Getting substandard goods or services that fall below expectation is something one too many Nigerians have fallen victim of. Most people think seeking consumer redress in a ‘what I ordered versus what I got’ situation is stressful.
Nowadays, such unsatisfied consumers call out and drag the seller of such products or services on social media in a bid to seek redress.
However, not many Nigerians are aware that there are laws in Nigeria set aside to provide recourse for every consumer that falls in that situation. As a consumer, you are entitled to air your grievances and also get compensated.
The body that helps Nigerian consumers in situations where they have been provided with poor services and substandard goods is the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). This was set up in 2009 and it is supervised by the Ministry of Trade and Investment. The FCCPC is saddled with five main responsibilities. They are:
1. To inform consumers about their rights.
2. To eliminate hazardous products from the market and ensure that products and services that do not comply with required standards and specifications.
3. To issue guidelines and regulations to producers of goods and services.
4. To prosecute offenders where and when necessary.
5. To provide redress to consumer complaints.
Anything and everything related to a product or service paid for can be reported to the FCCPC. If an organization or company has been unfair in their dealings with you, if you were tricked into buying a product or service or you have been sold fake and substandard products, you can also report these situations to the FCCPC.
To seek consumer redress, you have to file a complaint with the FCCPC. The FCCPC has and online form set up for consumers who want to make a complaint about a business. The information to provide are:
a. Name of person making the complaint
b. Contact Address
c. Contact details – Mobile number and email address
d. Name of the company you are complaining about
e. Address of the company/branch you visited
f. Contact details of the company
g. Receipt No. of product/Service (if you have one)
h. Brief explanation of your complaint
i. Brief explanation of the outcome you want (if you want a refund, exchange goods etc.)
You can click HERE to file complaint. Using the FCCPC comes at zero cost. After this, the FCCPC will decide whether to take on your complaint or not. You will be contacted for more information or evidence to back up your complaint. The FCCPC may ask the business to refund you, replace defective goods with new ones or pay compensation to the consumer for the inconveniences he or he had to go through.
So, when next you suffer from a bad service or fall victim of purchasing substandard product, don’t just go to social media to ‘drag’ the company or business, engage the FCCPC in your fight for a redress.
