BRACKS COMPLIANCE POLICE BULLY LOCAL TRADERS

Benalla bookshop owner, Delfina Manor, is furious with the standover bullying tactics of the Bracks Government Consumer Affairs staff when they visited her shop as part of a trade compliance blitz in North East Victoria.

Dr Bill Sykes the Nationals Member for Benalla said, “Ms Manor has every right to be furious. The compliance people refused to accept that Ms Manor’s refund policy on books complied with the spirit of the law if not the letter of the law.”

“Instead of accepting that both customers and the bookshop owner were happy with the full 100% refund policy irrespective of the reason for returning the book, the compliance unit wrote Ms Manor a three page letter laying down the law.”

“And to make matters worse they didn’t spell Ms Manor’s name correctly!” exclaimed Dr Sykes.

Ms Manor has written to the Department of Justice in which she states:

“I find the tone of your letter and the issues raised both bullying and unreasonable. Your operatives were marginally better. By the end of their visit I felt threatened despite the fact that I had breached no consumer rights, but only a minor law that stipulates that both parties must sign the lay-by “contract”. Scarcely an offence that warrants a three page threatening letter.”

“It was made perfectly clear to your two staff members that unless the book has been damaged, this shop has a 100% full refund policy irrespective of the reason for returning the book. The same policy applies to lay-by.”

“How we operate might not comply with your laws, but please explain to me where at any stage of this transaction, the customer is disadvantaged. In thirteen years, we have had one book returned to stock. Our lay-by’s have operated as a fuss free, user friendly system with not a single complaint, until your arrival. I’m sorry Mr Wearne, but there is a huge difference between consumer protection and bureaucratic compliance. It is a week before Christmas, and instead of being able to run this shop, I have to deal with a threatening letter, no doubt a standard form one, more concerned with bureaucratic niceties than consumer protection. A letter so disinterested about the way this business operates, that it hasn’t even bothered to spell my name correctly.”

Dr Sykes continued, “This is yet another example of the Bracks Government’s love of red tape and is clear evidence that Mr Bracks and his Ministers simply do not understand how small business operates.”

Dr Sykes concluded, “I call on the Bracks Government to apply some common sense to consumer protection and if customers are happy the spirit of the law is being complied with, why insist on compliance with the letter of the law. Put simply – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989