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If there were a consumer tenacity award in Indonesia, it
should go to Anny R. Gultom and German Tambunan.
Using the 1999 Consumer Protection Law and other legislation, the
Jakarta couple hung onto their ideals for six years. Now they have won
Rp 60 million (US$6,400) in damages for the theft of their vehicle from
a shopping mall parking lot.
Elsewhere in the world, such an event would have little news value. But
not in Indonesia, where aggrieved consumers need to be tough,
determined and prepared for the long haul. Duncan Graham reports:
It was just another weekend of minor domestic disasters.
A tap split in the bathroom showering walls and ceiling. A visitor
noted the LPG gas cylinder pipe to the stove was not pressure-rated --
risking rupture and explosion. And a front door panel had shrunk
exposing a long and ugly split in the timber.
All these items were just a few weeks old, bought new as part of a home
renovation in Malang. The upshot: Unproductive verbal brawls and more
spending.
What recourses do consumers have against flawed products, dangerous
devices and shoddy work? In theory -- lots. In practice -- very little.
The law backs Indonesian buyers -- but that support is poorly equipped,
ill-prepared and seemingly in little mood to challenge recalcitrant
retailers.
Change is unlikely until buyers exercise their purse-power and boycott
shops that refuse to exchange dud goods or refund consumers' cash.
That is the situation in many other countries, and not just because of
the statutes. Smart retailers who exercise strict quality controls over
their wholesale suppliers know that cheerfully attending to customers'
genuine gripes wins new trade.
That is already happening with the big multinationals like Carrefour.
Corporate affairs director Irawan Kadarman said the company permits
refund or exchange within 15 days of purchase. Conditions apply; the
company's policy is posted at their stores' information desk.
Smaller shops are unlikely to adopt such modern practices until
customers shed their shame about complaining in a culture that shies
away from confrontation.
"The Javanese term is nerimo, which means just accepting whatever the
provider gives," said Indah Suksmaningsih, chairperson of the
Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and a former microbiologist.
"The laws and regulations put the consumer into a nerimo position. For
example, the standard contract provided by a water company in Yogya
states that if the quality of the water does not meet the required
standards, no claim is allowed.
"Their attitude is provide, you accept." The paradigm is, however,
shifting and people are starting to demand quality. Compared to Vietnam
and Cambodia, consumers' rights here rank a little higher. But way
below those in Malaysia and Singapore.
"In this country, there are a lot of shoddy goods on the market and
people care more about price than quality. The fact is, they'd like
quality and safety but are powerless to pay.
"That's why I accept the `freedom of choice' argument. Many shoppers in
Indonesia just don't have a choice because of poverty."
The YLKI (motto - A Voice for the Voiceless) is an advocacy and lobby
group with 22 staff. It gets about five percent of its money from local
government, the rest from overseas donors like the Ford Foundation and
the Asia Foundation. It also works closely with Australian consumer
groups.
"We don't want to get too much money from the government or they'll try
to dictate to us," Indah said.
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