Making A Better World - Milton Louw

(First appeared in New Era 18 March 2015) Two weeks ago I was contacted by a consumer complaining about a freezer that they purchased a freezer and it is already broken after a few weeks. The customer was very upset as the store wished to come and fix the broken freezer and not replace it. Unfortunately for the client there is no consumer act in place and the store has the right to fix the freezer rather than replace it. The problem for this consumers was the misunderstanding between the term “warranty” and “guarantee”.  Most of us would expect that when we purchase a product, the warranty – or the written guarantee - issued by the manufacturer of a product will include a provision to replace the product within a specified period of time. The problem comes when we do not read the fine print when doing the purchase. In this consumers case the warranty issued by the manufacturer promised to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time. The store was thus corr...

(First appeared in New Era 4 March 2015) This week I must start my column with feedback from last week when I wrote about the chickens supplied by Namibian Poultry Industries. The company contacted me through their marketing company and invited me to visit their business and get more information regarding the processes used in bringing chicken to the market. Unfortunately, I have to travel out of the country for work and will only be able to take up their offer after the 10th of March. But be assured, dear loyal reader, I will write about it once I have visited the facility and bring you a more informed column in this regard. The past few months I have seen a greater awareness of consumer protection from not only companies but also the government regulators in various sectors. I must congratulate the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) for their speedy reaction to the MTC N$2 data saga as well as their prompt intervention with the NBC and DSTV regarding the digita...

(First appeared in New Era 11 March 2015) Today’s column heading comes from the Bible and is referenced in Mathew 13:57 – Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." The past week I was fortunate to visit Botswana for work-related activities. During my visit I was fortunate to visit various tourism establishments as well as the major shopping malls around the capital of Gaborone. This was also an opportunity to discuss with colleagues the differences between our two countries, as well as the “areas of quality” which we wish we had from our neighbour. The first topic was of course the cleanliness of our country and especially of Windhoek as the capital. The second, and surprising topic to me, was the respect our neighbours have for the service industry in Namibia. As this is one of the main reasons for this type of Consumer Court column, it was very intriguing to find out how they experienc...

(First appeared in New Era 25 February 2015) THE column heading is taken from the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. The correct saying is: Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman, Be he live, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread. In our house, it has become common for us to check the ingredients of the packaged foods we purchase. This is especially important as our baby is breastfeeding and certain foods could cause him an irritation or worse. Believe me, when I say that my wife and I are looking forward to the three-month period when she can once again eat sushi and other “forbidden” foods. The most common forbidden products have been rare or undercooked meats including fish, meat and chicken. The past week, I received a video of slaughtered and de-feathered whole chickens being injected with a solution before freezing and felt I had to investigate further. I posted the link onto the Namibia Consumer Protection Group on Facebook to get some c...

(First appeared in New Era 18 February 2015) “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a reference from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is trying to convince Romeo Montague that it does not matter what his surname is even though her family and his are enemies. The past weekend it was once again Valentine’s. The day is named after Saint Valentine and little is known other than his name and that he was martyred and buried at a cemetery in the north of Rome on that day. In modern times, it has become a business bonus and extremely commercialised. I even noted a large banking concern had teddy bears and hearts in their expansive foyer as if it was Xmas. On Valentine’s Day it is tradition to give the one you love a present and also possibly a card with a special message and your signature. Some of us are so unsure about whether our love will be returned that we give a card signed ‘Secret Admirer’. Your signature is a hand-written (possible stylised) ver...

(First appeared in New Era 4 February 2015) THE birth of our son has brought us a lot of pleasure, but also added to our responsibilities, and worries for what the future will bring. At the same time my father is reaching pensionable age and I have been assisting him in ensuring his financial security. This has meant looking at both the financial services that we must put in place for our children, as well as examining the services that my father had planned. These include how we manage banking, pension funds, savings accounts, medical and hospital cover as well as purchasing larger items like a motor vehicle and a house on credit. All these products and services are meant to ensure that we can sleep more peacefully at night because we have the knowledge and ability to access them. The question remains though at the back of my head, “What if these services were not available to me?” And the even larger question looms, “What about my fellow consumers who struggle to get the same...

(First appeared in New Era 28 January 2015) The past week my father called me from South Africa to come and assist him with his pension pay-outs he has to receive now that he has turned 65. My father was born during the apartheid era (in Walvis Bay) and had completed his schooling in the Cape Province of South Africa. After school and a few years I the private sector, he had chosen the army as a career and was enlisted in the South Africa Coloured Corps. This was his job and not just the normal two years stint (conscription) that was expected of every citizen. He spent several years serving in the army, including doing duty in the northern parts of the then South West Africa. When I grew of age (being 18), there were many arguments in our house as I was an active member of the student organisations protesting against the South African occupation of Namibia. Having been born in Windhoek, I feel I am a citizen of Namibia even though my father felt he was on the side of the South A...

(This first appeared in the New Era of 14 January 2015) THERE is a quote I like to use when giving consumers advice, “He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.” This advice is normally given before the festive season to remind others (and my own family) that no matter how tempting the advertisement is of a product, always ask yourself whether the product has any use in your life. I can show you more than a cupboard full of things that I have bought over the years that I have never used. This advice is of course only usable if you are the one doing the buying – sometimes you receive a gift and you smile and say thank you without knowing whether you will ever use the gift in question. I still have a Bart Simpson tie that I will never wear. When I became a consumer activist I noticed how consumers are misled through advertising (or the savvier word “promotion”) to purchase something they do not need and then have no recourse to getting their money refunded. This has led...

(This first appeared in the New Era of 14 January 2015) The headline for this week’s column is borrowed from a soliloquy by Polonius in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet where Polonius is giving advice to his son Laertes before Laertes heads back to school. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.” The past month I took my annual leave and I was fortunate to have it coincide with the birth of my son. I would strongly urge fathers (and lawmakers take note) to be there for your child's first few weeks or even months. It makes you appreciate the mother more, and sharing the sleepless nights and stomach cramps does wonders for your relationship. The best part must be the smiles you get for no apparent reason while you child falls asleep in your arms. This is the best investment any father can give and I trust the “return on your investment” will be worthwhile in the long run. While on leave I noticed a...

As the year comes to an end, I look back at take stock of what our consumer activism has achieved in 2014. Looking across the media spectrum, I am pleased to note that it is not only the New Era newspaper that has a consumer column. In addition, I appreciate the work being done by new media (mostly from within the traditional media houses) in bringing issues to the attention of consumers, activists and lawmakers. Facebook groups such as the Namibia Consumer Protection Group (NCPG) page have seen a drastic increase in postings, as well as feedback from business. Now that there is more attention on consumer issues, the question must be asked: Has there been an increase in consumer protection during 2014? The answer is (unfortunately) NO. Allow me a few examples: Just this past week, I ran out of credit on my cell phone. I was sent a reminder by my provider that my credit would run out – the warning though came one day before it ran out, not at the same time it runs out as in the...