As consumers, we might find ourselves in situations where we need to complain because the products or services we purchased are either defective or are not as agreed with the supplier.
Our attitude should be assertive, not aggressive- Odette Vella
If unprepared, such situations may appear dramatic and may cause us frustration and stress.
In actual fact, if we know what our legal rights are and what protection these offer us, complaining should not be a big deal. Making a complaint will also be much easier if we keep in mind some simple steps.
The first step is to contact the seller or service provider to whom we are lodging the complaint. We should not waste time but act immediately. We need to contact the company where we purchased the problematic good or service from, and explain what our problem is and what kind of solution we are expecting.
In many cases, a simple phone call or visit can sort out the problem. It is imperative that we are reasonable regarding the solution we request and not expect something we are not legally entitled to.
For instance, if a home appliance is not functioning well but can be repaired by the supplier, it would be unreasonable to ask for our money back. Repair or replacement should be tried before a refund is requested.
The way we communicate with the trader while complaining can be crucial to resolving our problem. Our attitude should be assertive, not aggressive.
Also, we should address our complaint to an authoritative person. There is no point in shouting at a salesgirl if she has no authority to give us what we are asking for.
We should be well prepared when facing the trader, by taking with us all the documents related to the problem. One of these documents should be the proof of purchase and, where applicable, the commercial guarantee. If our complaint is about a product which we could easily take with us and show to the trader, we should do so.
If speaking to the trader is not enough the next step is to put our complaint in writing. By doing this we ensure the seller is clearly aware of the problem and what we want, thus having proof of our complaint.
A complaint letter should clearly state what the problem is and what we expect the trader to do. We should also ask for a response within a reasonable time, and include our details so that the trader knows where to contact us.
Together with the complaint letter we should send copies, not originals, of any documents related to the complaint.
Should we still face difficulty in resolving our problem we may then need to seek help. We may lodge our complaint with the Complaints and Conciliation Directorate at the Office for Consumer Affairs.
Complaints can either be lodged personally by going to the directorate’s offices, by e-mail at fair.trading@gov.mt or by calling Freephone 8007 4400.
The offices are at Mizzi House, National Road, Blata l-Bajda, and are open to the public from Monday to Friday, between 8.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Opening hours on Wednesdays are extended to 4 p.m.
Most cases are resolved through mediation by the complaints officers working within the directorate. If mediation proves unsuccessful, we can opt to submit our case to the Consumer Claims Tribunal.
customer@timesofmalta.com
odette.vella@gov.mt
Ms Vella is senior information officer, Office for Consumer Affairs, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.