The winners of the seventh edition of Premju Servizz bi Tbissima were announced during an award ceremony held earlier this week by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA).
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli said a record 18,000 consumers voted during this year’s competition, a sharp increase of 10,000 more votes than last year.
She added that this appreciation should spur all the nominated companies to continue to improve the service they are offering and to keep putting consumers at the centre of their operations.
MCCAA chairperson Helga Pizzuto spoke about how the Premju Servizz bi Tbissima competition generates positivity and facilitates the building of stronger, more friendly relationships between consumers and traders.
Pizzuto also spoke about the Office for Consumer Affairs’ role to help consumers resolve disputes with traders. During the past 10 months the office had registered an average of 85 complaints every month, half of which were resolved through conciliation.
She added that local consumers can also make use of the out-of-court settlement procedure, known as ADR, which the authority has recently strengthened to resolve disputes with traders. She noted that more consumers are choosing ADR, and that traders also see this mediation process as a fair and an efficient process that facilitates resolution of disputes.
She thanked the nominated companies for collaborating with the authority and for their commitment to provide consumers with the best possible service.
A record 18,000 consumers voted during this year’s competition- Odette Vella
Grace Stivala, director general of the Office for Consumer Affaris, spoke about the new regulations recently introduced in consumer law which ensure that consumers are well protected regardless the type of products and services they purchase, and regardless the method of purchase – online or in-store.
She highlighted the importance for local sellers to keep themselves informed about their legal obligations so as to avoid unnecessary consumer complaints that can tarnish their good reputation. She urged traders to seek the assistance of the Office for Consumer Affairs whenever they have doubts about their legal obligations or when they are unsure how to handle specific consumer complaints.
This year’s edition of Premju Servizz bi Tbissima comprised five main categories of sellers. Voting by the public took place between June 21 and July 19.
The winners of each category were as follows:
The ‘Electronic Products and Household Goods’ category was won by Scan, while Triple A and Top Choice placed second and third respectively.
Hairhaven.mt won the ‘Online Local Sellers’ category, while scanmalta.com placed and mvintage.com placed second and third respectively.
Hair Haven also won the ‘Fashion and Beauty’ category. Inglot placed second, and Mvintage third.
The ‘Travel and Transport Services’ category was won by ROCS. Sisu Travel placed second and Britannia Tours won third place.
Maypole won the ‘Supermarkets and Mini Markets’ category, followed by Smart Supermarket in second place and Welbee’s Supermarket in third.
This year, over 1,500 different sellers and companies were nominated in the five categories. The top five in each category were closely vetted by the Servizz bi Tbissima board to first ensure that the votes received were valid and according to the competition’s terms and conditions, and to confirm that the nominated traders and companies were in conformity with the award’s code of conduct in their day-to-day operations.
The companies that placed first in each of the five categories received a trophy, a certificate and the right to use the Servizz bi Tbissima logo on their promotional material.
Odette Vella is director, Information and Research Directorate, MCCAA.
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