Ministry keeps bogus cheap sale at bay
by Peter Boon. Posted on January 15, 2012, Sunday
SIBU: The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism are mounting surprise checks on businesses offering cheap sale to ensure that their offer covered at least 70 per cent of goods in their respective premises.
Its Sibu branch chief Balraj Singh said a new requirement under the Trade Descriptions (Cheap Sales Price) (Amendment) Act 2010 also compelled traders to list both the old and new prices.
“We do not want shopping malls which offer cheap sale to only put up several items on cheap sale to lure customers.
“The new requirement under the Trade Descriptions (Cheap Sales Price) (Amendment) Act 2010 compels traders to list the old and new prices, while items on cheap sale should comprise 70 per cent of goods in the premises,” he told thesundaypost yesterday, saying that businesses needed to display their permits at their premises.
Balraj warned that stern action would be meted out against traders rolling out cheap sale without the ministry’s approval.
“Our enforcement officers have been deployed to hypermarkets, supermarkets, shopping malls and other retail outlets to ensure that the offers are genuine as shoppers rush for the festive shopping.”
He, however, said consumers too, had a role to play by proactively checking on the retailers’ cheap sale permit in the midst of their festive shopping.
Balraj added that shoppers should ensure that the discounted price was as stated in the price list.
He said traders flouting the Act could be fined not more than RM100,000 or sentenced to three years’ jail or both, upon conviction.
“For subsequent offences, individuals can be slapped with RM250,000 fine or sentenced to six years imprisonment or both.”
On the other hand, companies would be liable to a fine of RM250,000 and RM500,000 for the first and subsequent offence respectively upon conviction, he cautioned.
When asked on cheap sale applications, he said traders needed to submit their price lists (before and after discount), including the discount percentage.
“We vet through all cheap sale applications before permits are issued to ensure that they are genuine, and that there is no manipulation or misleading of consumers.”
Meanwhile, Sibu Consumer Movement Committee chairman Sim Kok Kee said consumers should check to ensure that discounted prices were as stated in the price list.
“This means that shoppers need to take extra precautions by keeping a close eye on the amount entered by the cashiers and ask for receipts for verifications,” Sim advised, saying that while the ministry is beefing up checks on cheap sale, consumers too had a role to play in ensuring that they were not fleeced by unscrupulous traders. He advised consumers to lodge complaints with the ministry office here.
Meanwhile, Balraj advised consumers, who wished to lodge complains to call their office at 084-335622/329202.
