"Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) received more than 100 complaints during lockdown" is one of the Kuensel Headlines on September 14.
The consumers complaining about the price hike, denial of sales or services, sale of expired products, inappropriate product labeling and underweight products to name a few are not something new or something to get surprised off or something to get pained off or something to feel bad. This practice is a very normal thing in our society; it is there with us for all the time and everywhere.
How much do we know about the Maximum Retail Price (M.R.P)?
It is a manufacturer calculated price that is the highest price that can be charged for any product sold from the retailers or it is the price at which the goods must reach the final or the last consumer.
Is it illegal to sell essential goods above its MRP from the retailers?
Since the day I started shopping or buying goods or anything, I was a constant victim of –mostly inappropriate price and sale of expired products. What about you?
Our shopkeepers are mostly or almost barren or do not have any business ideas or proper education on good business policies. They charge whatever or whichever way they feel is okay to sell their goods. For most of them there is no law, they seem above the law, so they don't bother to sell their goods at any price they like. The customer care service is not in their book. They never thought anyone visiting their shop brings them cash or money or other fortune. Whatever, we need honest shopkeepers selling goods at least on M.R.P and nothing more.
While upon asking them about the M.R.P thing, they proudly claim to say that they have paid the M.R.P in the wholesale store, which is never true. On top of the maximum retail price they add carrying charge, labor charge, rent, water bill, electricity bill and fooding charge, which I think is very illegal. My wild guess is that within M.R.P, everything must cover including the service charge they provide to their customers.
However, recently I met one shopkeeper lady in Babesa, thimphu. She is absolutely fair on whatever she sells from her grocery store. While other shopkeepers hurry to finish their eatables or shop items, she sells only after confirming the expiry dates and M.R.P. She makes sure that she sells her goods only after confirming that it is 100 percent safe and standard. Even for some loose items like saag, pumpkin, apple, she does not charge an extravagant price. She does not have any special selling package like other shopkeepers.
I heard many of her daily customers saying that she treats every customer –big or small, rich or poor in the same manner. In her grocery shop, there is no different price for rich and poor or big or small. She makes sure every customer is treated the same way or given the same service.
Right after the lockdown, I was checking the expiry dates of the breed and burns. The other customer who is busy looking for some vegetables came up to me and said, this lady never sells expired products and moreover, she is very fair on the price. Furthermore, she even sells things at wholesale rates if anyone wishes to have things in bulk or at the wholesale rate.
My request to concerned authorities is to look and explore for Universal Product Price Code or Barcode Reading Systems to be mandatory in all kinds of shops. It may be difficult at an initial phase, but it would definitely be worth doing for the future. It will not only benefit customers but also benefit the government for generating fair revenue through a more transparent tax paying system. This system will benefit everyone. In addition to this, we want the Office of Consumer Protection to make a more reliable monitoring system or timely awareness program through an online program, bbstv program, panel discussion involving shopkeepers from different regions and backgrounds. We don't want different prices for the same goods. Also we need to study carefully on the case of different price system for our foreign tourists, two-price policy should be banned.
She may not be special for rest but for me and her neighbors or daily customers, she is very special. She may be the last or a rare human species or uncommon lady of Babesa.
Declaimer: The opinion shared is the author's own.
Comments
Post a Comment