Consumers warned against unscrupulous vendors:

CAA on the prowl

By Kurulu Kariyakarawana

Even as you read this article hundreds of people maybe still rushing to buy items from the nearest market - as usual its the last minute rush to purchase goods before the dawn of the new year tomorrow and they may want to get a few more provisions before shops close by tomorrow mid day at the beginning of the auspicious 'Nonagathe' period prior to the new year.

The difference is that when you shop at ease in an organised manner and at leisure, it enables you to buy the right product at the correct price and of course good quality. But when you do it in haste it is entirely a different story altogether, when one does not exactly know what to buy and where to go for the right price and whom to trust for the best quality. Since markets are flooded with temporary street hawkers for the festive season, shopping during this period could be a virtual nightmare even for the experienced consumer.

When there is not much of a guarantee or warranty for the stuff you buy from these street hawkers who only appear during the season and then vanish without a trace, it is not seldom the number of instances consumers had to bear the loss by purchasing substandard products in a mad rush.

Although this situation is not totally preventable, a clear mechanism is required at least to control the trend of people falling prey to deceitful traders. This is why the Consumer Affairs Authority(CAA) has come forward with a new action plan to be implemented during this Sinhala and Hindu New Year season to protect consumers from being cheated in the market place.

The program to safeguard consumer is already in force from the end of last month and was functioning countrywide in 24 districts. According to the program Director General Consumer Affairs Authority, Rumi Marzook clear instructions have been given on how to act in instances when the Consumer Affairs Act No 09 of 2003 is breached.

According to the program special attention is focused on mobile and temporary vendors and especially vendors who sell goods as sale items which are at a lower price. Since there is no permanent location of sale for these vendors, there are practically difficulties in enforcing the law against them in instances of violation of the Act.

Common violations are instances of selling goods at a higher price, selling goods sans price tags, selling outdated products, distorting facts and figures of the labels, not displaying the prices of the products that are being advertised in newspapers or on television commercials, selling substandard products, misleading customers by giving false information about sales, not giving the required warranty schemes for expensive products such as electrical goods as well as concealing stocks to create an artificial shortage thus demanding price hikes.

The CAA intensified surveillance and inspection on manufacturing plants, storeroom facilities and warehouses for the possession and issuance of outdated products especially food and beverages.

The authority request from the public to be careful in going through the details of the products especially manufacture and expiry dates and also to check whether those details had been tampered with by traders. Constant inspections are advised to be conducted in the respective areas to find storage of substandard products.

Another reason to inspect warehouses was to find out whether there were stocks of essential items hidden by manufacturers or distributors to create an artificial scarcity as a ruse to increase prices. These offenders will be severely dealt with and brought before the law. Field officers are also instructed to check prices of items to be sold in the market. Whether the goods are being traded at the correct price.

The CAA has also advised traders to display prices of the range of items to be sold for less confusion and convenience of the customer. Although this is not practically possible with pavement vendors who sell clothes and other accessories for various prices that may differ from time to time, depending on the trend of sales and the mood, established traders are requested to display a price list.

Consumers are warned by the CAA to be careful in purchasing goods such as electric and electronic items. Unlike other times of the year, consumers visit the market with additional money from festival bonuses. This will tempt them to buy electronic goods at a lesser price from the pavement instead of branded dealers for a higher cost. What these consumers do not realise is the assurance of the quality of those items with a lesser price.When the product is being used and after a few weeks various technical defects emerge it is then that they realise that these vendors were temporary traders and cannot be traced.

The CAA received many such complaints from the public. Deputy Director CAA Regional Affairs Asela Bandara said that many people are not even being careful in asking for a warranty for the electronic items they buy. Especially mobile phones are commonly sold in roadside makeshift sales huts where any consumer would be eager to buy due to the surprisingly low prices they are being sold.

But once there is a defect on the phone it is difficult to get it fixed or replaced from the same joint as those mushrooming vendors disappear with the end of the festive period.

Because of this the customers are advised to ask for a valid receipt or a bill for the item they purchase. A valid receipt with a warranty card is essential when buying an electronic item, a mobile phone or even a wrist watch. This could prevent difficulties in the future.

Traders are informed by the CAA of fraudsters who are out to make a fast buck and pretend to have some authority and seek to sell goods of low quality.

The latest trend identified by the authority that certain groups or individuals act like CAA officials, would try to check and inspect vendors by pointing out various shortcomings and try to solicit bribes.

Vendors should not fall prey to these fraudsters. If vendors have some suspicion that the 'officials' are not from the CAA, they are requested to report it to CAA officials on their hot lines Assistant Director Priyantha Wijesinghe (0771088907), Senior Investigating Officier A Jasoor (0771088914) or Deputy Director Regional Affairs Asela Bandara (0771088922).

The public therefore is advised not to be hesitant over instances where they come across provisions of the CAA being openly violated and to render a support by reporting such instances to the authorities to control the problem further more. The CAA deployed several flying squads countrywide to seize any unlawful vendors or those in breach of the Act in this festive period.