Saunders Submits Consumer Protection and Guarantees Bill 2023

On Monday, 2nd October, Chris Saunders, MP for Bodden Town West, submitted the Consumer Protection and Guarantees Bill 2023 to be gazetted and available to the public for consultation as required by the Constitution.

The Bill reaffirms MP Saunders’ commitment to safeguarding the interests of Caymanians.

The Consumer Protection and Guarantees Bill 2023 marks a significant step forward in ensuring that Consumers in the Cayman Islands are afforded comprehensive protection in their interactions with businesses and service providers. The Bill addresses a wide range of issues, including but not limited to:

Enhanced Product Safety: The Bill strengthens regulations to ensure that products on the market are safe for consumers, reducing the risk of harm caused by defective or dangerous products.

Improved Transparency: Consumers will benefit from increased transparency in advertising, pricing, and contract terms, enabling them to make more informed decisions when purchasing goods or services.

Redress Mechanisms: The Bill establishes efficient and accessible mechanisms for consumers to seek redress in cases of product defects, fraud, or unfair business practices.

Strengthened Enforcement: A newly created commission will be empowered to take action against businesses that engage in deceptive or unfair practices, ensuring that the law is upheld, and consumers are protected.

Chris Saunders said:

“This process started in November 2015 by the Law Reform Commission and a Bill was actually drafted from 2016 and remained in consultation for the last 7 years. Since being elected, I have received numerous complaints where consumers took their hard-earned money to buy expensive goods that turned out to be lemons. So, I dusted off the old Bill, so to speak, updated it, and tightened certain provisions, such as those relating to high-ticket household items, which fail shortly after purchase.

I believe this action was necessary after I received a complaint just over 2 months ago from a constituent that purchased a brand-new car that came with a lot of issues only to get excuses after excuses. She’s stuck with a car loan for a car that doesn’t work and in good conscience can’t sell it to an unsuspecting member of the public. Even more recently, I had another constituent purchased a dryer that just didn’t work. At the point, I said enough is enough and decided that the only way to move this Bill forward was to do it myself as Consumers in this country needs protection.”

Saunders continued:

“I never realized how difficult, expensive, and time consuming this process was and it explains why this was only done one time before in the 1980s by the Hon. Truman Bodden. I have a new appreciation for the Law Reform Commission and the Legal Drafting team and for several lawyers here and in the UK that helped with this Consumer Protection Bill. Without their assistance, it couldn’t have been possible.

I am sure many Caymanians will welcome this long-overdue Bill to regulate and foster a fair and competitive marketplace where consumers can make choices with confidence, knowing that their rights are protected.

I encourage everyone to read the Bill when it is gazetted and encourage the public to reach out to their elected representatives and ask them to support this long overdue Bill.”