AFRICAN DIALOGUE PRINCIPLES ON COOPERATION IN CONSUMER PROTECTION ENFORCEMENT

On September 10 -12, 2013, agencies responsible for enforcing consumer protection and related laws in 20 countries, having worked together in connection with the African Consumer Protection Dialogue (“African Dialogue”), met in Livingstone, Zambia, to address enforcement cooperation on consumer protection matters. 

Misleading advertising, fraud, illegal spam, and other unfair and deceptive commercial practices undermine the integrity of both domestic and global markets, to the detriment of businesses and consumers, and undermine consumer confidence in those markets.

The enforcement challenges that exist go beyond national frontiers.  Cooperation between public authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws is essential to fight such practices. Moreover, cooperation between consumer agencies and criminal enforcement agencies on matters of mutual concern, such as fraud, also helps protect consumers against such practices.

A. Representatives of the participating agencies listed below are government or public agencies with investigative and/or enforcement authority, whether civil, criminal, or administrative, to enforce some or all consumer protection laws in their respective countries.Consumer protection laws here means laws against misleading advertising, fraud, spam, and other unfair and deceptive commercial practices affecting consumers.  The participating agencies may also have enforcement authority in other areas, such as competition, product safety, and food safety.

B. The participating agencies recognize that with respect to the enforcement of consumer protection laws, it is in their common interest:

1.   To have the authority and discretion to cooperate on appropriate investigations and cases, both those involving domestic practices targeting foreign consumers and those involving foreign practices targeting domestic consumers;

2.   To encourage communication, coordination, and reciprocal exchange of information and expertise among the participating agencies;

3.   To have amongst the authorities in each country the ability to obtain evidence to investigate and take action in a timely manner against consumer protection law violations;

4.   To each examine their respective laws to identify obstacles to effective cross-border co-operation;

5.   To promote a better understanding by all participating agencies of economic and legal issues relevant to such enforcement; and

6.   To inform each other of developments in their respective countries that relate to these Principles.

C. In furtherance of these common interests, the participating agencies further recognize the value of working together:

1.   to prioritize the most serious problems for coordinated action;

2.   to exchange information and evidence, including complaint information, with other participating agencies in appropriate particular investigations and enforcement matters;

3.   to provide investigative assistance in appropriate cases, including obtaining evidence under the Participants’ respective legal authorities, on behalf of another participating agency;

4.   to designate a contact point within each participating agency to further enforcement communication as part of an African Dialogue joint enforcement committee;

5.   to identify a contact point for a criminal enforcement authority within each country with a participating agency, if such authority is not already itself a participating agency;

6.   to participate in periodic teleconferences of the joint enforcement committee to discuss ongoing and future opportunities for cooperation, capacity building, training, staff exchanges, and best practices for consumer protection enforcement;

7.   to explore systematic complaint and trend sharing;

8.   to periodically review of the impact of these Principles, and when appropriate, consider additions and modifications.

D. In connection with the sharing of information and evidence, participating agencies cooperating with each other recognize the value, to the fullest extent possible and consistent with applicable laws, of:

1.   maintaining the confidentiality of information shared , and the existence of any investigation to which the shared information relates, when requested to do so by the other agency;

2.   using the information only for official purposes, and for the purposes agreed to with the other agency;

3.   retaining the information shared only for so long as is reasonably required to fulfill the purpose for which it was shared, or is required by the laws of the country of the participating agency receiving the information; and

4.   communicating to a participating agency with which they are cooperating any limits placed on their ability to cooperate in accordance with these Principles.

F. Participating agencies are expected to give at least 30 days prior written notice to the other agencies if they no longer intend to work towards cooperation consistent with these Principles. Other authorities are also invited to endorse these Principles.

G. The participating agencies recognize that nothing in these Principles is intended to:

1.   Create binding obligations, or affect existing obligations, under international or domestic law.

2.   Prevent a participating agency from seeking assistance from or providing assistance to the other participating agencies pursuant to other agreements, arrangements, or practices.

3.   Affect any right of a participating agency to seek information on a lawful basis from a Person located in the territory of another participating agency's country, or preclude any individual or entity from voluntarily providing legally obtained information to a participating agency.

4.   Create a commitment that conflicts with any participating agency’s national laws, court orders, or any applicable international legal instruments.

5.   Create expectations of cooperation beyond a participating agency's jurisdiction, or suggest that each participating agency already has the legal authority to act in accordance with every Principle above.

