Consumer editor Adam Noelwhite

The major problem with consumer law as it stands, is the cost. This cost has many levels: the emotional cost, the time cost, the stress, and the fact when you go into the disputes tribunal – you’re the one paying for the privilege. That’s right, even if you go into the tribunal and win against some law breaker – your out of pocket to take them to court. Also, and now we get insult on top of injury – if they don’t want to pay you back the monies in the court order – they can just not pay it, and leave you with a debt to collect. Ever tried to engage a debt collector? Yes, you guessed it, another cost. So as it stands, if you get ripped off –
1. You have to pay to have your day in court
2. You get the stress, and hardship when someone else breaks the law
3. You are the one who loses valuable time over this, and no one is giving it back to you
4. Even if you win, you lose.
5. Debt collection is another cost

Let’s fix this, lets have a end to a system where by those who chose to, can wilfully break the law. Then to add insult to injury, they make you pay, in so many ways – for their self absorbed law breaking.

If the consumer law is proven to be broken wilfully, then the person/business who breaks the act should be punished, and if they keep doing it wilfully – then they need the right to do business, stripped from them.

Tribunal orders should be enforced, and no individual or company should be allowed to squirm or weddell their way out of it. No if’s, no but’s. The money should be in the hands of the courts by the allotted time. Again, if this is a business, then they should be suspended from trading until this is paid. If they continually and wilfully ignore the tribunal, then they should have the right to do business, stripped from them.

Doing business means being honest, it also means being part of the society, and obeying the laws of the land. If people as businesses can’t do these basic things – then, they should not be in business.