A resident of Kazakhstan's capital ordered custom-made cabinet furniture, paid the full price, but never received the product or a refund — the dispute was resolved only after the Astana Department of Trade and Consumer Protection stepped in, infohub.kz reports.
According to NUR.KZ, citing the Committee for Consumer Protection, on August 16 the consumer signed a contract with a contractor for the manufacture of cabinet furniture. The man immediately paid the full order amount — 230,000 tenge.
Under the contract, the furniture was to be manufactured and delivered to the customer within 10 days, that is, by August 26. However, the product was not delivered on time, and the money paid was not returned to the consumer.
Due to the contractor's failure to fulfill its obligations, the man turned to the Astana Department of Trade and Consumer Protection, asking for help in restoring his violated rights and recovering the funds.
"Following the review of the complaint, the matter was settled pre-trial. The consumer was refunded the full amount — 230,000 tenge. Thus, the consumer's violated rights were restored, and the dispute was resolved without going to court," the committee said.
The Astana Department of Trade and Consumer Protection reminds consumers that when entering into contracts for the manufacture of goods or the provision of services, they should carefully review the terms of the contract, including deadlines for fulfillment of obligations, cost, and refund procedures.
If deadlines for fulfillment of obligations are missed, consumers are advised to promptly send a written claim to the contractor specifying their exact demands and to keep proof that it was sent and received.
To protect their rights, it is important to keep the contract, documents confirming payment, correspondence with the contractor, documents on the delivery or non-delivery of goods, and other materials confirming the circumstances of the dispute.