YLKI tells buyers to take caution at Great Jakarta Sale

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.