Customer gets refunded for ‘empty’ cartridge
Supplier initially refused to replace the cartridge despite leeway from Consumer Protection Act
Many service providers still deny consumers their right to return defective goods.
The Consumer Protection Act clearly states that a consumer has the right to return defective, unsafe goods to the supplier without penalty and at the risk of the supplier if the goods fail to perform as expected within six months of purchase.
Randburg resident Maggie Robinson said she had a nasty experience when she bought a printer cartridge from Cartridge Zone at Stoneridge in Edenvale.
Robinson said the state of the economy and the recession had seen the price of goods skyrocket, and she decided to buy her cartridges from this supplier as she could no longer afford a brand name.
This allowed her to trim her bills, including buying no-name brands at supermarkets.
“I have been completely satisfied in using the generic make as I trusted and knew they always worked in my printer,” she said.
Robinson said she knew that highquality cartridges were designed for great durability and precision.
She said even the generic ones gave a good print quality, but this time her purchase was disappointing and the supplier would not replace it or refund her money. Robinson said the supplier sold her an empty cartridge, and later refused to exchange or refund her money claiming that she had used it up.
She said she expected to get value for her money, and did not want to be ripped off.
She also wanted to warn other consumers to tread carefully when buying their cartridges, noting that
R275 is a lot of money for a cartridge that could hardly print three clear pages.
Melissa-Anne Malan of Cartridge Zone confirmed that Robinson complained on the same day she bought the cartridge, but added that it was empty when she returned it.
Malan said that she kept her customers happy and had been in business for the past 10 years.
She said they sent the cartridge to their supplier who also confirmed that it was empty, but “we, as Cartridge Zone, are not going to argue about this anymore and will refund the customer”.
‘‘ I suggest that the customer should make use of another cartridge supplier in future as she is not happy with our product and our service
“I suggest that the customer should make use of another cartridge supplier in future as she is not happy with our product and our service,” said Malan.
A grateful Robinson confirmed she was refunded.