Is it a crime?

Is it a crime?

A reader's letter in the daily Kompas, Dec. 11, 1994, was
concerned with a developer's disobedience. Having visited the
real estate exhibition in the Jakarta Convention Center (November
1993), one of the visitors decided to buy a house. The main for
this reason was that the exhibitor had a good reputation.

To own a house, the consumer could pay it in installments or
it could be paid after the house has been built. It was in May or
June 1994 that an order was placed with the developer. But until
November 1994 the house has not been built. When he asked the
developer about the matter, he was told to be patient, or he
could cancel his order. Another consumer would take his place and
his down payment refunded after having deductions taken off.

Is the practices of this developer a crime? What kind of crime
is it?

Nowadays protection of the consumer is still a problem.
Consumers often become victims in business practices such as
false price tags/indications, misleading bargain offers and
misleading descriptions of goods and services. Other misleading
practices include bogus sale offers, in which the consumers can
be misled into thinking that they are being offered a real
bargain when, in fact, the price of the items has never been
higher.

SUZIANI

Jakarta