A TOTAL of 2563 complaints valued around $5.3 million were registered with the Consumer Council of Fiji from January to June this year.
This, according to Lautoka consumer officer James Vakacabeqoli during a presentation this week at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel.
He said landlord/tenant issues topped the list with 571 complaints registered. “This was followed by 392 on food and drinks, 331 for electronic goods, 254 for mobile products, 244 for hardware, 229 for public transport, 145 for television services, 143 for VAT, 137 for ads and promotions and 117 for non-food items,” he said.
Mr Vakacabeqoli said in terms of monetary value, construction services topped the list at more than $1.58m, followed by banks at more than $953,000, second-hand motor vehicles at about $710,000, new motor vehicles at $530,000, insurance at more than $480,000, financial institutions at $396,000, Energy Fiji Ltd at more than $181,000, hardware at more than $175,000, electronic goods $170,000 and landlord/tenant at more than $140,000.
He said in terms of landlord/tenant issues, the main complaints registered were landlords increasing rent despite a rent freeze order being in place, landlords refusing to refund bond, landlords not providing rent receipts and unfair tenancy contracts.
