BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – HANDING over a dollar to pay for a good or service is quite simple, especially when you trust that you would receive the full worth for the amount you are paying.
But, what happens if your appliance is not wired properly and causes a home fire?
Or if your Internet service continues to fail you?
Or if you find a long strand of hair tucked snugly between the layers of your scalloped potato?
Or if your pre-packaged flour contains more weevils than actual flour?
Obviously, giving the dollar may be more difficult than initially anticipated.
We have all at some point been dissatisfied whether with the quality of goods provided or the standard of service meted out to us. Some may be punishing themselves for not returning that expired tinned food bought at the corner store yesterday, while others may still be displeased with inaccurate and misleading marketing of some piece of technology bought over a year ago. In any case, consumers must be aware of their rights and responsibilities and understand that they do not have to be subjected to unwelcoming service or inferior products.
Not only do consumers have the right to be appropriately informed about goods and services but they also have the right to choose the level of quality of products that they are consuming, and also the right to redress in the unfortunate yet frequent case of unsatisfactory goods and services.
Strangely though, too many an aggrieved customer return home with shabby, misrepresented items unfit for sale, when the consumer has a number of rights in commerce.
According to Consumer Affairs Investigative Officer in the Ministry of International Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Vincent Fough, “It is very important for consumers to know their rights and responsibilities. Once you know them, it is not easy to be fooled into deals which do not give you the maximum value for your money. You must shop carefully and wisely, understand the terms of sale and in order to protect yourself, you must read and follow instructions.”
St. Kitts-Nevis, as small as it is, has made significant efforts to transform its economy into a service-oriented one upon which necessary linkages would be made to encourage economic diversification. Yet, with all the fast-paced changes, the consumer is not fully aware of his/her rights, which may create a turbulent transition to the intended service-based economy.
Consumers control the market; they control what goods and services to purchase, how many to purchase, from whom to purchase, down to the very colour of an item to be purchased. They therefore dictate the companies that receive large sums of monies and those that do not, and should therefore understand the length and breadth of their rights and responsibilities.
Many have been blindly led to purchase items with the hope that the item would do just as the advertisement said it would, only to learn that the features were not offered in St. Kitts-Nevis.
Consumers have a right however to receive truthful and accurate information about the good or service as it relates to them. Conversely, every consumer must be bold enough to ask questions when deals seem unclear or even too good to be true, which is another fundamental right of the consumer – the right to consumer education.
Before purchasing an item, ask questions like “What is the warranty on this item?”, “Does this offer also apply to St. Kitts-Nevis?”, “Can you outline all the features of this item?”, “Can you kindly explain the difference between these two items?” and “Do you take cash refunds?”
In the same vein, every business, from the street side vendor to the multi-billion dollar conglomerate, must ensure that their goods and services are properly labelled to give the consumer an idea of what is being sold. Consumers should ensure that the fine print on contracts is clearly understood before making a purchase. Also, the price of each item must be clearly shown, whether through the use of price banners and boards or by tagging a price to each item.
Clifton Browne, who resides in Nevis, told SKNVibes that he went to a buffet line in a particular restaurant and saw a small container of salad dressing with the label “Homemade Local Salad Dressing”. Parry said the waiter told him it was a house secret of the restaurant after he inquired about its contents. Anxious to try the house special, the young man delved into the meal, savouring the dressing bit by bit. That was his final memory; he woke from unconsciousness after suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction to shrimp flavours in the dressing.
Browne had the right to be told what was in the salad dressing and, furthermore, the right to seek legal action for the inconvenience caused.
Candace Prentice, a single mother from St. Peters, told SKNVibes she recently purchased a pack of pork ribs from a large supermarket. Prentice said that, after rinsing the frost from the top of the meat, she recognised a thin coat of green slime covering most of the freezer-burned item. Understanding her rights, she returned the seemingly spoiled ribs and made a report to management. Prentice said management asked her to “kindly put the spoiled goods back into the refrigerator and choose another one”.
Now, the normal person, with no knowledge of consumer rights would do just that, but another basic right of the consumer is the right to be heard; the right to complain to management or to a retailer and get the matter immediately resolved.
Especially during these challenging economic times, when sales are plummeting by the minute, some businesses, in a desperate attempt to survive, might be tempted to do whatever it takes to sell goods and services. Expired or near-expired goods may be sold at “unbelievable discounts”, but consumers must be careful and have a keen eye for such products.
Many continue to complain about customer service especially in smaller businesses, but what remains true is that consumers have the responsibility to demand high quality of service and the best value for their money. Thus, every consumer has the right to choose.
In small shops, you are usually handed goods, but, as a consumer, you have the right to identify the specific item you require for purchase.
Service providers often get frustrated as they may believe that the end of a raison roll is just as good as the middle or that Dove and Irish Spring soaps do the same job. However, consumers must be reminded that once they are paying for the good or service, they have that right to say exactly what they want and be able to get it.
This also happens in large stores, according to what the young mother Valencia Peters told SKNVibes.
“I visited a large shoe store and saw a pair of shoes that I would be interested in. I located one of the workers on the floor and asked for a size nine. Apparently, she had to go into a distant room to search for the shoe I wanted. After many cases of trial and error, she brought the pair, explaining that she had to stretch to the top of a ladder to reach it.
“I then realised that the shoe was not quite what I wanted and asked about another one. After a similar course, which may have taken 30 minutes, I decided I would not purchase the shoe, but I was careful to thank the employee for her diligence in service. However, she promptly and coarsely responded, “Why you don’t make up your mind before you come in here? You don’t think I have other things to do? You came in here with no money and trying to put your feet in all the new shoes!”
Regardless of Peters’ response, this is by no means an isolated case, but something that we often accept as a subculture of substandard service. In this case, the consumer has a responsibility to warn other consumers about unfair treatment to protect themselves from future dealings.
With all these rights that a consumer has, the ultimate questions may be, “What can I do for recourse?” and “What happens to the service/good provider who does not comply to the regulations stipulated by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs?”
Fough told SKNVibes that consumers must be careful to keep receipts, as they act as the legal proof of purchase. He stressed that once dissatisfied, every consumer has the right to return goods or complain to management to gain full satisfaction.
“In such a case, customers should return to the business with their receipt and address management in a calm and polite manner. They can choose to get back their money or exchange for an item of the same value. In fact, based on the Consumer Affairs Act, businesses should not have no-refund policies, except in the case of cosmetics and medication.
“If still dissatisfied with the response of management or the retailers, consumers are welcomed to file a complaint at Consumer Affairs and we will address the matter. We will talk to the company, and once the consumer is right we will ensure that they receive a fair settlement. If providers of goods and services still do not comply, the matter will be referred to the Ministry of Legal Affairs and, if necessary, a summons will be filed on behalf of the disgruntled consumer.”
So, the next time you enter a shop, sales outlet or even purchase from a street vendor, be sure to know your rights; ask questions and be careful not to buy unfit products. Demand a receipt and a high level of service and, at every chance you get, inform others of their rights so that we can all comfortably survive in the changing service arena in the Federation.
