Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden has shared his expectations for the major supermarkets to improve their refund policies and do better on pricing accuracy and complaints.
The Commission outlined the following expectations to the senior leadership of Foodstuffs North Island, Foodstuffs South Island and Woolworths New Zealand:
• Review and amend their refund policies to ensure they demonstrate a commitment to pricing integrity and motivate customers to bring any pricing integrity issues to their attention. For instance, offering a full refund of the purchase price of mispriced goods;
• Prominently promote their refund policies – in-store, online and through direct mail communications; and
• Ensure there are comprehensive policies, systems and processes to record and categorise all complaints about pricing and promotional issues, and appropriately train staff in these policies, systems and processes.
The Commission states: “We are considering introducing a mandatory disclosure standard that would require the major supermarkets to regularly disclose information about customer complaints, including around pricing and promotional issues. Making this information visible will help consumers be better informed and have more confidence their complaints will be dealt with.
“The letters from the Grocery Commissioner to Foodstuffs North Island, Foodstuffs South Island and Woolworths New Zealand, and their responses are on our website.”
If you have any questions or comments, please email grocery.regulation@comcom.govt.nz.
