Consumer complaints, Complaint procedures, Useful Consumer Contact Details:

Consumer Complaints:

Complaints may be made by any consumer, or by an interested person on behalf of a consumer. Public interest cases may be brought by NGO’s on behalf of consumers. The Act provides for Special legal remedies such as:

• Class actions,
• Damages,
• Discrimination complaints may be brought to both the Equality Court and the National Consumer Commission for referral to the Equality Court.

Processes:

• Consumers are encouraged to go to the supplier as their first port of call to resolve the dispute.
• If there is no resolution, refer the matter to a Dispute Resolution Agent, who will attempt to resolve the matter through an Alternative Dispute Resolution process.
• Then referral by the NCC of minor matters to Provincial Office who will escalate the matter to Provincial Consumer Courts.
• Then the Commission/ Tribunal as the last resolution to individual complaints.

The National Consumer Commission will investigate complaints, and refer cases to the Consumer Tribunal. The Consumer Tribunal will have authority to declare the act contravened, order changes in practice, impose administrative fines and interdict future prohibited practices.

WHERE TO COMPLAIN:

The Consumer Protection Act aims to promote consumer activism, by making provision for the accreditation of consumer groups tasked with lodging complaints on behalf of consumers, as well as making available support for activities, such as consumer advice, education, publications, research and alternative dispute resolution through mediation or conciliation.

As such, the Act gives rise to the establishment of the National Consumer Commission, a body assigned to investigate consumer complaints , as well as the National Consumer Tribunal, the latter of which was created by the National Credit Act in September 2006, and is responsible for the adjudication of violations and transgressions of the National Credit Act and the Consumer Protection Act.

Consumer Help Line, via

• the dti Customer Contact Centre: 0861 843 384
• the dti Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) : (012) 394 1436 / 1558 /1076
• E-mail: [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• the dti Website: www.thedti.gov.za
• National Consumer Tribunal (NCT): (012) 663 5615
• NCT E-mail: [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• NCT Website: www.thenct.org.za

Other Useful Contact Details in the Consumer Realm:

Government Bodies

Consumer Commission

0861 843 384

Public Protector

Tel: 012 366 7000

Fax: 012 262 3473

Toll free: 0800 112 040

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

Tel: 012 394 9500

Call share: 0861 843 384

Tribunal

Tel: 012 663 5615

Fax: 012 663 5693

Provincial Consumer Protection Offices

Province

Telephone

Fax

Gauteng

011 355 8006

011 355 8019

Western Cape

0800 007 081

021 483 5872

Eastern Cape

040 609 3050

040 609 3201

Free State

051 400 4852

051 400 9610

Kwazulu Natal

031 310 5300

031 310 5416

Limpopo

015 293 8300

015 291 1336

North West

018 387 7872

018 392 5660

Northern Cape

053 839 4000

053 831 3669

Consumer NGO’s

South African National Consumer Union

Tel: 012 428 7122

Fax: 0866 728585

National Consumer Forum

Tel: 012 428 7071

Fax: 012 428 7284/5019

National Black Consumer Union

Tel: 011 982 2585

Industry Bodies

Advertising

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

Tel: 011 781 2006

Fax: 011 781 1616

Auctions

SA Institute of Auctioneers

Tel: 082 555 3458

Banking

Ombudsman for Banking Services

Tel: 011 838 0035

Share call: 0860 800 900

Banking

Banking Association

Tel: 011 645 6700

Fax: 011 645 6800

Competition Commission

Tel: 012 394 3200

Dental Ombudsman

Tel: 086 011 3334

SA Dental Association

Tel: 011 484 5288

Direct Marketing Association

Tel: 011 781 8019

Fax: 0866 260 758

Direct Selling Association

Tel: 011 726 5300

Fax: 011 482 2000

Electrical Contractors Association SA

Tel: 011 392 0000

Fax: 011 974 9402

National Electricity Regulator

Tel: 012 401 4600

Fax: 012 401 4700

Escom Call Centres

Central region: Braamfontein

Eastern region: Westville

Southern region: East London

North Eastern region: Witbank

North Western region: Bloemfontein

Northern region

Western region: Cape Town

Tel: 0860 037 566

Tel: 0860 204 560

Tel: 0860 140 014 / 043 703 5270

Tel: 0860 001 414 / 013 693 5000

Tel: 0860 037 566

Tel: 0860 100 304

Tel: 021 915 3203

Estate Agency Affairs Board

Tel: 011 731 5600

Fax: 011 880 9725 / 9831

Franchise Association SA

Tel: 011 615 0359

Fax: 011 615 3679

Furniture Traders Association

Tel: 011 789 6770

Fax: 086 656 8872

Kitchen Specialists Association

Gauteng and Cape Town

Kwazulu Natal

Tel: 0860 109 290

Tel: 0865 505 6296

National Home Builders Registration Council

Tel: 011 317 0010

Fax: 011 317 0141

Housing Consumer Protection Trust

Tel: 011 333 8501

Fax: 011 333 1050

Hospital Complaints

The Hospital Association SA

Tel: 011 478 0156

Fax: 011 478 0410

Council of Medical Schemes

Tel: 012 431 0500

Fax: 012 431 0608

South African Medical Association

Tel: 012 481 2000

Fax: 012 481 2100

South African Pharmacy Council

Tel: 012 319 8500

Fax: 012 321 1492

South African Optometric Association

Tel: 011 805 4517

Fax: 011 805 3882

Health Professional Council of SA

Tel: 012 338 9300

Fax: 012 328 5120

Law Society of SA

Tel: 012 366 8800

Fax: 012 362 0969

Motor Industry Ombudsman

Tel: 012 841 2945

Fax: 012 841 2842

Retail Motor Industry Organisation

Timeshare Institute of SA

Tel: 021 914 9693

Fax: 021 914 5202

Retailers Association

Tel: 011 726 5300

SA Bureau of Standards

Tel: 012 428 7911/6006

Fax: 012 344 1568

SA Tourism

Tel: 011 895 3001

Cell: 083 123 6789