 Participating agencies (List to be updated and modified):

           

Angola National Institute of Consumer Protection

Botswana Competition Authority

Botswana Department of Trade and Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry

Cape Verde Consumer Defense Association

ChadAssociation pour la Défense des Droits des Consommateurs

COMESA    

Egypt Consumer Protection Agency

Egypt National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority

Gabon Ministere De L'Economie, De L'Emploi, and Du Development Durable

Gambia Consumer Protection Association of the Gambia

Ghana Ministry of Trade and Industry

INTERPOL

Kenya Competition Authority

Malawi Competition and Fair Trading Commission

Namibia Department of Trade and Industry - Office of Consumer Protection

Namibia Competition Commission

Namibian Consumers' Association

Niger Association des Consommateurs du Niger

Nigeria Consumer Protection Council

Nigeria Consumer Protection Organization of Nigeria

Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Rwanda Ad Unguem Consultancies

Rwanda Consumers' Rights Protection Agency

Senegal Association pour la Défense de l'Environnement et des Consommateurs

Seychelles Fair Trading Commission

South Africa National Consumer Commission

South Africa National Consumer Forum

South Africa National Credit Regulator

South Africa Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

South Africa RBB Economics

South Africa National Consumer Tribunal

Swaziland Competition Commission

UNCTAD

Tanzania Department of Consumer Education

Tanzania Energy and Water Regulatory Authority - Consumer Consultative Council

Tanzania Fair Competition Commission

Tanzania Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority - Consumer Consultative Council

Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority - Consumer Consultative Council

Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority - Consumer Consultative Council

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society

Togolese Consumer Association - Association Togolaise des Consommateurs

Uganda Consumer Education Trust

Uganda  Communications Commission

United States Federal Trade Commission

Zambia  Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

Zambia Centre for Trade Policy

Zambia Consumer Unity Trust Society

Zambia  Zambia Consumer Association

Zambia  Zambia Information & Communication Technology Authority

Zimbabwe   Competition and Tariff Commission

Tanzanian networks join consumers in SIM card tax battle

Susan Mwenesi; 10th.October.2013
The High Court of Tanzania has allowed five major network operators to join the constitutional case brought by the the Tanzania Consumers Advocacy Society (TCAS) petitioning against the law requiring monthly deductions of TZS1,000 (US$0.62) from subscribers.

HumanIPO reported in July the Tanzanian government had approved the new monthly tax on SIM card users. The Daily News now reports a panel of judges were in favour of Vodacom Tanzania, Airtel Tanzania, MIC Tanzania, Zanzibar Telecommunications and Tanzania Telecommunications Company being included in the case already lodged by TCAS.

The decision overruled the previous objection over their inclusion by the attorney general.
“We overrule the preliminary objection and hereby order the applicants (five companies) be added in the petition as prayed,” judges Aloycius Mujulizi, Lawrence Kaduri and Salvatory Bongole ruled.
TCAS is challenging the 2013 Finance Act, which requires subscribers to pay the monthly fee for services, with the group saying the law is unconstitutional. The attorney general and the minister for finance are the respondents in the case.
Following the court’s ruling, the judges adjourned the matter until October 21.2013

Source;

'PHONE INTERCEPTIONS: TANZANIA TO LAND IN COURT?

