1. CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT AND SABS Grade 11 Term 3 Week 10 Lesson plan 3
The consumer
CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT AND SABS
Grade 11 Term 3 Week 10 Lesson plan 3

2. THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
The Consumer Protection Act 68 of was signed in April 2009 and came into effect on 1 April 2011
The Consumer Protection Act applies to every transaction involving buying and selling as well as the promotion and supply of goods and services in South Africa

3. Aims of the consumer protection act
To promote a fair, accessible and sustainable place for people to sell their products and services
To establish national standards to protect consumers
To provide guidelines for better consumer information and to prohibit unfair business practices

4. To promote responsible consumer behaviour
To promote consistent laws relating to consumer transactions and agreements and to enforce these laws
To establish a National Consumer Commission

5. Consumer rights specified in the consumer protection act
Right to equality in the consumer market place
Right to privacy
Right to choose
Suppliers are not permitted to limit
access to goods and services or to
charge different prices for goods to
different people
Consumers have the right to restrict
unwanted direct marketing or to stop
receiving direct marketing
Consumers have the right to shop
around for the best prices and to
cancel or renew fixed term agreements
Consumers may request written
quotations or cost estimates
Consumers may return goods that are
unsafe or defective and get a full refund
Consumers may reject goods that are not
the same as the sample used in marketing

6. Right to disclosure of information
Right to fair and responsible marketing
Contracts and agreements must be easy to understand and must be written in plain language
Businesses must display prices in full view
Consumers may request unit prices of goods
Consumers may pay the lower price if two prices are displayed
Product labels and trade descriptions must not be misleading
Businesses must display the country of origin and expiry dates and state if ingredients have been genetically modified
Suppliers may not mislead consumers regarding pricing, advantages or uses of goods advertised
Consumers may cancel purchases made through direct marketing within five working days

7. Right to fair and honest dealing
Right to fair, just and reasonable terms and conditions
Right to fair value, good quality and safety
Right to accountability from suppliers
Suppliers may not use physical force or harass customers
Suppliers may not give misleading or false information
Businesses may not promote pyramid or chain-letter schemes, directly or indirectly
Businesses may not overbook or oversell goods or services and not honor their agreement
Suppliers may not market or supply goods at prices that are unfair or unreasonable
Suppliers must provide consumers with written notice of clauses that may be harmful to the consumer
Consumers have the right to demand quality service, receive goods that are of good quality and in working order and receive a warranty
Consumers are entitled to protection in lay-buy agreements
Suppliers must honor credit vouchers and pre-paid services

9. South african bureau of standards
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) was established in 1945 to regulate the quality of South African goods and services
Its purpose is to set, promote and maintain quality standards for products and services
The SABS database has over different national standards, which the organization is continually developing and amending

10. Experts from the SABS represent South Africa’s interests in the development of international standards
The standards of the ISO (International Organization of Standardization) are used by many businesses to ensure that their services or products comply with international standards
The SABS has a commercial section that offers certification, testing, consignment inspection and other services to businesses that pay for these services

11. If products comply with specific standards of quality, they may display the SABS mark of approval
The mark asserts that the product is a good quality item