CELL PHONES MUST BE PROPERLY LABELED

All cell phones offered for sale in Guyana must be properly labelled as “new,” “used”, or “refurbished”. Cell phones which are “used” or “refurbished” must not be sold as new phones. This is the call from Executive Director of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, Dr. Chatterpaul Ramcharran in addressing a specially convened meeting with cell phones Importers and Dealers on Wednesday May 10, 2006, in the Training Room of the GNBS.

According to Dr. Ramcharran, there have been mounting consumer complaints about cell phones, some seventy five (75) for the last quarter. Most of the complaints were based on “used” or “refurbished” cell phones that were deceptively sold as “new” phones. This is a fraudulent practice which would be addressed by the Consumer Protection Act.

At the meeting, importers and dealers were encouraged to urgently and adequately address all consumer complaints reaching them as a result of faulty phones sold to customers, and to prevent any hostility in the relationship between them and their customers. Additionally, the warranty protection offered to consumers must be genuine and adequate and must not be “phoney” or “tricky.” Dr. Ramcharran pointed out that the period covered by the warranty could indicate the quality of the phone sold. A six month warranty or more would reflect a better quality phone rather than the three month warranty currently offered.

The meeting also dealt with numerous malpractices of some importers and dealers of cell phones which included (i) frustrating consumers by dragging out the repair/replacement process when cell phones develop faults, until the warranty period expires (ii) selling cell phones with inferior accessories such as batteries, chargers (iii) failing to accept that some phones are substandard and (iv) blaming consumers for non performance of faulty phones.

Dr. Ramcharran urged cell phone dealers and importers to work with the GNBS to improve the quality of cell phones offered for sale to consumers and to desist from unfair trade practices. Importers and Dealers were also urged to purchase cell phones from suppliers who offer warranties that could easily be handed down to consumers.
He also warned that if no improvement in the sector is observed, the GNBS would publish a list of defaulting Importers/Dealers.

The GNBS urges consumers on the other hand to inspect and examine cell phones carefully before purchasing. Consumers can check the call timers and address books for evidence or prior use. Consumers can also look for evidence of screwdriver use such as scratches etc on the casing of the phone, as this indicates that the phone was tampered with.
Consumers are also urged to request warranties and proof of purchase (receipts) when purchasing cell phones.