Written by MNAKU MBANI

Friday, 27 June 2014 13:27

THE Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) says that it is expected to collect enough evidence to sue the Government in Dar for intercepting customers data and voice in the mobile telecommunications sub-sector. The TCAS executive director, Bernard Kihiyo, told Business Times that the Society is preparing to issue a 90-day notice of the intended legal proceedings to the Government accordingly, while it proceeds to collect evidence from at least 30 victims of the alleged interceptions. Kihiyo was responding to a recent report by the UK-based Vodafone which revealed that Tanzania was fourth in the number of 'phone interceptions among the reported countries with many data and voice interceptions! The British company said wires had been connected directly to its networks and those of other telecoms groups, thereby enabling agencies to listen to and/or record live conversations – and, in certain cases, track the whereabouts of a customer. In the event, British privacy campaigners said the revelations were a "nightmare scenario" that confirmed their worst fears on the extent of snooping. “For governments to access phone calls at the flick of a switch is unprecedented and terrifying,” they said. In about six of the countries in which Vodafone operates, local laws either oblige telecoms operators to install direct access pipes, or allow governments to do so. The company – which owns mobile and fixed broadband networks, including the former Cable & Wireless business – has not named the countries involved because certain regimes could retaliate by imprisoning its staff! “However, in every country in which we operate, we have to abide by the laws of those countries requiring us to disclose information about our customers to law enforcement agencies or other government authorities, or to block or restrict access to certain services,” says Vodafone. Published earlier this month, the Vodafone report further reveals that, during last year alone, Tanzania reported 75,938 interceptions of contents, which included both voice and data communications! “We are expecting to serve the 90-day notice and invite victims of interception before proceeding to the Attorney-General (AG),” TCAS's Kihiyo  told Business Times in a telephone interview. “If the 90-day period will pass without the Government giving out clear reasons why it is violating the (national) Constitution, we will log our demands at the High Court” of Tanzania, he said. Kihiyo further stated that data and voice interception was against Article 16, Sections 1 and 2 of the Constitution of the United Republic and, as such, this was of great concern to consumers. Article 16 provides that 'every person is entitled to respect and protection of his person, the privacy of his own person, his family and of his matrimonial life, and respect and protection of his residence and private communications.’ This protection of private communications would include emails, short-message services (SMSs), mail and telephone conversations. “This is the ticking time-bomb expected to explode,” Kihiyo stresses. However, Tanzania is allowed to intercept customers’ data and voice communications in accordance with the The National Security Act; the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and the Criminal Procedure Act. “All of these laws have been enacted against Article 16 of the Constitution, which protects personal privacy, and we need to look on the other side of the coin,” he stated. Surprisingly, though, the Electronic & Postal Communications Act (EPoCA-2010) does not specifically make provision for interception of customer communications. However, the existence of interception powers can be implied from Section 120 of the Act which states that 'no person, without lawful authority under the EPOCA or any other written law, can intercept, attempt to intercept, or procure any other person to intercept or attempt to intercept any communications.' 'An application must be made under ‘any other law’ to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for authorization to intercept or listen to any customer communication transmitted or received,' the EPOCA elaborates. Only public officers, or an officer appointed by the Tanzania Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and authorized by the Ministry of Science & Technology, as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs, may be permitted to intercept such communications. The EPOCA stipulates that subscriber information be kept within the TCRA. The TCRA shall take charge of the monitoring and supervising of the information so stored. The Tanzania Intelligence & Security Services Act [Cap 406 of the Laws of Tanzania, Revised Edition 2002] charges the Tanzania Intelligence & Security Service with the duty to collect information by investigation or otherwise, to the extent that it is strictly necessary, and analyze and retain, information and intelligence in respect of activities that may on reasonable grounds be suspected of constituting a threat to the security of Tanzania, or any part of it. The 1977 Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania as amended from time to time provides the Parliament with the power to enact and enable measures to be taken during a state of emergency or in normal times in relation to persons who are believed to engage in activities which endanger or prejudice the security of the nation. However, Vodafone has admitted that these laws are designed to protect national security and public safety; to prevent or investigate crime and terrorism. In any case, the agencies and authorities that invoke those laws insist that the information demanded from communications operators such as Vodafone is essential to their work. “Refusal to comply with a country’s laws is not an option. If we do not comply with a lawful demand for assistance, Governments can revoke our license to operate, thus preventing us from providing services to our customers,” Vodafone says in its report. “Our employees who live and work in the country concerned may also be at risk of criminal sanctions, including imprisonment. We, therefore, have to balance our responsibilities between respecting our customers’ right to privacy against our legal obligation to respond to the authorities’ lawful demands... As well as our duty of care to our employees – recognizing throughout our broader responsibilities as a corporate citizen to protect the public and prevent harm. SOURCE; @ The Business Times

Govt set to review consumer standards contracts

By The guardian reporte; 9th July 2014

The government has said it is set to review regulations that govern consumer standard forms contracts in order to protect the rights of its people.

Speaking to this paper at the 38th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) Joshua Msoma, Senior Consumer Protection Officer at the Fair Competition Commission (FCC) said the exercise will be carried out soon after the Industry and Trade minister has endorsed the regulations.

He said once reviewed, the forms would protect the consumers against the violations they encounter when purchasing goods and services. “There are some businessmen who tell their consumers that goods once sold they are not returnable. This is absolutely not fair," he said.

According to him, consumers have the right to question or get from the seller anything they purchase without any restrictions. Consumer protection is derived from articles 11, 14 and 18 of the Constitution of Tanzania, 1977 which recognize consumers’ rights and their protection roles.

There are legislation enacted to serve various matters but also protect the consumers, he said. He mentioned them as the Fair Competition Act 2003, Merchandise Marks Act 1963, Standards Act 1975, Weights and Measures Act 1982, Occupational Health and Safety and the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act 2003. The FCC official said the consumer is obliged to understand the Fair Competition Act and how it can help him in pursuing their rights and remedies.

