A letter was posted on the Zoutpansberger’s Facebook page the past week in which a consumer complains about the conduct of a certain local fast food franchise. The manner in which the letter had been submitted was, however, not ideal as it was seemingly posted as an open letter.

The Zoutpansberger’s Facebook page will not make readers’ postings immediately visible. Unfortunately these postings may be visible to Facebook friends of the person who made the posting and as such can be shared.

Should you want to send a letter to the newspaper, rather make use of the email addresses supplied or send us a message via Facebook or Twitter. This will ensure confidentiality and will also allow us some time to follow up on complaints. 

The second issue that this letter highlighted, is the legal and ethical implications letters may have. In this specific case, the complainant was quick to receive a threatening message from someone who is seemingly also a franchise holder. 

Readers should not feel intimidated to complain about bad service or bad products. It is their right and responsibility to complain and this right is protected by legislation such as the Consumer Protection Act. 

In cases where readers submit letters to the newspaper wherein they complain about service or products, the newspaper will endeavour to handle it with the utmost care and professionality. If the reader prefers to remain anonymous, this request will be respected. We do, however, encourage readers to not be afraid of mentioning your name. It is your right to demand good service and if someone denies you such a right, that person or business should be ashamed. 

When receiving such letters, we firstly try and contact the business involved and ask them for a response. We also check whether the complainant used existing dispute resolution channels (i.e. a customer care centre at the business) and if not, encourage them to pursue the matter via this channel. Very often the customer meets the correct people at the business and the problem is addressed. It then often happens that readers ask that their letters be withdrawn, which we will consider. 

We normally encourage readers, when there is a legitimate complaint, to have the letters and responses published. In most cases they are not the only ones who experienced such problems. The business then also has the opportunity to respond in the open and assure other consumers that the problems experienced are being sorted out.

The important aspect is that, by highlighting your problem, you make other consumers aware of their rights. These rights include the right to exchange faulty goods, the right to ask for a refund and the right to refuse unsolicited goods or services. A business cannot put up a sign saying “No Refunds” and expect to get away with that. The Consumer Protection Act overrides the personal preferences of business owners.

Don’t be afraid to complain. Follow the proper channels when complaining and, if you believe this is in the interest of the public, write to us and tell us about it.