Basis For Complaints
Pauline bought a brand new pair of shoes for the old year's night party. Six-inch silver heels, diamante straps her feet would look their manicured best. However on the night of the party as she made her way up the stairs, crack! Crack! Pauline's brand new pair of shoes broke!
Consumers do you know that it is your right to be heard and complain. However you would only want to lodge a complaint if it is legitimate.
How to tell if your complaint is legitimate? A legitimate complaint is one for which:
- The good/service you bought is defective and does not provide the utility for which it was purchased. As shown in the story above this was the first wearing of the shoe, Pauline was walking, not placing any unintended stress on the shoe. The shoe may have been defective. Pauline would be well within her right to lodge a complaint assuming that the shoe was suitably matched to Pauline's individual statistics for example height and weight.
- Another legitimate cause for complaint is false advertising. Does the good/service provide all the benefits touted by the advertisement used to promote the good? For example you may have purchased an alarm clock and the alarm feature does not work. That is a legitimate cause for a complaint.
How to tell if your complaint is not legitimate? Consumers can tell if their complaint is not legitimate if:
- The consumer does not like the good/service after it has been purchased. A change in taste preferences is not considered a legitimate complaint.
- The consumer has tampered with the good causing it to malfunction.
- The good is used for a purpose other than which it was intended.
Consumers the right to complain is one of the rights, upon which other rights are contingent in order to be enforced. It is your responsibility to report unsafe merchandise and unfair treatment from retailers or manufacturers. Remember the environment that we create today is what we perpetuate tomorrow!
Remember, the power is yours!
|
