Several companies and business owners in Nigeria are violating provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018, FIJ has gathered.
These entities publish on official records a ‘No-Refund’ policy, telling customers they cannot get their money back in the event they intend to cancel an order or do not find their orders satisfactory.
Part 15, Section 120 of the Act states, “A consumer shall have the right to cancel an advance booking, reservation or order for any goods or services: subject to a reasonable charge for cancellation of the order or reservation by the supplier or service provider.”
Despite this law existing for at least six years, FIJ learnt that GUO Transport, a company that operates commercial inter-city travel services, publishes a no-refund policy on its tickets.
On Wednesday, one of its intending passengers, who sought anonymity for privacy reasons, arrived at the company’s Onitsha Park in Anambra State to board a vehicle he had earlier bought a ticket for. His destination was Lagos, but the company’s workers told him he could not travel.
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“Someone else paid for the seat, and we moved them from second bus to first bus,” a staff of the organisation told FIJ on Saturday.
“We offered this aggrieved passenger a bus heading to an alternative route, but he said he was not going there, and demanded a refund, but we don’t do refunds. Money goes directly to the company.”
GUO Transport’s No-Refund policy printed on a ticket
When FIJ showed this staff a copy of the FCCPA, he laughed and said, “We are not the only ones. Every company does it, too.”
He was not wrong. FIJ has spotted several instances when companies and businesses deny customers refund.
On social media, many brands insist on this policy and add it to their information page.
A no-refund policy notice added to an Instagram Page; FavyBodyGoals
@Favybodygoals, one of such brands on Instagram, has this illegal policy in bold text on its page.
Recently, FIJ reported a case of how Chinazor Amarachukwu Iwuagwu, a fashion vendor operating Ladies Definition Boutique across social media platforms, decided that a full refund offer was “no longer on the table” for Chisom Muomegha, one of her customers.
Section 122 of the FCCPA affords customers the right to return a defective product or one they no longer find suitable for their intended purpose, making it illegal for anyone to deny customers this right.
FIJ has reached both business owners on several occasions, but they refused to shift their stances.
On Saturday, GUO agreed to compensate the traveller but did not comment on whether they would change their policy or not.
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