Tribunal decisions not honoured

I must clarify the situation regarding the publication of Consumer Claims Tribunal cases in which traders did not honour the arbiter's decisions. Initially the lists featured in this column were compiled with your co-operation. Basically, the information came from consumers who wrote to me to inform me that the respective trader did not honour the tribunal decision.

Now, with the co-operation of Marcel Pizzuto, director-general of the Consumer and Competition Division, we have obtained lists of traders who, after being approached and asked by the division, still refuse to honour the tribunal's decisions made between July and September of last year. Out of 34 decisions taken by the arbiter during this period, eight have not been honoured. Here follow the details of these cases:

Trader: Dario Azzopardi, Stephy, 105, Triq Birbal, Balzan;

Consumer's claim: Refund of Lm500, the price of a computer which developed faults.

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm500 back to the consumer. Computer to become the property of the trader, except for the keyboard monitor and cordless mouse.

Trader: Tal-Karmnu Construction Ltd (Francis Spiteri), Black Pearl, St Paul Street, Zurrieq;

Consumer's claim: Damages of Lm800 due to various shortcomings in bathroom, water, electricity and aluminium in flat bought furnished;

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm800 plus expenses.

Trader: Christals Services Ltd, 123, Naxxar Road, Birkirkara.

Consumer's claim: Refund of Lm200 - deposit on four air-conditioners which were not of the same power as agreed.

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm200 plus expenses.

Trader: Sullivan & Sullivan, St Lucia Street, Valletta.

Consumer's claim: Refund of Lm110 representing various shortcomings in tour to Costa Brava;

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm110 plus expenses.

Trader: Millenium Enterprises Ltd. (Nadine Theuma), Serene, Good Shepherd Avenue, Balzan.

Consumer's claim: Refund of Lm535 being the price of a computer which was not operating properly plus moral damages;

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm500 plus expenses. Claim for moral damages turned down.

Trader: Mobile Phone Centre, Independence Avenue, Mosta.

Consumer's claim: Refund of Lm164, the price of a mobile phone which was defective after six months.

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm150 plus expenses. Mobile phone to be returned to trader after settlement.

Trader: Mobile Phone Centre, Independence Avenue, Mosta.

Consumer's claim: Refund of Lm120, being the price of a mobile phone which developed a fault during the guarantee period and could not be used.

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm120 plus expenses. Mobile phone to be returned to trader after settlement.

Trader: Martin Computer Centre, 117, Palm Street, Paola.

Consumer's claim: Damages of Lm47 representing faults on computer after being upgraded.

Tribunal's decision: Trader ordered to pay Lm47 plus expenses.

It is in the interest of the foregoing traders who honoured the Consumer Claims Tribunal arbiter's decision (after the list was referred to us) to inform us accordingly.

I appeal to the traders mentioned above who have not honoured the arbiter's decisions to do so and to inform me accordingly so that we can remove their names from the list in future columns. I urge them to respect the law.