The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) in Jamaica is the body set up to oversee the fair treatment of consumers and mediate in disputes between businesses and customers.
Though the agency has been around for 40 years, many Jamaicans are either not aware of its existence, or are unsure how the CAC can help resolve consumer disputes. In addition to informing consumers in Jamaica of their rights under the law, the Commission has the power to investigate complaints against businesses and order compensation if necessary. In January 2014, the CAC reported that it secured over J$20.8 million in refunds and compensation on behalf of aggrieved consumers due to the resolution of 197 complaints.
The CAC has also redesigned its website, and now offers an online portal to make it easier for consumer to lodge complaints. Several other useful features are available on the CAC website, including links to download surveys conducted on the prices for textbooks, banking services, and the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Customer Satisfaction Survey.
CAC frequently conducts market research and publishes price comparison surveys from different parishes to help Jamaican consumers make better choices. However, a feature on the website to check prices of petrol, grocery items, and textbooks in different parishes consistently returned no results after several attempts and even after entering different search criteria. Other links such as the CAC score card was inactive at the time of writing this blog post.
The CAC also runs a vibrant consumer education programme to help Jamaicans become more aware of their rights as consumers. If you feel you have been wronged by any business in Jamaica and you deserve compensation, do not hesitate to contact the CAC. Their services are fully funded by the government of Jamaica and are available to you free of cost.