By Stefanos Evripidou
MOST consumers are unaware of the body of laws that provides consumer rights in Cyprus, an official of the Cyprus Consumers’ Association (CCA) said yesterday.
Consumer Services officer Elli Hadjipaschali gave the Cyprus Mail an example of one of the laws introduced as part of the bundle implemented under the EU acquis communautaire: “A provision exists which states that any product bought after January 28, 2000, is under guarantee for two years. Retailers do not mention this, some don’t even know it and most consumers are unaware of it.”
She added, however, that in other areas, like consumer refunds, no protection was available, highlighting the difference in the level of consumer service in Europe and Cyprus. “If you buy something here and want to return it, you can’t. It’s up to the shop whether they’ll give you vouchers or a replacement. They only have to return your money if it is faulty and there’s no way of replacing it,” she said.
Hadjipaschali noted the importance attached to good consumer service in Europe compared to Cyprus. “You can find anything you want in Cyprus, but you won’t be guaranteed good consumer service, mainly because, unlike Europe, the retailers fail to realise that an unsatisfied consumer won’t come back.”
A market survey on consumer goods and services published by the CCA in September has helped to raise consumer awareness, serving to increase the number of consumer complaints in Nicosia by 82 per cent in the past quarter (July to September) compared to the previous quarter. In contrast to last year, this year’s third quarterly figures have risen by 64 per cent.
The majority of complaints, 22.2 per cent, concern the price of consumer goods and services. Second in line, at 13.9 per cent, are a combination of complaints that do not fit into any particular category, such as the painting of one’s house. In close third are complaints of faulty products, 11.25 per cent, and fourth, at 9.3 per cent, are safety issues. The number of phone calls made to the consumer service centre for information also increased this quarter, accounting for six per cent of total complaints. The remaining 37.35 per cent covered expired products, organised group holidays, breach of agreements and cases of deception or trickery.
From the complaints made, Hadjipaschali said 46 per cent had been resolved through investigation and mediation, while 17 per cent were in the process of being resolved. “Those that cannot be resolved by us are forwarded to the Commerce Ministry, but that usually takes a longer period of time,” she said. Twenty five per cent of complaints cannot be acted upon because the aggrieved party has failed to make a written complaint. The remaining 12 per cent involve unsubstantiated charges.
Regarding the huge increase in consumer grievances in the capital, the officer said, “During the summer holidays, people leave the city and go to the seaside or other resorts where they realise that prices are much higher than they expected and wish to voice their opinion.” These kinds of complaints are even more common with group excursions abroad, where Cypriot tourists often feel they are being cheated out of their holiday. “They are often sensitive to detail because they expect the same quality of service and hotel accommodation abroad as they would from a three star hotel in Cyprus,” said Hadjipaschali. Concerning local matters, she highlighted that consumers would benefit most by being more aware of their rights and powers regarding goods and services.