He urged consumers to be alert and question the price and quality of goods and services availed to ensure that they are fairly treated in business transactions.

Msoma said consumers need to search and use available information before any purchase to ensure they always make informed and responsible decisions pertaining to their choice of goods and services. He added that they have to fight for quality through effective complaints and refuse to accept shoddy workmanship.

According to him, there are a number of consumer protections provision in the Fair Completion Act which need to be adhered to. Some of them are protection against price fixing, output restrictions and collective boycotts between competitors, which might affect their rights.

According to Benard Elia Kihiyo, a consumer activist, the government in collaboration with consumer advocacy organizations must educate the public on consumers’ rights which are awfully low. He said such a campaign should be conducted in primary and secondary schools because students are rightly placed to deliver the message to other people on the rights of consumers, including policy makers.

Kihiyo, who is also the executive director of Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) said few years ago the organization conducted a survey in five regions which showed that the level of awareness of consumers’ rights in Tanzania was very low. Dar es Salaam, which is the most populous urban area, he said, is leading in lack of the consumers’ rights awareness.

“We believe these campaigns, will increase consumers’ understanding of their rights and will build their ability to claim for them,” he noted. “On the other hand, their efforts will make their voices to be heard, and because there will be high awareness among them, this would attract responsiveness on their needs and interests,” he said.
Source; The Guardian http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=69773 

Barclays increases charges on basic accounts

By  James Hall, 6:26, Thursday 8 December 2011 Yahoo News
Barclays Bank (NYSE: BCS-PA - news) has trebled the potential fines that around a million of its poorest customers will pay if they try to withdraw money they do not have.

Under changes that will come into force next March, holders of Barclays’ most basic Cash Card bank accounts will be charged up to £24 a day if they have insufficient funds to cover direct debit withdrawals from their account. The maximum daily fine is currently £8.

Consumer groups said that the new rules could put people off opening bank accounts and mark a “backward step” for hard-pressed savers.

The bank’s Cash Card account is a no-frills account designed for savers on low incomes. The accounts do not have an overdraft facility. Although Barclays does not disclose how many Cash Card customers it has, industry experts estimate the figure to be around 1 million.

Under current rules, a customer is charged £8 a day if there are insufficient funds to cover direct debit payments going out of his or her account. This £8 is the daily maximum fine, no matter how many direct debit withdrawal attempts are made on the account.

From the spring, Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) will lift the cap so that customers are charged £8 every time that a withdrawal is attempted, up to a maximum of three times. This takes the total possible daily fine to £24.

In other changes, Barclays will stop sending out monthly paper statements and replace them with statements four times a year. However at the same time it will stop charging for text message alerts telling customers when they are running out of money. At the moment these cost £2 a month.

Oliver Morgans, financial services expert at Consumer Focus, the watchdog, said that the changes are a “backward step” that could increase financial exclusion among the poorest people in society.

“The Government already faces an uphill struggle to persuade customers to sign up to a bank account when many people distrust banks and the charges they make. These changes will make that hill even harder to climb,” said Mr Morgans.
“Living without a bank account can make it hard to live in the twenty-first century and can create financial penalties for the households who can least afford it,” he said.
Consumer Focus said that banks need to introduce minimum standards on their basic accounts to stop the UK’s poorest savers being hit by further changes. Recently Royal Bank of Scotland changed its policy so that its 1.1 million basic bank account customers can only withdraw cash at RBS’s cashpoints and not those of other banks.
A Barclays spokesman said that the changes have been made so that running the accounts remain “financially sustainable” from a business point of view.
The spokesman said: “Barclays Cash Card account is and remains the leading basic bank account in the market across the range of features it offers and levels of charging. We want to ensure this product remains financially sustainable so that we can continue to help those at risk of financial exclusion gain access to banking.”
He added that the changes it is making are based on “solid research of our customer base and Citizens Advice Bureau clients”.

More finance stories from telegraph.co.uk

19th CI WORLD CONGRESS 3rd-6th MAY, 2011- HONG KONG

TCAS’S APPRECIATION FOR RECEIVED SPONSORSHIP TO ATTEND

I Bernard Elia Kihiyo, the Executive Director of Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS); would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the CI, Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hong Kong Consumer Council (HKCC) for paving the way for my organization to attend the 19th CI World Congress (CIWC) in Hong Kong. Personally I felt honored to have been selected for this sponsorship and profoundly humbled to meet Consumer leaders from over 700 delegates from more than 60 countries.

