The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) secured
over $26.2-million in refunds and
compensation from vendors on behalf of aggrieved consumers during the 2018/19
Financial Year. The sum emanated from the Commission’s resolution of 1,489 complaint cases handled. This
represents a resolution rate of 85.18%.
The top three complaint categories identified
were: Electrical Equipment &
Appliances with 33.33%, followed
by Other Services, 14.54% and Utilities 12.85%. These results continue to reflect a consistent
trend over the last few years, with only slight changes of these categories.
The three categories which yielded the most
monetary compensation were: Automotive
$12.4-million; Other Services $4.3-million
and Electrical Equipment &
Appliances $3.6-million.
The Commission also responded to 913 requests for advice and information,
25% more than the previous period
when 730 requests were facilitated.
It is against this background that Mrs. Dolsie
Allen, Chief Executive Officer at the CAC, continues to urge consumers to do
their due diligence by ensuring that items purchased are working before they
leave the store. If this is not possible, the CEO strongly recommends that if a
fault is detected, it must be immediately reported to the vendor.
Mrs. Allen is also commending consumers for
the initiative being displayed as she pointed to the increased number of
consumers seeking information and advice.
The CEO further noted that during the period
under review, 188,437 consumers were
directly sensitised about their rights and responsibilities, an increase of 45% over the last Financial Year.
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