YLKI tells buyers to take caution at Great Jakarta Sale

Leo Wahyudi S., The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) is urging people to take care when purchasing items being sold for discounts of up to 70 percent as part of the Jakarta Great Sale.

"Consumers should check and compare the goods they want to buy at other shopping centers before deciding to buy them at the Great Sale," Indah Suksmaningsih, the YLKI chairwoman, said on Thursday.

She said that if consumers had available information about the true condition of items they purchased, they would not be covered by the consumer protection law.

Article 11 of Law No. 8/1999 on consumer protection stipulates that sellers are banned from deceiving consumers by falsifying the quality or price of their products. Violations of this article can be punished by two years in prison or a maximum fine of Rp 500 million.

But as long as sellers do not deceive consumers, there is no recourse for people unhappy with their purchases.

"If that is the case, a consumer's complaint will be of no avail, as their rights are not protected by the law," she said.

In conjunction with the 475th anniversary of the capital, Alvi Yasin, the city's deputy governor for economic affairs, opened on June 14 the annual Jakarta Great Sale.

Thirty-three shopping malls, 16 retail outlets and 17 hotels across Jakarta are taking part in the event, which ends on July 14.

The sale, according to the chairman of the Jakarta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pungky Bambang Purwadi, is expected to book a total turnover of about Rp 3.6 trillion, which would be about a 14 percent increase from last year.

Jakarta Great Sale Committee chairman Yustian Ismail said participating retailers and hotels were discounting most of their goods and services by between 20 percent and 70 percent.

He said the event was also meant to promote Jakarta as a favorable shopping destination.

"We really offer real discounts," Yustian said, referring to a perception among some people that the discounts were not as big as proclaimed.

Some consumers believe retailers raise the prices of their goods before discounting them, resulting in discounts that are not as big as advertised.

Yuli, who was visiting Gajah Mada Plaza, said the Jakarta Great Sale lured her to go shopping.

However, she expressed her belief that the discounts were inflated, with retailers hiking prices before cutting them in order to attract consumers.

"Even though I was interested enough to come here, I still have my doubts," she remarked.

A similar opinion was expressed by Nila, who noted that she would not take the discounts at the event for granted.

"I'll go to several shopping centers to check the quality and price of items before deciding to buy," she said.