Standing on your feet in this era requires you to outsmart manufacturing companies.
You need to know your right so you won’t be taken advantage of. To know your right as a consumer, go through the consumer right guide. It guides you on how to effectively submit a complaint to the company.
Complaints may be unreliable and sketchy online content, damaged products, and poor customer service.
The consumer rights law was rewritten in 2015. Its focus is on consumer rights for products bought after the law came into effect. You can file a complaint online.
It is your fundamental right as a shopper to complain if you are unsatisfied with a product or service. The company doesn’t have the liberty to deny you your right.
The consumer rights law depends on the type of product or service.
For products and online blogposts, the requirements are:
- Suit its objective
- Useful for a good period
- Good quality as portrayed
If it is a service, its requirements are:
- The service must be reasonable
- The service provider should have the skills
- The service must be given in an adequate period
- The price must be acceptable
Benefits of Consumer Rights Law
Consumer services complaints have lots of benefits. It protects the consumer against any shady business services or faulty products. The seller has to obey the rules if a customer submits a complaint. The law makes it easier to file a complaint online or go to the company.
If a consumer appropriately follows the complaint rules and the seller defaults, the law will prevail.
Things to Do If You Notice a Product is Faulty
- Stop using the faulty product(s)
- Complain immediately
- Have a record and write down additional expenses
- Get additional protection
Steps to Take to Lodge a Consumer Complaint
1. Stay Calm:
Throwing tempers won’t resolve the situation. It would rather escalate it. It can even give the company a reason to counter your complaints. Be calm, cool, and collected.
2. What Outcome Do You want from the Complaint?:
Are you interested in swapping the products with another one? Do you want to change the online post? Do you want to keep the services of the company? If you want an improved service, and content or change the products, it is easy.
The case is different if you want your money back. You might not be qualified to receive the complete money back. Refund policy depends on the company and how long you’ve had the product.
Do you want to be compensated? How? The compensation process may be a bit complex and can take time.
3. Refund or Exchange Policy:
Every company has a refund timeline. If you’ve passed the timeline, you are not entitled to be compensated. If you are returning the product before thirty days, the consumer law covers you. You might even get your complete money back. Perishable products are excluded from this policy.
The seller needs to refund your money within two weeks.
You are not entitled to return certain products after a month.
Full refunds are guaranteed except you’ve tampered with the products.
How to Prove a Product is Faulty to The Seller
If you were given faulty products, send them back to the seller within a month. It proves to the seller the faulty is from them unless you tampered with them. Request for repairs or exchanges. The seller may reject repairing them and may opt for an exchange. However, if the seller refused to exchange or repair them, ask for your money back.
1. Complaint Timeline:
Some countries give the consumers a 6-month time frame to submit a complaint. While the Consumer services complaints law of other countries is up to 6 years.
If it has been over 6 months since you bought the product, it’s harder to prove the fault is not yours. If you are compensated, it will be a reduced amount taking into account your usage period. The longer it takes you to complain, the lesser your chances of compensation. Automobiles are excluded from this rule.
Compensation includes time and money spent and damage costs.
Complaining about old products can be tricky even when guaranteed. If you are a good negotiator, you might get some compensation.
2. Online Shopping Consumer Rights Law:
This is for when you buy something online with your bank card and you paid a certain amount. The bank or financial institution that issued the card is also responsible for any mishap. In case of a mishap, the consumer can complain to the card-issuing firm.
If the seller runs away, get a refund from the firm that issued your card. Even if the product was not delivered or was damaged, the card firm is liable.
International online shopping is also covered by this law. Submit a complaint to your local card-issuing firm and get refunded. There is no need to contact the international card company.
If your online shopping falls below the required spending amount, there is a different complaint format.
3. Users Warranties and Guarantees:
Manufacturers’ guarantees are there to make product return easier. In addition to consumer rights, it gives consumers extra protection.
Your consumer rights with a seller are different from the manufacturer. This is because the trader didn’t manufacture the product. The seller has to refund you or change the product first. You are not responsible for contacting the manufacturer. You can also file a complaint online on the seller’s website.
A product guarantee repairs or replaces the product within the stipulated time.
A product warranty differs from a product guarantee. A warranty is an extra charge you pay for extra deals. A warranty is not as necessary as a guarantee and it’s more expensive.
Conclusion
Never buy your product from an unreliable seller. Always avoid expensive products without guarantees. Read up on Consumer services complaints Act.
You have a right as a consumer, appropriately exercise it when needed.