                     

The generosity of the host (HKCC) and the dedication to train, support and empower professionals in the field of “Empowering Tomorrow’s Consumers’’ by all facilitators were beyond compare, to me the experience at CIWC is fantastic!, so powerful, so growthful in-me, in a way it is indescribable and hard to compare to other experiences I had on consumer movement since TCAS was established in July.2007.

For instance I attended various hot topics/fringe sessions/key addresses/ plenary/sub plenary; and I learned so much from observing and being a part of a wide variety of discussions as per below;-

1. Empowering consumers in the green economy
2. Sustainable Consumption - Time for action
3. National campaigning workshop on junk food
4. Should all roads lead to Rio 2012?
5. Consumer rights and corporate responsibility
6. Safe and nutritious food for all
7. Food safety: defining our campaign targets
8. The role of standards in providing consumer protection
9. How ISO 26000 can be used by consumer groups
10. The fight for fair financial services
11. Consumer over-indebtedness: the search for effective solutions
12. Consumer rights in the digital world: privacy, access and activism
13. CIWC Gala dinner

Since this was my first CIWC I thought I didn’t know more of what to expect, but maybe I should have guessed because CIWC defies expectation and that is “Empowering Tomorrow’s Consumers’’ and truly, It proved to be a learning experience I could have never predicted, with this I can proudly say I have been empowered hence I will transform/share the same to TCAS’s staff, put the same into day to day engagements and campaigns; definitely tomorrow consumers in Tanzania will be empowered too.
                     
Throughout the CIWC-Hong Kong I met unique individuals from all over the world with various perspectives and ideas different than my own, pushing me to think and feel in ways unforeseen. For instance the unforgotten keynote addresses from the former CI’s president Samuel Ochieng, the current CI President Jim Guest, and CEO of Consumers Union of USA, M/s Connie Lau the CEO of Hong Kong Consumer Council (HKCC), Acting Director General – M/S Helen McCallum, speech by Anthony Cheung - HKCC Chairman, speech by Chief Executive Hon Donald Tsang of HK SAR, the video address by the French Finance Minister and chair of the G20 finance ministers in 2011, Christine Lagarde, Susan L. Rutledge-Consumer Protection WB, Norma McCormick, Chair of COPOLCO, Gerd Leonhard, CEO of The Futures Agency, Former CI President Anwar Fazal, and many others the list is too long.

The price of the CIWC is quantifiable, yet my time in Hong Kong could not be so well defined, I believe the value is beyond the time and the dollars that were typically associated with the Congress. The former CI President Anwar Fazal said "train new people or you will have no future," Thank you for sharing your experience at Congress; this does not go unnoticed or unappreciated; because of this opportunity I will look back upon my adulthood as an old man grateful to you for making me the person I wanted to become a better consumer activist in Tanzania and the world at large.

While CI, Consumers Union of USA, and CHOICE -Australia are 50years and beyond, SNNC – Sweden is 100 years old while TCAS is approaching 5 years old in 12th.July.2011 in TCAS, we still have a feeling that we will never get these types of opportunity in Tanzania, Africa, Europe, America or elsewhere than under the parasol of CI; please accept our utmost gratitude for the opportunity given and for accepting TCAS into CI affiliate membership; TCAS management is working so hard to qualify for a full CI’s membership.

Kindly continue to be essential partners and supporters for TCAS for years to come hopeful, ‘’Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society’’ will celebrate 50 years in consumer movement in year 2057.

Regards
Bernard E. Kihiyo

TANZANIA CONSUMER ADVOCACY SOCIETY: £1 Stores Can Cost You More

TANZANIA CONSUMER ADVOCACY SOCIETY: £1 Stores Can Cost You More

£1 Stores Can Cost You More

By; Amanda Hall-Davis, 14:14, Thursday 21 April 2011
Yahoo News

More than 700 £1 shops have appeared on the high streets in the UK, but are you really getting value for your coin? These shops are getting plenty of publicity: High-profile footballers like Frank Lampard have been spotted browsing £1 shop aisles; Wag Alex Gerrard wants to work in one and the Feltham branch even has an alcohol licence.

But are consumers just being mislead with inferior products and poor-quality imported brands? Are they even getting value for money? A look at current prices shows a string of products — including Carex hand wash and Radox shower gel — are cheaper at Tescos than Poundland, thanks to discounts at the supermarket. While that's temporary reduction at Tesco, supermarkets always have something discount — and you can check offers online.

