The Consumer Council of Fiji says it has received numerous complaints of contrasting shelf and point of sale prices at some retail outlets, and the actions of these traders is nothing short of robbery as most of the time the prices at the counter are much more than that advertised on the shelves.
CEO, Seema Shandil says traders are being sternly warned that human error and technical glitches are unacceptable excuses for this.
She says this unethical practice is worrying as thousands of consumers may be misled into paying more.
Shandil says this is cheating and it must be stopped.
The Council through its market surveillance has also recorded discount prices being more than the normal price of the product, advertised products not meeting specifications as listed by the trader and advertised products being limited in supply.
Shandil says traders should always ensure that prices at point of sale match those advertised at point of purchase.
She says the same amount of energy and effort used to strategise sales tactics must also be exerted to ensuring their systems reflect the same.
The Consumer Council CEO says the recent $20,000 fine handed out to MH Super Fresh for false and misleading representation should serve as further warning to traders. The fine was handed down by the Suva Magistrate’s Court following a complaint where a bottle of Fabuloso was displayed and offered for sale at $5.95 but at the point of sale, the item cost displayed $6.45.
Consumers are also urged to be cautious and report any cases of deceptive pricing with the Council as these are breaches of the FCCC Act 2010. The Council will also continue to conduct regular market surveillance.
