Consumer rights viral: Ting

By MARK HAIHUIE
SMART consumer practices ensure the offer of better quality products, according to Vision City Mega Mall general manager Anderson Ting.
As the World Consumer Rights Day will be celebrated today, he emphasised on the need for consumers to be aware of their rights.
Ting, pictured, told The National that smart consumers would provide a competitive incentive so that manufacturers and retailers could improve their products and provide added-value services after sales.
“It is important that all consumers are aware of their rights as that will create a competitive edge with all retailers,” Ting said.
“Most consumers are not aware for instance on a warranty period behind most electrical and electronic appliances. This warranty of course will not be available for cheap knock-off products as opposed to reliable known brands such as Sony, Panasonic, Huawei, Samsung etc.
“By knowing their rights, we help not only to create a competitive edge among manufactures but also retailers are cornered to provide only genuine, trustworthy and not substandard goods.
“As consumers, we need assurance on products we are buying.
“Branded goods are known to have passed a stringent quality control and factory defect only occurs by the chances of one in a million perhaps.
“Therefore, most retailers are willing to back up their products in the markets.
“With smart consumers, we will be able to elevate the standard and level of expectations as the demand for substandard products will soon decline.
“This will force the retailers either to evolve or create ways to niche the market by providing value-added services for instance an extended warranty or anything that will set their product and services apart from the others in order to emerge back into the market or survive.”
The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission will be commemorating World Consumer Rights Day with an information campaign at the Vision City Mega Mall today.