So we took 10 top everyday grocery products and compared their value (on both quality and price) in the £1 shops to the major high-street supermarkets.

[See also 17 things you should never spend more than £1 on]

£1 shop price comparisons

The price of groceries is soaring at an alarming pace, and this may be part of what's sending consumers to discount stores. As pound stores continue to expand their selection of goods, battle lines are drawn against the high street supermarkets.

Shoppers at Poundland noted good bargains on items like washing powder and branded shampoo, but many were unconvinced about buying fresh food, produce and clothing.

We compared 10 everyday grocery items in both branded and non-branded products at Poundland against a major high street supermarket. We also compared the quantity, the branding, the sourcing and use-by dates for products at each store.

Selection

In shopping at Poundland for staple products like milk, eggs, bacon, bread and cheese, we found selection to be a problem; it was limited to only two choices of semi-skimmed and full fat two litre milk, compared with 49 varieties in the major supermarket.

In Poundland, one non-branded type of egg was sold as nine in a box compared with 21 varieties and the minimum being six in a box at the supermarket. In the supermarket aisles, there was a selection of 38 types of bacon whereas only one type was on the shelves in Poundland - although it cost only about third of what you would pay at the supermarket.

Similarly, more than 300 types of cheese and 200 kinds of bread are on sale in the supermarket. There is one type on offer in Poundland. Sugar and tea bags come in one variety at Poundland - although the teabags are branded. On the supermarket shelves there are 44 types of sugar and more than 70 choices of teabags.

Any major supermarket offers much more variety than Poundland; however, this level of selection may be more than most people need.

[See also: 10 ways to save at the supermarket]

Branding

In addition, all the staple products in Poundland come from lesser-known UK — you won't see many of the major brands that are advertised on TV or found in the supermarket.

Use-by dates

In addition to limited variety, the use by dates were slightly shorter at Poundland, although the goods were fresh and the eggs marked with the British Lion Quality stamp, ensuring the highest standards of food safety. Because Poundland tends to put more emphasis on packaged goods, these dates are less of an issue for shoppers.

Price

Assuming that shoppers bought weekly staple items including two litres of milk, one box of eggs, bacon, bread, cheese and teabags, the total difference in price for staple items between the average supermarket and Poundland was around £3.77.

This means that if you were to swap your weekly supermarket staples for Poundland goods you would save more than £190 a year.

Household products from toilet rolls, toothpaste and washing powder were comparable, although the branded toothpaste was over twice the price in the major supermarket.

Better value?

If you aren't too picky about what you buy, Poundland can definitely provide value on grocery items. This comes at the cost of selection and branding, but for budget shoppers who are looking to buy their staples at the lowest possible price, this should not be an issue, as items at store were still of comparable quality and freshness to supermarket items.

David Coxon, trading director of Poundland said that the store "offers its customers value for just £1, on over 10,000 products", including everyday essentials and seasonal products, along with some top brands.

He also noted that Poundland would be opening at least 50 more stores in 2011 to 2012. This suggests that consumers are finding value at these stores as well.

The bottom line

Don't just assume that prices are cheaper at the pound stores. In some cases, it could pay to shop around for supermarket reductions and special offers to compare with pound store items — particularly if you are looking for a specific product or brand.

Pound stores may be a new addition to a budget-conscious shopper's arsenal, but not every item was cheaper or of comparable quality to what you would find at a supermarket, so you still need to keep your wits about you.

Source: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/-1-stores-cost-yahoofinanceuk-1810927014.html

Petrol prices surpass £6 per gallon

YAHOO NEWS

Average petrol prices have gone past the 132p a litre mark, meaning that for the first time the cost has reached £6 a gallon in UK, the AA president Edmund King said.

The average price of petrol at the pumps is now 132.12p a litre, while diesel has also hit a new record at 137.92p a litre. The cost of petrol has risen 6.93p a litre since the start of the year, and 1.68p a litre in the past week, said the AA.

A year ago, a litre of petrol on average cost 114.30p and diesel was 115.31p. For a family with two petrol cars, the monthly cost of fuel has risen from £242.70 in March 2010 to £280.54 now. In the same period, the price of oil has risen from around 85 US dollars (£52.4) a barrel to 113 US dollars (£69.7).

AA president Edmund King said: "£6 a gallon is not just another milestone along the road to higher fuel prices; it marks the point at which the wheels start to come off mobility in 21st-century UK.”Lower-income drivers, poorer rural residents, volunteer drivers, youngsters looking to their first jobs are some of the vulnerable groups struggling to stay on the road.

