Is the consumer commission alive?

We received several letters this month related to consumer issues, the most concerning being a lack of service from the National Consumer Commission itself. As consumers, we need to know our rights and how to enforce them. We also need to use our common sense, as no amount of consumer protection can protect us from our own greed

Gareth writes:
How can I get hold of the National Consumer Commission (NCC)? Twice I called and both times was put on eternal hold. The last time I called, it went straight to a voice mail facility. The fax line is not accepting faxes and the email address on the website is incorrect. Please help.

Maya replies:
It is deeply concerning that the regulator, which is meant to offer the main protection for consumers against unscrupulous product/service providers, is unreachable. Complaints site www.hellopeter.com is also carrying several complaints about the NCC.

We contacted the acting commissioner, who stated the following: “The NCC has, for some while now, been experiencing challenges with its call centre.

We are in the process of procuring a system that works efficiently, but as I am sure you are aware, procurement processes in government take time.

“The best manner to contact the NCC would be to send an email: complaints@thencc.org.za.

“We are looking at a more comprehensive solution to our IT challenges and it includes call centre infrastructure, additional servers, website, case management system, etc.

“Until then, we are doing the best we can.”

While this is not particularly reassuring for consumers, this does at least provide an email address that works.

We would appreciate feedback from our readers in terms of their experience with the NCC so that we can ensure that the progress is monitored in an effective way.