The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where are my curtains?

Hi Richard, I engaged a company to supply me with curtains. I paid up to 80% (P22k) deposit as requested but they have not delivered. I call but there’s no answer, no response to texts as well. The last update was after I had informed them I am going to report them and take legal action. They called and said part of the rail curtains I had ordered are ready and I can go view them. I did give them feedback but no response thereafter. Beginning of May, they had said can we give them a week or 2 to refund but unfortunately it is now June and no response from them.

It’s time to stop being polite. I don’t mean you should be rude, that never works, but you need to be much more assertive.

I suggest that you give them a deadline and make it clear to them that unless they refund you the full P22,000 before that date, you’ll go to the Small Claims Court for an order against them.

We all want to support small, local businesses but that doesn’t mean they can treat us unfairly. It’s also really important that these businesses learn how to run their companies effectively and profitably. I’m certainly no business expert but they need to learn about business planning, cashflow and how important it is to have cash reserves in case of problems. In these difficult economic times, it’s not just consumers who need to be prudent, it’s the small businesses we all want to thrive. They can start by speaking to the Local Enterprise Authority for some very cheap training and advice.

If you like, I’ll also get in touch with them.

They won’t return my money!

Mr. Richard, I need your help, I bought a car from a dealer on Monday afternoon which he told me that the does not have any engine or gearbox problem but on Tuesday morning I realized that the car has an engine fault. I called him and I also told him I can't afford to buy new engine. Its better he refund me back or give me another car then he said he don't have another car to give. Also he already used the money but he will sell the car and refund me. Yesterday he brought 2 customers to check the car and they rejected it because of the same thing I discovered. Now he doesn't want to return my money as we agreed. Please help me Richard.

This is yet another example of how risky buying a second-hand car can be. That doesn’t mean we should all buy brand new cars, very few of us can afford that ridiculous expense, but it means we must be extremely careful before spending our money on a second-hand vehicle.

By far the most important thing anyone should do is to have any second-hand vehicle inspected by an expert before paying. A few of us do know how to inspect a vehicle, but most of us have no idea. That’s why we need to rely on specialists. There are plenty of talented mechanics out there who will inspect a vehicle for you for a small fee. Even if it costs a few hundred Pula, it’s worth it because it might save tens of thousands.

In your situation, I think the best thing to do is to contact the Competition and Consumer Authority and ask them to investigate. They have a long history of dealing with second-hand car dealers and I know they’re capable of applying serious pressure in situations like this. I’m also happy to contact the dealer as well.