Eighteen (18) retail outlets were last year fined for selling expired goods in contravention of the Consumer Protection Act, with one of the shops fined US$3 000 by the High Court for selling baby products that expired in 2015.
Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) research and public affairs manager Kudakwashe Mudereri told State media that they launched an operation targeting shops selling expired and substandard products between April and December 2023.
Mudereri cited retailers Food World, Gains Cash and Carry and Bismilar Investment as the major culprits. He said:
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In line with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, which requires the commission to enforce consumer rights through its inspectors, compliance officers and investigators have been carrying out enforcement blitzes throughout the country, working with other law enforcement agents and other key stakeholders.
From April to December 2023, the Consumer Protection Commission prosecuted 18 companies for selling expired products.
What is more worrying to the commission is that one of the shops caught and prosecuted for selling expired products was selling baby products, which expired as far as 2015, thereby destroying the future of the country.
Given the severity of the case, the shop was prosecuted at the High Court and made to pay a fine of US$3 000.
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Section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act prohibits suppliers from selling or marketing goods that do not conform to mandatory safety and quality standards.
Mudereri said consumers have the right to health and safety as prescribed by the Consumer Protection Act and can return goods to the supplier if the goods are not safe or have defects.
He also said that Section 42 of the Consumer Protection Act outlawed “disclaimer clauses” by prohibiting suppliers from displaying notices that purport to disclaim any liability including “No Refund, No Returns and No Exchanges”. Added Mudereri:
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Furthermore, Section 51 (1a) and (2) require suppliers of goods and services to take necessary and appropriate measures to provide fair value, good quality and safe products to consumers.
It is in this spirit that suppliers are prohibited from selling expired products, where any supplier or trader who contravenes this legal requirement shall be guilty of an offence and liable for prosecution
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The Consumer Protection Act is designed to protect the rights of consumers and regulate business practices to ensure fair and ethical treatment.
The law empowers consumers to seek compensation for damages or losses resulting from unfair business practices.
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