Have you complained to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) about We Buy Cars for failure to resolve your issues with the sales agreement you signed with the company?
If you have complained that the company violated the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), you could be smiling all the way to the bank for your share of R3.4m to be paid back to unhappy consumers.
NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba on Tuesday announced that the commission had reached a settlement agreement with We Buy Cars.
She said in the last three years the commission had received complaints from consumers that We Buy Cars had failed to provide remedies to them.
“The NCC formed a reasonable suspicion that We Buy Cars’ terms and conditions, particularly in relation to warranty and terms of sale, contravened several provisions of the CPA. The NCC investigated the complaints lodged by the consumers and found that the terms and conditions of the sale agreements contravened the CPA,” said Ntaba.
The NCC formed a reasonable suspicion that We Buy Cars’ terms and conditions, particularly in relation to warranty and terms of sale, contravened several provisions of the CPA.
— Phetho Ntaba, NCC spokesperson
She said the settlement agreement entered into between the NCC and We Buy Cars came after constructive engagement between the parties.
“The NCC referred the settlement agreement to the [National Consumer] Tribunal on December 3, and after due consideration, the Tribunal confirmed the settlement agreement on December 19, thereby making it a consent order in terms of Section 74(1) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA),” said Ntaba.
“In terms of the settlement, We Buy Cars has agreed to the following in order to strengthen consumer protection and enhance service delivery: {it will] pay an administrative fine of R2.5m; refund a total sum of R3.41m to affected consumers; [and conduct a] revision of the terms and conditions to align with the CPA.
“[We Buy Cars will] commit to a consumer awareness programme to enhance consumer education concerning the purchasing of pre-owned motor vehicles, consumers’ rights and obligations, as well as the supplier’s rights and obligations under the CPA; and create 300 job opportunities at various levels across We Buy Cars over a period of five years, over and above the current planned employment opportunities, to enhance customer service capacity and overall consumer experience.”
NCC acting commissioner, Hardin Ratshisusu, welcomed the Tribunal’s order.
“This settlement concludes investigations against We Buy Cars on contraventions of the CPA. We Buy Cars, amongst other commitments, has agreed to review and amend terms and conditions to ensure full compliance with the CPA, a measure that will ensure consumer rights are fully protected. Consumers that were affected by the conduct will, as part of this settlement, receive redress.”
Sowetan
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