The Consumer Protection Act CAP 326D.came into force on January 16, 2003. The purpose of this Act is to safeguard the rights of consumers in areas such as unfair trade practices, unfair contract terms and misleading and deceptive conduct. The overall objective of the division is to ensure that the market place is working well and that consumers’ welfare is improved.

To improve consumers’ welfare, officers of the division:

• Encourage and educate businesses to comply with the Consumer Protection Act.
• Empower consumers of all ages with knowledge and skill so that they can make informed decisions, and get best value for their money.
• Examine all consumer related materials such as advertisements including pictorial representations released by businesses for compliance with the law.
• Examine Standard Form Contracts to make sure that the terms in these contracts are fair and do not create a significant imbalance in the rights of consumers and businesses.
• Conduct enquires into alleged breaches of the Consumer Protection legislation. Breaches of the Consumer Protection Act include:

1. False representation as to price
2. Misleading consumers about their rights to have an item exchanged or money refunded and;
3. Bait advertising.

In the event of a dispute, at first instance the division attempts to facilitate an amicable resolution between the parties. Where there is no resolution, and a breach of the law is found, the Commission may take the matter to court. The division serves as one of the guardians of consumers’ rights. Officers of the division provide public education awareness, investigate consumer’s complaints and seek amicable resolutions where possible.  The division also monitors any promotional material released by businesses.

In this section, you will find information on all of these issues and more. You will find links to Legislation, Frequently Asked Questions and Publications.

You will also find links to the Complaints page to either download a sample complaint letter for sending to a business or fill out an official complaints form to bring an issue to the division’s attention.