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The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has warned Zambians to be cautious of deceptive promotions and unfair trading practices as businesses roll out this year’s Black Friday sales.
CCPC Executive Director, Eunice Hamahvwa, said the increased shopping activity associated with Black Friday often leads to exploitative behaviour by traders and irresponsible consumer habits.
Speaking during a media briefing held at the CCPC Head Office in Lusaka on Wednesday, Hamahvwa revealed that previous Black Friday periods had recorded a spike in unfair trading practices, including misleading discounts, fake promotions, defective products and the display of disclaimers to avoid accountability.
“While Black Friday or the period surrounding Black Friday can be used positively by businesses, others tend to turn to various tactics or vices that prey on the minds of consumers,” Hamahvwa stated.
She said misrepresentation of prices was one of the most common tricks, where products are presented as discounted when no reduction has actually taken place.
“A good example is if one was to look at a catalogue of a service provider for the month of October, and he or she was to observe that the price of an item was K50, and later observes that the same item in that service provider’s Black Friday catalogue is still K50 with a 50 percent discount tag, then that service provider is preying on the minds of innocent consumers,” Hamahvwa said.
She urged consumers to remain vigilant by comparing prices, seeking clarity on warranties and guarantees, and reviewing refund policies before making purchases.
Hamahvwa stressed that fake discounts, misleading information, hidden costs, unclear pricing and restrictive terms often take centre stage during Black Friday promotions.
“The Commission wishes to urge all service providers to ensure that you conduct your business with the utmost integrity that is expected of you by not misleading consumers with unfounded promotions,” she said.
She disclosed that the CCPC had strengthened its surveillance throughout the year, including intensified inspections of trading premises, consumer awareness programmes, and weekly price monitoring.
Hamahvwa noted an improvement in compliance levels among businesses, and said the Commission would continue to mount inspections and set up information desks in high-traffic shopping areas during the Black Friday period.
“The Commission will not hesitate to hold traders accountable through investigations and subsequent paying penalties which can be as high as 10 percent of an enterprise’s annual turnover or 500,000 penalty units for persons,” Hamahvwa warned.
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