"The Government must act urgently to reduce the burden of high fuel duty and VAT. In the meantime, drivers are going to have to manage as best as they can, by cutting out journeys, driving more economically and hoping that a stronger pound will cushion some of the blow.

"But these high prices are already leaving casualties among drivers, consumers and business."

Source:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20110309/tuk-petrol-prices-surpass-6-per-gallon-6323e80.html

How to Protect Yourself from Unwanted Phone Calls

04th.Feb.2011, 04:27 pm

Yahoo! News

Unwanted phone calls or cold calls are a pain and one of the most despised marketing tactics. Under government regulation, it is illegal for a UK company to call any individual who has indicated that they don't want the calls.

On 1 February, new rules by Ofcom came into force to prevent consumers being harassed by repeated silent calls from the same company. To protect yourself even more, here are six practical measures you can take to prevent both silent and nuisance calls.

1) Get removed from sales call lists
This may seem the obvious way to prevent you from being contacted by cowboy companies, but when an unwanted caller contacts you, don't immediately say 'sorry, I'm not interested' and then slam the phone down. Remember that the first and last thing you should firmly ask them is to be removed from the company's sales call list.

Under the Data Protection Act, a company is by law prohibited from calling you again for marketing purposes if you've made a request not to be called, even if you're one of their customers.

2) Join the Telephone Preference Service
British communications regulator Ofcom advises that a victim of unsolicited and silent calls should register with the Telephone Preference Service. This is the official central opt-out service, which means it is illegal for unsolicited sales and telemarketing companies to call you once you're registered. The service covers landlines as well as mobile telephone numbers.

Companies have a responsibility to check whether the people on their call lists are signed up to the TPS. According to research, consumer watchdog, Which? found that signing up for free to the TPS cuts the cold calls people receive on average by one third.

The Telephone Preference Service recommends that before registering it is worth reflecting on the fact that doing so may well prevent you from receiving relevant and worthwhile information. So make sure you contact the companies who you do not wish to hear from and ask them to remove your details from their call lists. However, the service doesn't cover companies contacting you for market research purposes, or not-for-profit organisations, like charities or political parties.

Click here to register with the Telephone Preference Service, or phone 0845 0700707. It takes about 28 days after registering for all calls to be stopped. The service is completely free so if a company ever tries to scam you by making you pay for this service, refuse and inform the TPS.

3) Make your telephone number ex-directory
Companies may add phone numbers that are publicly listed in the phone book or listed online to their call lists. This is the easiest way for them to find potential customers and target their annoying sales calls. By getting your number excluded from these directories, rogue marketing companies will find it more difficult to obtain your details.

4) Make a formal complaint
When it's absolutely necessary, complain to Ofcom via their online complaints form or by phone on 0300 123 3000. Report the name and number of the company that is making the calls, plus any other details you may have (including how many times you have been called by the same number and over what period of time). If you are unable to identify the caller you should contact your phone company which can trace the caller.

Ofcom continually monitors complaints about silent calls, and has the power to investigate any company which it believes may not be complying with its guidelines. Ofcom can fine companies that are found to be leaving silent and abandoned calls. For example, one of the worst silent call offenders, Barclaycard, was fined a maximum penalty of £50,000.

As of 1 February, Ofcom said it intended to use the full extent of the new financial penalty of £2 million on a company responsible for silent calls. Ofcom's chief executive, Ed Richards, warned: "Silent and abandoned calls can cause significant consumer harm. Ofcom has given sufficient warnings to companies about silent calls and is ready to take appropriate action against those companies which continue to break the rules."

You can also report problem calls, such as silent calls, to your phone provider which is responsible for tackling them. Most phone companies have a nuisance or malicious calls team, who will be able to give you advice on what to do.

Report TPS rule breaches to the TPS, who will contact the company and pass complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which can take action against repeat offenders.

5) Blocking and screening calls
Phone companies can offer their customers a variety of services such as call blocking and anonymous call rejection to help them deal with unwanted calls. Contact your provider to subscribe to a call barring service for unwanted phone calls. However, you may be charged for using this service.

Many cold calls come from abroad, so unless you need to receive international calls, ask your phone provider to block calls from international numbers. You can also block calls from withheld numbers, though this may prevent some calls you want to receive, such as a friend or relative calling you from their workplace on a withheld number.

If you have caller display and an answer phone, consider only answering calls from numbers you recognise. Legitimate callers are likely to leave you a message.

