September 6, 2018

The Council is concerned with the growing number of traders using manipulative tactics to avoid providing redress to customers.

These traders are knowingly retailing sub-standard building materials to consumers and then using these manipulative tactics to evade supplying good quality materials.

One such company the Council has come across is B Prasad and Sons Limited who offered customers paint as recompense for selling them defective roofing irons.

A complainant who operated a poultry farm business bought roofing irons worth more than $12,000 and within just two months the product started to rust. The company recommended the roofing iron be painted and offered to provide labour at a further cost of $3,500.

However, the condition of the roofing iron continued to deteriorate despite the painting.

The complainant raised his concerns with the trader and was advised that there was no guarantee on the purchase since it was supplied by a company based in China.

They further stated that they had contacted and exhausted all means to get this situation sorted and offered a 50 per cent refund. The complainant declined the refund and sought the Council’s assistance in attaining a full refund.

Another complainant had bought roofing iron worth more than $800 from the same company and had faced the same dilemma. As a measure of redress the company again offered paint.

It is the trader’s duty to ensure their suppliers provide them with quality goods.

The trader misled the consumers into thinking that the product was of good quality when they knew otherwise.

Traders must address the faults and not sell shoddy goods to consumers in the first instance. They should refrain from such misleading and deceptive conducts.

Any consumer facing similar issues is urged to contact the Council on toll free number 155.