The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE GOVERNMENT’S consumer watchdog yesterday disclosed it had achieved a 90.5 percent recovery rate for aggrieved consumers during the first nine months of 2026 by winning back $101,806 of the $112,450 they were collectively disputing.

The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), in a statement, said its recovery rate was much higher than the 56.6 percent achieved during the same period in 2025.

Bryant Lowe, its executive chairman, said the improvement comes with the Commission handling fewer overall complaints but more complex cases, with 65 matters currently under active investigation involving vehicle dealers, construction contractors, surveyors, financial institutions and timeshare providers.

“While fewer complaints is encouraging, the real measure of our work is whether consumers are seeing meaningful results,” said Mr Lowe. “A recovery rate of 90.5 percent demonstrates that the Commission is making progress, but it also reminds us that there is much more to do.”

The Commission received 185 complaints between January and September 2026, down from 270 during the same period last year, representing a 31.5 percent decline in overall complaint volume.

Despite the reduction, motor vehicle sales and repairs; freight forwarding and shipping; construction and contractor disputes; timeshare cancellations; credit card surcharges; unfair trade practices; defective goods; refund disputes; and failure to provide paid-for services remained among the most common areas of concern.

The Commission has also identified solar contractors and financial institutions as emerging areas of risk requiring continued monitoring.

Mr Lowe said the Commission’s next phase will focus on strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to address gaps in consumer protection, arguing that the watchdog cannot achieve its objectives by working in isolation.

“We have a vision for a stronger CPC, and that vision cannot be achieved by the Commission working in isolation,” he said. “We have to continue to work alongside agencies responsible for price control, revenue, trade and business, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders to ensure the necessary checks and balances are in place for a functioning marketplace.”

The Commission is also seeking to strengthen its statutory investigative and enforcement powers through law reforms, while expanding targeted consumer education in high-risk sectors.

Mr Lowe said the Commission also wants to shift more of its work towards proactive compliance and enforcement rather than responding only after consumer disputes arise.

“Our goal is not simply to respond when something goes wrong,” he said. “It is to help build a culture of compliance, accountability and informed consumers before disputes arise. That is the direction in which we are moving.”

The Commission said consumer engagement with its services is also becoming increasingly digital, with e-mail submissions rising by around 35 percent while hotline use and walk-in complaints declined. Women continue to account for around 60 percent of consumers using the Commission’s dispute resolution services.

The Commission said it will continue investing in its digital systems, and is encouraging consumers who believe they have experienced unfair or deceptive business practices to contact it and exercise their rights.