There are also call screening devices you can invest in, for example Truecall (as seen on 'Dragon's Den') is a £99 unit designed to reduce the number of nuisance and telemarketing calls that you receive. It plugs into your regular home phone, and is able to create lists of welcome and unwelcome callers.

6) Be sparing with your personal details
Become a proactive consumer and carefully manage the way you distribute your personal information. Be wary of how much information you give out during consumer transactions, and read the privacy policies of each company or organisation you deal with. Inform companies that you do not want your personal information distributed. There are certain companies which gather personal information for databases and sell them onto a third party for purposes of B2B data, mailing lists and sales leads for marketing purposes.

Opt out of as many lists as you can, including those companies you deal with on a frequent basis.

Written by Gaby Leslie

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/38/20110204/ttc-how-to-protect-yourself-from-unwante-f0c422d.html

What is the situation in Tanzania - Your comment Please info@tcas-tz.org



Do Banks Routinely Take Unfair Advantage of Their Clients’ Ignorance?

Written by Admin
The Business Times: Friday, 24 December 2010 06:23

CONSUMERS in the financial sector can only get their own voice and protection against abuse from product-and-service providers in the sector if the Government will suitably amend the Bank of Tanzania Act 2003, which established the central bank (BoT), the Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society Society (TCAS) has observed.

Speaking to Business Times through wire communication this week, the Society's executive director, Bernard Kihiyo, said there is a real need to amend the Act. This is with a view to making clear the rights and responsibilities of banks – and also the rights and responsibilities of consumers of financial products and services.

"This means that every person should get his right, and whenever a problem arises we would be able to monitor where and who is responsible," Kihiyo said.

Noting that “there are a number of cases of violation that are done by commercial banks against their customers, mainly in on-line banking,” Kihiyo said this was in large measure due to consumers signing contracts without having full knowledge of their implications.

Asked if a consumer can take legal action against a bank for violation of his rights, Kihiyo said "it depends on the line of violation; it may be something to do with transfer of money – may be money has been transacted without the customer's authority – or a violation which happens in the area of loans..."

Speaking on the matter, the chief executive officer of Twiga Bancorp, Hussein Mbululo, said “there is a need to look at this issue of violation of consumer rights because they are many (such violations). Consumer organizations overseas know about their rights, and they protect their people well. I do not know much about the BoT Act (2003); but, once I have gone through it. I will be able to point out the problems in it. ”

All that notwithstanding, Mbululo mentioned some of the challenges that consumers are faced with include unilateral and arbitrary changes in interest rates; high bank charges, service charges, funds transfer etc without prior knowledge or acquiescence of account holders!

James Guest is the president and CEO of Consumers Union of US Inc, the vice-president for Consumer Organizations in G-20 countries – and also Consumers International (CI). Speaking to Business Times on the issue, Guest said there is a need of commitment from the most powerful nations in the world to protect citizens from abusive financial services and other industry malpractices.

"The global nature of banking means that countries around the world are now facing the same challenges. It is common sense that they work together to develop solutions," he said.

In the event, CI urgently wants to see the establishment of an Experts Group on Consumer Financial Protection which would report to the G20 Summit in 2011.

This would be a first step to ensuring that consumers from both developed and developing nations have access to stable, fair and competitive financial services. Samuel Ochieng, the CEO for CIN-Kenya says "getting this right is not only vital to consumers, but also to the ongoing stability of the world economy."

In that regard, Ochieng says “Consumers International – which represents 220 consumer organisations in 115 countries – is urgently calling for the needs of everyday consumer of financial services to be pushed to the top of the agenda.”

Furthermore, “poor financial consumer protection – as exemplified by US sub-prime mortgages – was a key catalyst for the financial crisis... “The interconnected nature of global banking then spread the crisis rapidly from country to country, threatening livelihoods, savings and social stability.”

According to Ricardo Nasio, president of ProConsumer in Argentina, said people around the world will live with the consequences for years to come. "For many consumer organisations, the financial crisis highlighted what is an ongoing emergency in financial services. Consumers International members in large and small, rich and poor countries are dealing with complaints about financial products and services every day...

"And, each year, the global economy creates up to 150 million new consumers of financial services, many of whom are in countries where consumer protection and financial literacy are woefully inadequate," Nasio noted. “Last month, the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors issued a statement detailing the progress they have made in finding “policies conducive to reducing excessive imbalances and maintaining current account imbalances at sustainable levels,” Nick Stace, CEO for Choice of Australia, says.

“This is, of course, important; but, once again, there is barely a mention of the consumer – a crucial element that remains conspicuous by its absence from these international discussions.”