************ Business Tactics

Clearance Warehouse is staffed with people who feel they are above law and who have no regard for the rights of the customers despite the fact that the ConsumerProtection Act 68 of 2008 for has been in existence for more than 10 years now.

I lay byed a dining room suite that is worth R16950 from Clearance Warehouse in Centurion on 28 August 2021 and paid an initial deposit of R9000. A month later, on 2 October 2021, I paid a further R4200 towards my lay bye. Shortly after this, the deal for the property that I was intending moving into fell through and I sent an email to Clearance Warehouse canceling my lay bye and requesting a refund of the R13200 that I had already paid minus the prescribed 1% penalty for cancelation as stated in section 62(6) read with Regulation 34(1) of the Consumer Protection Act.

I then received a reply from Clearance Warehouse that the cancelation fee is 10% and that they will subtract the 10% and refund an amount of R11800.

I responded to their email and drew attention to the above-mentioned section of Consumer Protection Act and they are acting in voilation of the Act since the Act says they can't charge a penalty of more than 1%. They responded and said the 1% is the penalty and the 9% is for the admin fees.

Retailers like Clearance Warehouse use tactics to avoid complying with the law. The Act is explicit in that a penalty for canceling a debit order can not be more than 1%