Consumer Complaints

DESCRIPTION:

If you are unhappy with a service or a product, you have the right to lodge a complaint. You can lodge consumer complaints with Consumer Affairs and Fair Trade.

The Consumer Protector and Consumer Tribunal are provided for in the Western Cape Consumer Affairs (Unfair Business Practices) Act that was passed in December 2002.

The Office of the Consumer Protector was established in March 2003. The Consumer Protector acts as a "prosecutor" on behalf of consumers in order to bring their complaints/cases before the Tribunal.

The Consumer Tribunal is a special court that hears consumer complaints.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You can lodge a complaint by calling the toll-free complaints line at 0800 007 081 or by contacting your nearest consumer advice office.

You can also lodge a complaint by calling the Cape Gateway Call Centre at 0860 142 142. The call centre operator will record the details of the complaint and issue you with a reference number. The complaint will receive attention from the Office of the Consumer Protector within 24 hrs.

You can also lodge a complaint online with the National Consumer Forum.

For the most satisfactory results, use the following guidelines for lodging a complaint:

Complain as soon as possible.
Be specific.
Back up your complaint with receipts etc..
State what you want done.
Be assertive and be polite.
Follow up your complaint after a reasonable length of time if you haven't received a response.
Document who you speak to and when and keep copies of letters sent.

PROVIDED AT:

These facility categories:

Consumer Advice Offices

PROVIDED BY:

GOVERNMENT BODY:	Consumer Fair Trade (Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Provincial Government of the Western Cape)

GOVERNMENT BODY:

Consumer Fair Trade (Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Provincial Government of the Western Cape)

The content on this page was last updated on 20 August 2007

Cape Gateway is a government service aimed primarily at citizens of the Western Cape, providing information on local, provincial and national government