Consumer awareness drive now on
CONSUMER rights are human rights.
And in line with this year’s World Consumer Rights Month theme, which is “Accelerated consumer justice to the residents of the city region”, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) with the National Credit Regulator (NCR) will conduct a consumer awareness drive to promote consumer rights.
The Consumer Protection Act recognises eight fundamental consumer rights which business must observe.
They are the right to equality in the consumer market, privacy, choice, disclosure and information, fair and responsible marketing, fair and honest dealing, just and reasonable terms and conditions, and the right to fair value, good quality and safety.
Yesterday, the world celebrated World Consumer Rights Day.
NCC commissioner Ebrahim Mohamed says the commission and NCR would spend the rest of this week mobilising vulnerable consumers to know, take ownership and demand their rights as key role players in the economy.
Some of the planned activities for the week include an imbizo at KwaThema Community Hall in Springs, Ekurhuleni, that was planned for yesterday. Mohamed says the commission will also do activations in malls and train stations.
It will also conduct a consumer protection symposium for industry regulators, he says.
Mohammed says it is important to highlight World Consumer Rights Day as the consumer plays a pivotal role in the economy of the country, adding that it is important to create a conducive environment so that consumers can participate without any hindrance.
“In my view, Consumer Rights Day should be celebrated every day, ” says the commissioner.
In giving advice to consumers, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Credit Regulator, Nomsa Motshegare, says credit providers have a duty to inform consumers within a specified time before any adverse information is reported to a credit bureau.
Motshegare says consumers also have a right to receive a copy of that adverse information when they ask for it.
She says when a consumer wants to enter into a credit agreement, all credit providers should observe that the consumer has the right to apply for credit, the right to protection against discrimination in respect of credit, the right to receive reasons for credit being refused by a credit provider, and the right to information in an official language in a plain and understandable language.
Consumers also have the right to receive documents under credit agreement, the right to confidential treatment, the right to access and challenge credit records and information held by the credit bureau, and the right to assistance for overindebted consumers.
Motshegare says consumers have the right to challenge the accuracy of any information held by the credit bureau.
“If a consumer has challenged the accuracy of information proposed to be reported to a credit bureau, a credit provider must provide a copy of any such credible evidence to the consumer who filed the challenge or remove the information, and all record of it from its files, if it is unable to find credible evidence in support of the information, ” says Motshegare.