ISSUE 35-2004
Date : 24 June 2004
:Pots & Pans – What you should know
::What is the acceptability of an advertisement?
:::CaseTrust - The Key to Consumer Confidence
:Pots & Pans – What you should know
We wish to highlight some complaints which CASE has received from our consumers relating to the sale of kitchenware, or more commonly known as pots and pans.
The complaints figures for the last three years for such complaints are as follows:
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 (Jan to May) |
| 160 | 546 | 39 |
The sharp increase was due to a huge publicity given in the first half of 2003 where 6 companies selling pots and pans were mentioned in the media.
We feature below two cases of complaints which CASE has received. These cases illustrate some of the common tactics which the salesperson had used in order to make consumers buy the products.
CASE NO. 1
Consumer reported salesman called and told her that he would wish to help to maintain her old kitchen set in a proper manner. His services to guide her would be free. However when he went to her place on 26 May 2004 she was pressured to trade-in her old set for a new one. She paid a deposit of $400 for a set of kitchenware costing $898. She felt she was misrepresented and as it was still within the 3 day cooling off period she wants a refund. This case is still pending a reply from the retailer.
CASE NO. 2
According to the consumer she received calls from a salesgirl who said that she wanted to “follow-up” on the usage and condition of her old pots. The salesgirl used “free gift” as a “bait” to enter the consumer’s flat. She claimed that the old set could cause cancer and a trade-in for a new one would be better. She claimed her new set has been certified medically safe from cancer by doctors. The consumer after hearing this agreed to sign the contract and deposited $1,000 for a set costing $2,730. After CASE intervention, the consumer accepted the vendor’s offer of utensils worth $1,000 in lieu of cash refund.
To prevent yourself from being a victim in the above situation, CASE would like to advise the following:
a. Assess your need to buy the utensils.
b. If there is a need to buy consumers should not commit on the spot. Instead, consumers should shop around for the best deal. Do not be tempted by the “Special Offer” or “Free Gift” or “Last Day Offer” schemes offered by the salesperson
c. Shop around for the best deal
d. Consult family members before buying. Family members should advise their elderly parents not to buy until they are consulted.
e. If you choose to buy from the salesperson, ensure that the company details are given so that claims on defect or refund can be made if the products are unfit for the purpose for which it was purchased
f. Under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, which comes into effect on 1 March 2004, the consumer is given the right to cancel a door to door sales contract within 3 days of purchase with no questions asked. The consumer can also take civil action against the retailer if the retailer is guilty of misrepresentation, making false claims, applying undue pressure on the consumer, takes advantage of the illiterate, elderly, intellectually disabled or the very young or has done any of the 20 unfair practices set out in the said Act.
CASE would like to urge traders to be fair when selling their products so that the direct sales industry reputation is not tarnished. Unfair trading will erode the confidence of consumers and will make it harder for the genuine traders to ply their trade. Consumers’ interest needs to be protected for long term business sustainability. The industry players should take such errant traders to task to protect their image and built consumer confidence.
::What is the acceptability of an advertisement?
How do you know if an advertisement is considered misleading? What guidelines do advertisers adhere to? Who decides these guidelines? These are very common questions in a consumer’s mind when one comes across a possibly misleading advertisement.
The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore was formed in 1973, comprising representatives from media owners, advertising associations, consumer association and relevant governmental agencies. Together, it took them 3 years of hard work to come up with the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP). Within this code, it highlights the rules or in layman terms, the do’s and don’ts of advertising. With the Code in place, ASAS began their role as a self-regulatory body.
The SCAP remains today as an effective means to ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful. Should any advertisement contravenes the SCAP, the SCAP empowers the Council to request the media owner to suspend the advertisement. Its jurisdiction covers 90% of the media owners in Singapore, covering main media like the television, press and radio.
What then is detailed in the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice? C@SEBites will bring you through all 13 clauses as stipulated in the General Principles of the SCAP. The General Principles are only one aspect of the SCAP but it serves to be a rough guide for consumers when reading advertisements. Today, we will cover clause 1 of the General Principle.
Clause 1: legality
Advertisements should not contain anything that is illegal or might incite anyone to break the law. Nor should they appear to condone or lighten the gravities of illegal activities.
For example, a car advertisement encouraging or depicting speeding
The full version of the Code can be purchased from CASE office. For more information, please click www.case.org.sg/asas2.htm
:::CaseTrust - The Key to Consumer Confidence
When you walk into a CaseTrust shop, you can shop to your heart's content & rest assured that what you see is what you get. Even if there are problems later, you can resolve it in a friendly manner with the shop. Sounds good? So remember, look out for the new CaseTrust logo the next time you shop!"
::::Online polling at CASE Website
CASE has introduced for the first time online polling at our official website at www.case.org.sg
We will be conducting a poll on our CaseTrust accreditation scheme. This poll will end on 8 July 2004.
Please participate in the online polling at our website in order to enable us to serve you better.
CASE will like to invite all its Members to attend its 31st Annual General Meeting on 26 June 2004. The details are as follows
Date 26 June 2004
Venue
HDB Hub, Basement 1
Punggol Room
Blk 480 Lorong 6
Toa Payoh
Time 2:30 pm
|
|||||||||||||||||
