The 1 Time debacle
Not only were a large number of passengers left stranded by the sudden flight stoppages, but the Consumer Commission and the Consumer Tribunal can soon be getting involved as it appears that a number of authorities within the airline gave permission for tickets to be sold up to the time that flights were stopped.
Section 47 of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) prohibits overselling and overbooking. While the tickets were not oversold or overbooked, this section clearly states that a supplier must not accept payment for any goods or services if the supplier has no intention of supplying the service.
Should the supplier be unable to supply the service on the specified date and time and not be able to get another company to help out, the supplier must refund the consumer with interest calculated from the date of payment to the date on which the money is paid back.
This means that the people at the helm of the 1 Time business rescue should have stopped selling tickets as soon as they knew that liquidation was imminent. They accepted payment for a service they knew the airline would not be able to deliver.
Section 54 of the CPA also gives the consumer the right to expect from suppliers that services be performed and completed in time and that they will be notified in good time of any delays. If the supplier fails to do that, he must refund the consumer a reasonable portion of the price paid, keeping the extent of the failure in mind.
Ebrahim Mohamed, acting consumer commissioner, stated that the commission has been informed that 1 Time is not in liquidation as has been reported; the company still exists as an entity, so it can be investigated.
Mohamed was scheduled to meet with 1 Time CEO, Blacky Komani, to get answers to the commission’s questions before further steps are considered.
Source: Fintalk
Genetically modified foods
A formal request of an extension of the due date for comments for the Product Labeling and Trade Prescriptions: Genetically Modified Organisms was sent to the DTI on Tuesday, 6 November 2012. Please note that government has agreed to extend a one month postponement to all stakeholders. The closing date in this regard is 9 December 2012. This request is in regard to the proposed amendment of Regulation 7 GM products – ingredients/components more than 5%.
Holiday voucher scam
Viewers of SABC3 news would have been shocked by a R99 holiday voucher scam where consumers inadvertently have debit orders to the value of R99 deducted from their accounts from an unknown and, most importantly, unauthorized source.
There are a number of companies involved, with each feigning ignorance and passing the buck to the other. At the end though, at least one of the companies have stepped up and volunteered to refund those who have been unlawfully deducted.
Apparently the personal details are received through surveys, e-mails, vouchers, etc. Beware who you give your details to and please be vigilante.