers/supermarkets are required to sell produce fruits and vegetables that are of good quality. Selling produce that are rotten and wilted is a breach of Food Safety Act 2003. As a consumer, you have the right to demand fresh produce that is not wilted and rotten. You can also flag the issue to Council through our toll-free line 155.
3. Issues pertaining to public transport accounted for 100 consumer queries. Instances include: Dear CCoF,
Can taxi drivers turn on their meter when they leave their base to pick passengers from a particular destination?
Dear consumer,
Drivers can only switch on the taxi meter and start charging passengers once they have reached the pick-up point and informed the passenger of the same. If your taxi driver is imposing charges from the moment you called for the taxi, call our tollfree number 155 and lodge a complaint!
Dear CCoF,
What can we do if a bus driver is rude to commuters and are there any laws which ensures cordial customer service by PSV drivers? Dear consumer,
The conduct of the PSV drivers is regulated under the Land Transport (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations 2001. Their conduct must be cordial and professional at all times. If you have been provided customer service that was unsatisfactory, ensure to take note of the bus registration, date and time of incident and which route you were traveling on. You can then lodge a complaint with the Council via our toll-free number 155.
4. There was a total of 58 queries with regards to financial services such as M-PAiSA.
Dear CCoF,
I went to fuel my vehicle at a service station in Suva and wanted to pay via M-PAiSA QR. However, I was informed that there was a fee for using this service. Can traders charge for this service?
Dear Navneet,
Please note that traders offering QR pay services must not charge fee as per their agreement with the service provide; Vodafone. You can lodge a complaint with the council with your receipt so that this issue and be investigated and resolved. Exercise you consumer rights Just like the 1800 assertive and inquisitive consumers who reached out to the council in 2022, we are urging other consumers to do the same if they are ever confused about a product or service or would like independent feedback on consumer issues – free of any cost.
You can even save your phone credit by using the toll-free number 155.
■