The Consumer Council and the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission is urging consumers to be vigilant when using their Homes CARE initiative funds.
This as the Consumer Watchdog and the protection agency has received complaints from people in the Western Division who are being assisted under this initiative.
Consumer Council chief executive, Premila Kumar, says traders are allegedly using various tactics to lure the consumers to exhaust their money in one shop.
“We have also seen other tactics used by traders, for example, the main reason why the government has put the money in the card is for them to use specifically to use for items they need. There is money back promotions going on, in other words they are encouraging or luring consumers to spend their money up to $1500 so that they can get $200 cash in their hand so there are some consumers who are lured by $200 so what will they do, they will try and spend the money in one store without doing any comparative shopping.”
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Chief Executive, Joel Abraham says such practices are unethical.
“If we find that people have artificially increased the prices without any explanations for it without any justification for such increases they will be taken to task. The law as of 1st August 2017 through the budget amendment has been increased so further powers have been given to the FCCC and we will exercise those powers very strictly.”
A task force consisting of officials from the Consumer Council and the Fijian Consumer and Competition Commission will begin an investigation into allegations of fraud against traders from today.
