CONSUMER FORUM

Some R200 notes are indeed no longer tender

I READ with interest your reply to Mike Manson-Smith (November 3) that the old R200 notes are still legal tender and no supplier can refuse to accept them. I had exactly the same issue at Spar Hobart, which then sent me documentation from the Reserve Bank advising that one had to go to the Reserve Bank to exchange them. I then telephoned the Reserve Bank, which confirmed that retailers were within their rights to refuse them. What now? — Lynn

Haken “Problems of rejected old R200 notes” refers. For a considerable time we have had a problem with banking these notes with FNB in Vryheid and were advised, in each case, to send the note per registered post to the Reserve Bank branch in Durban. Please tell us how to deal with this matter. — Helga Werndle

Power Report: There seems to be confusion over which R200 note is being referred to. The notes that are still legal tender are the R200 notes still co-circulating with the new Mandela notes. The older R200 notes that came out pre-2005 were withdrawn in 2010 and are no longer accepted as legal tender. They can still be exchanged at a Reserve Bank branch. Two key differences are that the pre-2005 note used dots for markings to assist the blind, whereas the post-2005 note uses diamond shapes. Also, there is no coat of arms in the left-hand corner of the pre-2005 note. For more details, visit resbank.co.za

When a Checkers sell-by date is a thing of the past

I DO all my grocery shopping at Checkers in Jean Avenue, Centurion. I have received several expired goods from Checkers since the beginning of this year. I bought a cake in October and found green mould inside. It’s the second time this year I’ve had to return cake. The grocery manager said it was the supplier’s problem.

I then told him about other incidents that happened this year: expired Pepsi bought for my pregnant wife, expired Gaviscon tablets that caused my wife to vomit, and spoiled Swiss rolls and Bakers biscuits. I am really concerned about our health and safety.

Management should take speedy action against those responsible for merchandising, especially as the festive season nears. Consumers do not have time to check expiry dates on all goods they buy, especially medicines. — Jacob Tsotetsi

Shoprite spokeswoman Sarita van Wyk: We have contacted Mr Tsotetsi and also followed up with the store’s management. The cake he refers to had mould inside it and because it was not visible from the outside, it was not picked up during the store’s daily visual inspection of merchandise shelves. The matter was taken up with the supplier. We can’t comment on the Gaviscon tablets because the matter was not reported.

An average supermarket in our company carries some 250 000 items and it’s possible that isolated products can escape notice owing to human error. But a continuous problem in this regard is not evident from the refund book in the store, nor from customers’ complaints received through other channels.