Pretoria - The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has embarked on a campaign to ensure vulnerable consumers pay the price they see displayed on items when shopping.
“The commission … is embarking on a campaign to raise awareness about consumers’ rights when it comes to the display of prices, to prevent especially vulnerable consumers from suffering unfair treatment at the hands of retailers,” said commission spokesperson Trevor Hattingh on Wednesday.
Consumers with low literacy levels, which make up a large portion of the population, can easily be duped by unscrupulous retailers, especially during the busy festive season shopping rush.
“The campaign which started at the beginning of the week will also seek to encourage voluntary compliance among retailers with the Consumer Protection Act’s (CPA) pricing provisions, which are contained in section 23 of the Act,” said Hattingh.
Over the next two weeks, the NCC will undertake unannounced inspections to retailers around Tshwane, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Middelburg to assess compliance with the CPA’s pricing provisions.
Key among the pricing provisions is that information should be adequately displayed, expressed in the currency of the country, and be written in plain and understandable language.
The commission, which is an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, expressed concern at the growing trend by retailers to display prices in multiple currencies on a single item, which it believes has the potential to create confusion for consumers.
The NCC hopes to gain better understanding of the impact of this practice through research which it is undertaking as part of the campaign.
Inquiry into timeshare
Meanwhile, the commission is in the process of conducting a public inquiry into the vacation ownership industry to find permanent solutions for alleged consumer challenges.
Hattingh said the inquiry will take place over a period of six months under the counsel of a three-member panel of property and consumer law experts, and will be chaired by a retired judge.
They will be appointed by NCC Commissioner Ebrahim Mohamed in terms of Section 88(3) of the Consumer Protection Act before the end of the year.
Once appointed the panel will form part of a task team who will visit all provinces to engage with affected consumers as well as role players from the vacation ownership industry to hear out parties, conduct research and to look into specific allegations from consumers.
“The NCC stands to gain far more from this process as opposed to an investigation which is conducted within the confines of the CPA. An inquiry will unearth all challenges, provide a holistic view of the status of the industry across regulatory boundaries, as well as recommend appropriate action to be taken by government to address the challenges.”
In addition, the NCC has partnered with several regulatory organisations such as Provincial Consumer Protectors, the South African Revenue Services, Estate Agency Affairs Board, National Credit Regulator and the Competition Commission.
The commission will in due course host a media briefing to introduce the panel and advise on the programme for its public inquiry. – SAnews.gov.za
