Authority steps up naming-and-shaming of sellers taking consumers for a ride

The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) has stepped up its naming-and-shaming of devious sellers who take their consumers for a ride and who keep on ignoring decisions by the consumer claims tribunal.

Although the MCCAA, in accordance with Article 8 of the Consumer Affairs Act, already makes tribunal decisions public on its website, it has now also decided to increase its media outreach by going through the Department of Information.

Director General Josephine Borg told MaltaToday that the authority was continuously stepping up its efforts to reach the general public as much as possible.

“People complain that we do not give decisions enough publicity and we are continuously discussing how to widen our reach and keep consumers up-to-date,” Borg said.

In their first such warning issued through the DOI, the MCCAA warned that a trader had not honoured a decision delivered by the consumer claims tribunal.

The trader was identified as Gianluca Ciprini, holder of identity 125357A of IGC Group Ltd.

The trader, the authority said, had promised to deliver a folding door from Poland, which was supposed to be with three openings, double-glazed  and  with a mosquito  net installed. The client had paid a €1,400 deposit.

However, the consumer had realised that the door had actually been made in Malta, had four openings and the mosquito net could not be affixed.

The trader was ordered by the tribunal to pay the sum of €1,000 to the consumer.