CPC Launches Website

The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has just recently launched its website. This is a major step forward for consumer rights advocacy in the Bahamas. With this new online presence, Bahamians now have at their disposal – 24/7 access to important and critical information regarding their consumer rights.

The website marks the culmination of many weeks of planning by the Commission headed by its chairman, Senator Jerome Gomez.It is anticipated that the site’s usage by the public will have an immediate positive impact in consumer awareness and the government’s ongoing initiatives towards the enforcement of regulatory consumer laws.

The major issues that the CPC will address through this website are the protection of rights and education of the nation’s consumers. The CPC will also take all measures necessary to put an end to the proliferation of unlawful selling practices.

For a long time Bahamian consumers were accustomed to facing slow progress in the resolution of consumer issues. Redress can now be more rapidly realized through the launch of this e website, as its use will not only serve to accelerate the educational process, but will play a key component in minimizing the rate of unresolved complaints.

Senator Gomez reiterated that the CPC will work in tandem with the Consumer Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Labour & National Insurance Division and other partners in providing relief to consumer grievances. The CPC believes that swift tackling and solving of issues will create better awareness among consumers and thus encourage them to take the Consumer Protection Act more seriously.

This Act was established in 2006, and Senator Gomez evaluates its performance as satisfactory to date.

The Commission’s functions include:

• ActAdvise the Minister generally in relation to consumer issues;
• Formulate and implement standards in relation to consumer to the consumer protection policy;
• Carry out, at the request of a consumer who has been adversely affected, such investigations in relation to the sale of goods or the provision of services as will enable it to determine whether the goods were sold or the services were provided in contravention of this Act and thereafter to make such report and recommendations in connection therewith as it thinks fit to the Minister;
• Carry out, on its own initiative, such other investigations in relation to the availability of goods of any class or description as it thinks fit and make such report and recommendations as it thinks fit to the Minister;
• Promote the development of organizations formed for the protection of the consumer;
• Collect, compile, analyze and publish information in relation to any trade or business;
• Provide information to consumers on their rights as consumers and any other form of consumer education;
• Resolve disagreements between consumers and providers;
• Carry out such other functions as the Minister may assign to the Consumer Commission from time to time.

The CPC’s primary functions will incorporate consumer complaint settlement and the protection of consumer rights.

CPC’s website will strive to make consumers more aware of their rights and bring to justice fraudulent schemes intended to rob consumers of these ir rights. Consumers will have access to the following online services:

• Filing of consumer complaints online with the ability to upload key files
• Contact the CPC for general information
• Direct online access to the Chairman to address unresolved matters
• Consumer Alerts to ensure that consumers are aware of critical matters that may impact them
• Consumer Advice
• Ongoing consumer education via its new consumer protection blog
• Hot Press releases
• Information about related consumer laws
• Access to Key consumer publications
• And more

Please feel free to tell us how you feel about our new website and how we can use the website to serve Bahamian consumers even more.