CFTC’s leading complaints relate to traders not honouring guarantees & warranties and exclusion of liability

* Traders must provide for guarantees and warranties of, at least, six months on all long term consumer products

* According to the Competition and Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Protection Act

By Duncan Mlanjira

Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) has disclosed that 10% of the annual total complaints which it receives, which is about 40 complaints per year, relating to not honouring guarantees & warranties and exclusion of liability.

CFTC public relations officer, Innocent Helema, says the the Competition and Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Protection Act, provides that “traders must provide for guarantees and warranties of, at least, six months on all long term consumer products”.

Asked how important is the requirement for traders to provide for guarantees and warranties, Helema said it is very key “because it protects consumers from losses that they are not responsible for — such as factory defects”. 

The Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) was established under the Competition and Fair Trading Act of 1998 with a mandate to regulate, monitor, control and prevent acts or behaviours which would adversely affect competition and fair trading in Malawi.