Online Reporter
Judith Phiri
THE Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has issued a stern warning, urging the public to exercise extreme vigilance against the proliferation of unfair contractual agreements that typically surge during the festive shopping season.
The CCZ clarified that these problematic agreements often feature terms that create a significant imbalance to the consumer’s disadvantage and are not essential for a business’s legitimate operations, frequently appearing in standard form contracts.
Consumers are advised to watch out for common traps, including hidden or overly complex clauses, excessive cancellation fees, unilateral price hikes, restrictions on their legal rights (such as liability waivers for injury), and provisions that allow businesses to change contract terms without the consumer’s consent.
While consumers are not legally bound by unfair terms, the CCZ emphasised that they must actively challenge the terms with the respective company or formally report them to consumer protection bodies to ensure the clauses are removed or modified.
Responding to questions from this publication, CCZ chief executive officer (CEO), Mrs Rosemary Mpofu, urged consumers to exercise caution when shopping during this period.
“During this festive season, consumers generally have increased disposable income as some would have been paid their 13th cheques and bonuses, resulting in increased spending on groceries, clothing, household furniture and travelling.
“Unfair contractual agreements will be on the rise, consumers are being encouraged to be critically aware by ensuring that they get good quality products and get value for their money,” she said.
She warned that false bargains will be rampant, as some retailers attempt to cash in on unsuspecting consumers by inflating prices, selling counterfeits, underweight goods, and repackaged items.
Mrs Mpofu advised consumers to shop around, comparing prices and quality before making purchases.
“Consumers should be on the lookout for any unethical business practices, such as use of disclaimer clauses saying ‘no returns, no refunds, no exchange’, as well as checking the small print on contracts of sale.
“CCZ is now a designated organisation in terms of Section 55 of the Consumer Protection Act and Statutory Instrument (SI) 181 of 2024, meaning we are now a Conciliation and Arbitration body.”
She encouraged consumers to report complaints via the toll-free number 8688008623 or through CCZ’s social media platforms: X (formerly Twitter) @CCZ_263, Facebook — Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, or email [email protected].
Chartered Institute of Customer Relations Management (CICRM) president, Dr Mthokozisi Nkosi, echoed the warning, saying the festive season is a time when unethical businesses prey on unsuspecting consumers.
“They must be alert to deceitful, false and misleading promotional campaigns by unethical businesses who take advantage of the increased consumer demands at the expense of consumer welfare. Consumers must be watchful of counterfeits and low-quality products, false claims, sale of expired goods and price gimmicks,” he said.
Dr Nkosi urged consumers to scrutinise purchases carefully, as the market will be flooded with fake products ranging from electronic gadgets and medicines to beverages and even expired food.
“Consumers must ask questions, check on quality with regulatory authorities and get guidance from peers before making that ‘special purchase’. This is because in a bid to maximise on profits during this period, some businesses will engage in deceptive campaigns such as misleading advertising. They provide false information about product origins, availability, or capabilities to lure in the desperate consumer,” he said.
