We have no vibrant consumer body, the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) was sold to the public when it was established that it would be our Knight in shinning armour. When Minister Lynette Eastmond was appointed to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, she was very enthusiastic but of late she seems to have faded under the weight of big government, or is it a case of incompetence? Somebody needs to step up to the plate.
Does anyone know if there are any international consumer organizations which we can interest in this matter?
Personal attention of Anthony Nicholls
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Commercial,
Consumer Affairs and Business Development
Your ref: FTC 60/8/1 T10
Concerns regarding operations of Opera Telecom
Thank you for your letter dated 29th November 2007, mailed on 10th December and received by myself on 13th December 2007 in response to my emails dated 29th September and 2nd October 2007. You mention in the letter ‘In view of the direct response given to yourself by the Fair Trading Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development considers the matter to be closed at this stage’.
I am at an absolute loss how your Ministry can consider this ‘matter to be closed’.
Despite the assurances given by the Fair Trading Commission up until 14th November (one month ago), a list of the ‘winners’ of the Barbados Lucky Numbers competition has still not been published to date. The company (Opera Interactive (Barbados) Ltd has continued to breach the Consumer Protection Act. CAP 326D, and as recently as 2nd December 2007, published an ‘ad’ which did not contain the name of the competition operator.
The FTC, in its letter dated 14th November 2007, gave the assurance that Opera Interactive (Barbados) Limited had supplied it with a list of ‘winners’ and that the FTC had contacted by telephone to confirm these ‘winners’ were ‘bona fide’. This in itself I find quite remarkable, as the winning number remained the same throughout the competition, and an observer one is left with the only conclusion reachable, that the ‘winners’ all chose the same number.
I would respectfully remind you that the company that launched this and other competitions in Barbados, had as its common director, Gary Corbett, was also the chairman/CEO of a UK registered entity called Opera Telecom. And that this company has had at least 21 successful awards against for breeching regulatory conditions of operation including the highest ever fine in the UK.
I cannot understand the reluctant by the FTC to ensure that a full list of ‘winners’ is published for the Barbados Lucky Numbers, Caribbean Phone Idol and other competitions that Opera Interactive (Barbados) Limited has promoted in Barbados.
Yours Faithfully
Adrian Loveridge
14 December 2007
copied to:
Fair Trading Commission
The Office of Public Counsel
Minister Lynette Eastmond
If bajans playing the game and don’t care whether they win, well………
When Eastmond knocking pun wood door to door wht ignorant bajans dont ask her about what her office doing?
People get what they deserve.
Ignorant Bajan
Another week rolls by, even after the Nation stated it WAS going to print a list of the winners of the Barbados Lucky Numbers competition operated by Opera Interactive (Barbados Ltd.
No list of winners yet?
Is this a model of consumer protection?
Adrian it looks like the Minister of Consumer Affairs is a little busy right now.
David…
Then she must have been planning this occasion since September, as it was then I sent her the details of Opera Interactive (Barbados) Ltd and have not as yet, received any response from the Minister.
However, I do wish her every happiness and certainly would not want to interupt he honeymoon.
Perhaps after!
I understand her new husband is a freelance journalist. If he has ANY influence with the Nation, could he try and get them to publish the Barbados Lucky Number winners PLEASE.
It would be interesting to ask Minister Eastmond why she has halted her participation on the blogs and so too Duguid. it was an opportunity to interact with the public and it now seems that both of them have ran away. On another note it would be interesting to ask Duguid why he is using Blogger for his new website and not WordPress. Just wondering William:-)
I must say that you all want to hear Duguid more than I do. I listened to him in the Housetoday and it is clear that he was promoted higher than his intellect can function. Its a pity because I thought when he was elected that here was a young man of promise and he was promoted as a future leader of the Bees. God help us all if this empty vessel has to make more noise.
Was he not sickening he seemed to be putting on a stupid act, his voice alone was annoying, but then again I am left to feel that this was PR exercise to buy him some votes as people tell me his support base has been erroding quickly (must be his greed for money when he can charge for work that he fails to deliver on) even the white people are being switched off by him and are moving their support to the DEMS.
He has problems because he is not and never will be a Sir Hernry Forde, his manner and his greed for money is clearly displayed his community involvement is at a very low leve , you just need to read the papers to pickup on this aspect of his missing in action representation.
Also to he is suffering from the infighting going on within the blp, as we were fed another diet of this fighting on Sunday when Owing clearly told mottley he will be the PM and you have no purpose in my cabinet.If you think that his dumping of Rommel Marshall was remarkable if the electorate were so silly to give the chance his dumping of mottley would be even more remarkable and vindictive.
Why is it that you are not focusing on the glaring disunity within the BLP?
Owen and George payne are not on speaking terms and one cannot turn his back on the other
Owen has vowed that ‘no Mottley can succeed him.
Owen has humiliated Rommel Marshall
Liz is waiting her cahnce on Owen.
What about Edghill? He has already cussed out Owen and his colleagues.
The BLP should be the last to talk about the DLP.
All the evidence ppoint to a BLP that is disunited and cutting one another’s throat.
Yet ANOTHER week goes by and the Nation still has not published the list of ‘winners’.
The FTC says it has the list and they have verified the ‘winners’ are bona fide’.
So WHY don’t they print the list?