The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has issued advisory notices to two undisclosed courier companies amid a surge in complaints about service violations, with further investigation expected to follow this week.

CPC chairman Randy Rolle said courier companies are “topping the list” of complaints for the year. Contractors, beauty supply stores, and hardware stores have also been frequent targets of consumer grievances.

“According to provisions in the new Consumer Act 2023, the Minister of Economic Affairs has been notified of two advisory notices that shall be sent out before the end of the week to two courier companies where the commission has received numerous complaints of violations to consumers,” Mr Rolle said during a press conference yesterday. “This will call for further investigation into these matters, and the law will take its course.”

He explained that advisories are issued when the CPC receives multiple complaints suggesting violations of consumer protection laws. Through the authority of the Minister of Economic Affairs, the commission can send out advisories as a warning to companies, indicating that further investigations will be conducted.

Alfred Taylor, CPC deputy manager of the Complaints and Investigations Department, also elaborated on the CPC’s consumer protection efforts, noting that over $117,000 had been recovered for consumers since last September.

“I’ve noticed that there’s always a large number of complaints as it relates to consumer rights and unfair trade practices,” Mr Taylor said. “Some providers engage in these practices and advise consumers that they have no recourse. As an investigator here at the CPC, we look into those matters, and we try to bring some resolution. Over a period of time, we recouped over $117,000 as it relates to consumers being refunded — that’s from last year to now, last September to now.”

Mr Taylor said the commission receives an average of 35 monthly complaints, many related to unfair trade practices, and advised consumers to keep receipts, invoices, and photos as evidence.

“You can either email us with your information; you can contact us by phone; you can also come into the of ce and make a complaint,” he said.

He noted that the Consumer Protection Act allows for fines of up to $5,000 for breaches of consumer rights. However, companies are initially given a warning and time to address issues before fines are imposed.

The CPC recently inspected over 14 major food stores, finding that nearly half violated consumer protection standards. Key concerns included unclear “best by” dates on baked goods and fruits, which could confuse consumers, and inaccurate scales in produce sections, potentially leading to overcharges.

Some pharmacies in the Over-The-Hill communities were also found selling expired over-the-counter medications, posing potential health risks.

“To address these violations, we intend to leverage existing laws to compel retailers to improve their practices,” Mr Rolle said. “We are also recommending that the government update the Consumer Protection Act to establish fixed penalties, creating a more straightforward process for imposing fines on those who violate these standards.”

Mr Rolle acknowledged that inconsistent engagement and a lack of enforcement had weakened consumer protections. The CPC now plans to conduct regular inspections across various business sectors. He invited other agencies, including the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality, the Consumer Affairs’ Price Control Department, and the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority, to join in coordinated consumer protection efforts.

Austina Smith-Knowles, of the CPC’s Marketing, Education, Research, and Training Department, emphasised that while the CPC exists partly because consumers may lack awareness of their rights, its goal is not to criticise providers but to promote fairness in the marketplace, benefiting both consumers and businesses.

She cited an example where a Budget store manager explained why prices vary across branches of the same supermarket.

“The different outlets for a particular supermarket, they operate as separate entities, and some of them are convenience stores versus the supermarket ver- sion, which is bigger, and so they have different budgets,” she said.

“Bearing that in mind, the smaller locations can’t buy in the bulk volume that the bigger locations can, so therefore their overhead is more expensive. That’s why you will see variances on the same product at different locations. I just wanted to point out that providers are not always unscrupulous and determined to just make a profit. They have to do what is feasible, and that’s for that particular branch.” 

Ms Smith-Knowles also highlighted the need to amend the current Consumer Protection Act to address “puffery”, or exaggerated promotional claims. This amendment would allow non-deceptive promotion as long as businesses can substantiate their claims.