Most of the consumers who use the services of the Consumer Protection Agency do it because they are advised to, not on their own initiative. Few of them known their rights and thus need assistance when they write a complaint. “When filing an application, the consumers are informed about the legal provisions and the benefits they enjoy. 60% of the consumers know exactly what they want to write in the application, while the others are helped,” Sergiu Lelic, deputy head of the Consumer Relations Division of the Consumer Protection Agency, has told IPN.

Sergiu Lelic said that during 14 days, the consumers have the right to return a nonfood product they bought and ask for its equivalent value or for another product in exchange. The condition is that the person must have a sales slip, while the returned product must not have mechanic defects so that it could be put on shelves and sold again.

Under a Government decision, the jewels from precious and semiprecious metals, bedclothes and underwear, socks and hygiene articles such as toothbrush and manual or electric razors cannot be exchanged or returned.

The same list includes the cosmetic and perfumery products. Sergiu Lelic explained that such products cannot be exchanged because when purchasing them the buyer knows exactly their purpose, corresponding to the chosen size, color and quality. “The products that can be exchanged are those that do not meet the properties on packing and the norms of using them,” he stated. He added that such building and finishing materials as linoleum, polyethylene and moquette as well as the fabrics cannot be returned either as they are cut exactly by the client’s order.

According to Sergiu Lelic, the economic entity is not obliged to indicate what products can be returned or exchanged. This is a right that the consumer must know. If this right is not respected, the consumers can file complaints to the Consumer Projection Agency (78 Vasile Alecsandri St) or can contact the Agency’s hotline (022) 74-14-64.

“The home market of Moldova is developing gradually and the companies provide new services and sell new products. That’s why the legislative framework should be amended so as to meet all the conditions, directives and standards of the Europeans Union,” said the deputy head of the Consumer Relations Division.

So far this year the Consumer Protection Agency received 15 applications asking assessing products that companies refused to accept back. Ten of them were solved in the consumers’ favor.