Sorting out mail order problems

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 576, 7 March 1995, Page 15

Sorting out mail order problems

By

Pamela

Rogers,

Ministry of Consumer

Affairs The Ministry of Consumer Affairs' Advice Service is currently receiving numerous enquiries about mail order products. These goods range from diet products to clothes. A common problem is where an overseas company sell goods in New Zealand through a business entirely unrelated to the saies company. This business is often simply an answering service. They take the orders and money, and pass this on to the overseas company. The difficulty is to know whether the company is a good one and whether they will send the goods, or whether they will take your money and you will not hear from them again.

The Advice Service recei ves many complaints where the goods are not delivered. When the answering service is contacted consumers find that they are only given the names of someone in another country to try to get their remedy from. Some companies offering mail-order saies may be members of the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association. Members of this Association must comply with a code of ethics that provides protection for the consumer. The code requires that any advertising be fair and not misleading in any way. It also requires that the goods are sent to the consumer within the time stated in the advertisement or if no time is mentioned, within 30 days of receipt of payment. If there is a delay in sending the goods,

members of the Association must contact the consumer and offer them the chance to cancel the order and receive a refund. The Ministry' s advice is, if you are unsure of whether you will receive your goods as promised when buying by mail order, contact the Association to see if the company is a member or not. If the company is not a member of the Association, you may want to make further enquiries with the company before sending your money. If you have any questions or problems, contact your local Citizens'Advice Bureau, Community Law Centre or ring the staff at the Advice Service of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, toll-free on [04] 473-4490.