General
Hire Purchase
Services
General
Q. Does Consumer Affairs have an office in the South?
A. Yes. The office is located at 13, Leotard Street, San Fernando and the hours of business are 8:30am - 3:15pm Monday - Friday. The telephone number is 653-6786 or see our
online directory listing.
Q. Will the Division take my matter to court?
A. No! The Division will not take individual complaints to court.
Q. If the Division does not succeed in resolving my complaint what is next?
A. You as the consumer can take your own legal action against the supplier.
Q. Are the phrases no refund or no exchange legal?
A. No. They are contray to the Adverse Trade Practices Order 2000. The penalty for this offence is $5 000 and 4 months imprisonment on summary conviction, and on indictment, $10 000 and 2 years imprisonment.
Hire Purchase
Q. Does the supplier have the right to repossess an item purchased on Hire Purchase if I have paid off most of the H.P. Price?
A. Yes. The supplier is the owner of the item and can repossess it at any time that the consumer has breached the agreement. However, if more than 70% of the H/P price has been paid the supplier must obtain a court order before he can arrange to repossess the item.
Q. Is it okay to stop paying my installments if the item is not working properly and the supplier is not repairing the item as quickly as I would like?
A. No! Stopping your installment (payments) will be a breach of your contract and the supplier may repossess the item.
Q. If I decide to stop the Hire Purchase agreement can I be refunded the money that I paid?
A. No! You have paid installments for the hire or rent of the item. This means that you have paid for the use you have had of the item.
Q. I took out a television set for my mother on hire purchase and used my address on the document. I subsequently took it over to her house. I have not missed any installments but I was informed that the store was coming to repossess the television. Can they do this?
A. Yes! You are in breach of the agreement. You cannot remove the item bought on hire purchase from the address stated on the contract without informing the owner i.e. the supplier.
Services
Q. A man came around in my neighborhood and asked if I needed repairs done to my washing machine. I allowed him to check it and he told me that it will cost approximately $150. I paid him and he fixed it and it is working perfectly. He came back last week and I asked him to fix my dryer. I paid him $400 and gave him the dryer. I didn't get a receipt and I haven't seen him since. Can your department help?
A. No! The Division does not operate a detective service. You will have to provide proper documentation such as a receipt and provide a proper business address for the supplier in order for us to investigate the matter.
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