There are revelations made by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission that several retail outlets were engaged in unethical practices in the lead up to Diwali.
Chief Executive, Joel Abraham says around eighty percent of their staff were deployed to conduct Diwali Surveillance with shocking findings.
Abraham says an investigation has begun to find retailers that cheated customers during Diwali sales.
“Close to Diwali, overnight, prices of certain Diwali items increased up to 200 percent. Lights that were sold for $60 were sold at $200. There were some traders that looked at near expiry item and sold them at cheaper prices. Also some actually recycled old stock from previous years.”
He adds these retailers will be taken to task with a heavy penalty.
“Now we will undertake an investigation into pricing practices, we will undertake an investigation into the quality of goods that were being sold. It’s not that Diwali is over- everything is over. Our work actually begins because we narrowed down a few traders and moving on they will be over investigations.”
Retailers and other traders found guilty will have to pay a fine of fifty thousand dollars.
