An alert has been issued by the Consumer Council of Fiji to people against engaging with certain dodgy electronics dealers, and the council has also revealed that it has continuously flagged the practices of these businesses to the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The council says Quantum Electronics, Computer Hub and Vision Cyber Tech got a total of 119 complaints.
It is calling for urgent and strict enforcement actions to ensure consumers are provided with natural justice and to prevent other consumers from falling victim to this.
Council CEO, Seema Shandil says while the three companies are registered under the names of different individuals who are close relatives, only one person is managing the overall operations of all companies.
Shandil says the individual in question first operated Quantum Electronics against which 86 complaints have been registered from 2020 to date.
She says two or more companies, Computer Hub and Vision Cyber Tech were registered and being managed by the same person has accumulated to 27 and 6 complaints respectively in the last few months.
The complaints registered and investigations by the Council has indicated a troubling pattern of deceitful intentions and unscrupulous tactics by the companies, clearly aimed at exploiting and defrauding consumers.
The council says Quantum Electronics, Computer Hub and Vision Cyber Tech are involved in retailing faulty computer products and electronics, that often fail to function within a week of purchase.
Consumers who have fallen victim to the company’s unethical practices have experienced significant frustration and financial loss due to defective products sold by the trader.
Shandil also says they impose a highly unjust percentage stocking fee on refunds for their faulty products, further exacerbating the financial burden on already aggrieved consumers.
She says in some instances, consumers are made to wait for months to receive their refunds.
Shandil says even in cases where Quantum Electronics claims to repair or replace the defective products, consumers have reported recurring issues with the replacements provided.
She says the lack of commitment by these traders to resolving customer issues have left consumers feeling ignored and helpless, as their requests for refunds are routinely neglected.
Shandil says in most instances, the complainants have not gotten a refund or any form of redress, because the traders simply don’t care about their customers, or are only concerned about their bottom line.
Consumers who have faced issues with these businesses are encouraged to contact the Council on toll-free number 155 or lodge a complaint using the Consumer Council of Fiji mobile app.
