Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Zimpapers Correspondent
THE practice by some retail outlets, popularly known as “runners”, and other shops of displaying “no refund” signs has been declared illegal, with the Government warning that the practice constitutes a criminal offence that will lead to prosecution.
This follows Cabinet’s approval of the Consumer Protection Policy (2026–2030), introduced by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, in Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Prompted by a surge in restrictive trade practices within the electronics and retail sectors, the policy was designed to fortify consumer rights against the challenges of an increasingly sophisticated and evolving marketplace.
While “runners” dealing in apparel and kitchenware have frequently used these signs to block returns, some mobile phone shops had been criticised for imposing arbitrary three-day guarantees — terms the Government now says have no legal standing.
In an interview, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu declared the “No Refund” disclaimers legally void, calling them an unlawful attempt by businesses to bypass national trade protections.
“Some people do not know that it is illegal to put a disclaimer that there is no refund,” Minister Ndlovu said.
“It is illegal, and if there are people who are doing that, an informed consumer is advised to notify the authorities, it could be police, it could be ourselves as the ministry, so that we can prosecute such businesses.”
The minister noted a narrow exception to this rule, limited strictly to the health and pharmaceutical industry.
This cave-out is based on public safety and hygiene standards rather than commercial preference.
“It’s only in the health sector that it is acceptable, because you can’t take a drug and then you want to return it,” he added. “It cannot be consumed by other people.”
The new policy also serves to regulate the supply of goods and services, safeguard the rights of consumers and promote fair trading practices in the marketplace.
It will also promote the production of quality goods and services in order to meet the needs of an empowered consumer, ultimately improving the country’s domestic and international competitiveness.
“The Consumer Protection Policy closes the existing legislative and institutional gaps, strengthens coordination among agencies and promotes fair, transparent and accountable practices across all sectors of the economy,” reads part of the statement that was read by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda.
“The Consumer Protection Policy is anchored on strategic pillars, namely: Institutional Architecture for Consumer Protection; Dispute Resolution and Redress Mechanism; Legal and Regulatory Framework; Product Safety and Quality of Goods and Services; Counterfeit and Illicit Trade; Consumer Education and Awareness; Regional Integration and International Cooperation; and e-Commerce and Digital Transactions.
“The pillars entail, among other objectives, strengthening consumer protection institutions; intensification of ongoing market compliance checks; enforcement of consumer rights and welfare through clear dispute resolution guidelines; the establishment of a dedicated Anti-Counterfeiting Framework; and the rollout of comprehensive consumer education programmes.”
Other policy actions include the review of legal instruments governing digital transactions and the strengthening of the Consignment-Based Conformity Assessment system in the country.
