Did you know that thanks to the Consumer Protection Act, South Africans will be amongst the best protected consumers in the world – from October 2010 when the law comes into effect.
Of course the legislation is not worth the paper it’s written on, if we as consumers don’t know what our rights are. On the other hand, no-one really wants to read a hundred-and-something page Act to find out all the details.
With this in mind, and as part of the Don’t Complain Campaign, we’ve put together a series of short snippets that will help you to get to grips with the nitty-gritty details of the new Consumer Protection Act and understand how they affect your life. Here’s part one:
Did you know?
1. The first question that most people ask is “Why has the Consumer Protection Act been introduced?” The succinct answer is to promote and advance the economic and social welfare of consumers and to ensure that they are better protected and empowered to realise their rights. To find out more, read our “Policy Objectives of the Consumer Protection Bill” post.
2. A franchisee may cancel a franchise agreement without cost or penalty within 10 business days after signing such agreement, by giving written notice to the franchisor.
3. How does the Consumer Protection Act relate to direct marketing? Great news – the two go hand-in-hand. The Act states that you have the right to refuse to accept direct marketing and that you can require it to be discontinued. The Act also gives the Consumer Commission the go ahead to establish a registry where consumes can register a pre-emptive block against any communication that is primarily for the purpose of direct marketing. The DTI Minister may prescribe specific days, dates, public holidays or times of days when suppliers must not engage in any direct marketing aimed at a consumer at home for any promotional purpose.
Any questions or comments? Give us a shout.
Like this post? Stay tuned for more tips next week.
Similar Posts:
- Consumer Protection Act Series – Part Three
- Consumer Protection Act Series – Part Two
- Customer Service Compliments to kick off 2010
- Don’t Complain… compliment… some more!
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