A businessman, Mr. Eze Kenneth Nwachukwu, has petitioned the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) over the refusal of a Chinese company located in Edo State, YANUO Industry (Nig) Co. Ltd, dealers in Swiss Polo bags, to fully supply goods he paid for since November 14, 2022.
In the petition made available to The Guardian, Nwachukwu stated that the goods worth N3 million were paid for in two installments. He explained that he had been called upon to come and pick the goods by the firm and was on his way to the place when he received another call that the company was on fire.
According to him, the company resumed production in April this year and changed its name to Startrip Industry (Nig.) Co. Ltd. However, against its earlier appeal to him that the goods would be received intact once it restarts operations, the company has insisted that it would supply only 40 per cent of the goods he ordered and at the current price.
The petition read: “About October/November 2022, I ordered for the following sets of traveling bags from a company named YANUO Industry (Nig) Co. Ltd in located in Ibafo Ogun state: (1) Plastics by 5 – 35500 X 10 sets = N355,000; (2) Computer by 3 – 50 sets X 43000 = N2,150,000; (3) See and saw by 4 – 11 sets X 45000 = N495,000. Total = N3,000,000. Total in bags = 71 sets.
“This order, worth N3 million, was paid for in sequence of N1 million on October 26, 2022, and N2 million on November 4, 2022.
“On November 13, I was informed that the order was ready for collection and I made arrangements for my driver to collect them on November 14, 2022. However, on November 14 2022, while my driver was on his way to collect the order, I was told that the factory was on fire.
Next day, November 15, 2022, I went to the office to find out what the situation was regarding the goods that I ordered. While I was there with other customers affected, one of the staff of the company addressed us and asked us to have patience. He promised us that any customer who had not received his goods would receive them intact once the company restarts operations.
“While waiting, I was contacting them from time to time. About April this year, I heard that the company has relocated to Benin City. Later on the same month, one of the staff, named JJ called and told me that the company has started paying back to customers with the condition that the customer has to make a new order first and then 20 per cent of the goods lost in fire will be given back to the customer until all are paid for.
“Few days later, JJ called again to tell me of a new development. The new development he said was that the Chinese managing the company refused to pay completely for goods ordered that were destroyed by the fire but would only pay 40 per cent of the amount the customer ordered. The 40 per cent is on the sum of money ordered, which is N1,200,000 naira and not on the goods (28.4 sets of bags) ordered. That means that any refund is based on the current price of the goods (which though is the same amount N1,200,000 but the sets of bags now is averagely about 23 sets instead of 28.4 sets. This is significant to differentiate because the price of the bags have changed and the same amount cannot get the equivalent number of bags as in November 2022 as shown above. In effect, the loss is not only the 60 per cent they are not paying for but also in the number of goods that I am supposed to get at 40 per cent of my initial order and also interest accruing from the money I borrowed to make the order for about a year now.
“I believe this is not fair and the impact of this on my business has been very devastating. The quantity of goods I buy now has reduced dramatically and this has impacted my business and livelihood, as I am the sole supporter of my family.
“I strongly believe that you will use your good offices to investigate this and ensure that the company is made to refund me the complete 71 sets of bags as I ordered within the shortest possible time.”
When The Guardian contacted the staff of the company named JJ on phone, he confirmed that the condition was made to the customer, saying: “What is bringing up this issue after it was settled earlier? What are you asking me to do now? Why did your complainant accept the condition? Now you are trying to tell me ‘hen, hen, the condition was!! See, I’m busy.”
When asked if the law backs up the treatment the company was meting out on the customer, he said: “Is there any law in your county? The law works only on poor man. Don’t tell me that. What law are you talking about?”
He later sent a WhatsApp message to The Guardian, where he stated further: “I was surprised that you are calling now because the condition was accepted by the man long ago. The man once threw (sic) to take action but came back to accept what was proposed. I am just a worker and I can’t do anything about the company order. I understand his plight but there is nothing I can do.”
