Justice for our Dollars

Editor: There are many ways in which we as customers are taken advantage of. Often times we complain about the utility companies taking advantage of us. But there are many businesses on a whole taking advantage of us, the customers and something needs to be done.

There are some items that are price controlled and so it keeps the businesses in line with these commodities.

However, there are so many other items which cannot be listed for the sake of space, but are not price controlled and as a result many businesses take advantage. For example, a brand of engine oil is sold at different business places at different prices. Sometimes the difference is very high- this same oil being the same brand and comes from the same place is sold at different prices from businesses that are large and well establish.

The same can be said for other products. A gas station may sell a product at a different price from another outlet of the same company that operates the service station. The same sometimes apply for products from different outlets of a same company, bearing in the mind the company may order its goods and its comes in as bulk and cleared as one large container. But when the various outlets of the same company sell, the prices are different.

Similarly, even in hardware and other products carrying the same brand name, yet they are sold at different prices. Interestingly, sometimes the agent or the importer sells at a higher price than the retailer.

Maybe it is time that the consumer affairs department do some field work and have persons checking on items. We, the customers need to be given justice for our dollars. I know different things come into play, like the price for transportation. Some large businesses depending on the quantity purchased, may receive larger discount than the smaller ones. But, there are items of the same brand being sold at a higher price by larger companies who do bigger purchases than small ones and yet the smaller ones sell at a lower price.

Kennard King