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It’s the season for errant traders, warns CAA
Beware of errant traders who could trick you this Avurudu season, is the warning from the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to the public.
CAA’s Information Director Chandrika Thilakaratne said as the shopping spree increased some of the commonest tricks used by traders to dupe customers included altering weighing scales and repacking items that had already outlived their shelf life.
Shoppers heavily laden with goods in Pettah. Pix by Amila Gamage
“People tend to get tricked mainly at wholesale outlets where they buy large stocks and by mobile vendors,” she said.
She said the CAA was conducting awareness programmes for the public by way of street dramas, and leaflets, while frequent raids were also being conducted to net errant traders.
“The public should complain to us immediately. This will prevent many others falling prey,” she said adding that usually the complaints start flooding in after the Avurudu season.. If found guilty these traders could be fined upto Rs 100,000 rupees, Ms. Thilakaratne said adding that the CAA will work with Public Health Inspectors and
The Consumer Affairs Authority warns the public against being duped
officials of Measurement Units, Standards and Services Department.
We spoke to shoppers who flocked to Pettah in Colombo a favourite haunt during this season.
“I always buy new clothes and other gifts here. I spend a lot of time when selecting food and other gifts and check on damage and expiry dates, since we come from afar and cannot exchange items eaily,” said Ajith Kumara from Dehiattakandiya
Rodney Perera who was heavily laden said he comes here once a year to buy toys for the younger children in the family.
“There have been many times; I have ended up buying broken toys. This is not only disappointing to us but also to the children who wait eagerly to get gifts once a year. Buyers should be extra cautious, as some shops sell good quality toys while some pavement hawkers give damaged ones at a cheaper rate,” he said.
D.M.M Dissanayke, a mother of two said she was shopping for cloth and other household goods.
Ajith Kumara
“There are good bargains here. But unsuspecting customers can be tricked by a handful of traders. The authorities should make sure that the public is protected from these racketeers,” she said.
D.M.M Dissanayke
Vendors say this is one season of the year where they earn high profits, therefore the competition is high.
N. Jayseelan, a textile shop manager said that he had been in the business for 23 years and every year the competition increases with more traders and less business.
“We are compelled to increase prices because of the tax on imported cloth. But the quality is assured. However, there are traders who attract customers by offering low quality cloth at lower rates,” he added.
The CAA has also warned the public, especially those who come from distant places to shop in Colombo, to beware of unhygienic eateries.
An official said the CAA continued to conduct raids on these places and that despite warnings and even court cases, some eateries continued to sell bad food to unsuspecting shoppers who drop in for a quick lunch. Some eateries also failed to display the price list which is also an offence, the official said.