CAC Secures Over $14.7 Million On Behalf Of Aggrieved Consumers

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) has secured over $14.7 million in compensation on behalf of aggrieved consumers for the period April to November 2021.

The disclosure was made by Chief Executive Officer, Dolsie Allen, at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank in Kingston.

She noted that the sum “does not include the $7.5 million that we were awarded from the Tribunal hearing that we had earlier this year.”

The award was made as a result of a consumer entering into a contract with a used car dealership to purchase a vehicle for the sum $5.4 million.

The CAC Tribunal found that section 23 (damaged goods sold to consumer), section 24 (return of defective goods) and section 30 (false or misleading representation) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) were breached.

Mrs. Allen told JIS News that of the over $14.7 million secured on behalf of aggrieved consumers, the top categories for which funds were recovered are: electrical equipment and appliances, $4.7 million; automotive, $4.08 million; and furniture $1.3 million.

She indicated that 1,352 complaints were filed during the period, of which 734 were successfully resolved, giving the agency a 54 per cent resolution rate.

“I’m sure that as the year progresses…our resolution rate will be increased because we have never really gone below 80 per cent,” she noted.

She said the top category of complaints were electrical equipment and appliances with 22.79 per cent; services, 17.65 per cent; and utilities, 13.97 per cent.

Mrs. Allen further told JIS News that despite the limitation on public gathering, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols, the CAC continued to sensitise consumers about matters of interest to them, including hire purchase and the Consumer Protection Act.

“We have been using our Facebook live discussions and we have been using a lot of online presentations,” said Mrs. Allen, noting that Facebook live is held twice per month.

The CAC is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Its role is to enforce the Consumer Protection Act and facilitate ethical behaviour in the marketplace between vendors and consumers.