LABUAN — The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) in Labuan has taken action against a business premises outside Labuan town after an inspection found a discrepancy between the price displayed on the shelf and the price charged at the checkout.
KPDN Labuan director Junaidah Arbain said enforcement officers found a chocolate product displayed with a price tag of RM3.00, but the same product was scanned and charged at RM3.30 at the payment counter.
“This represents a 30-sen difference between the displayed and charged prices, which could mislead consumers about the actual price of the product, particularly when purchasing decisions are based on the price displayed on the shelf,” she said in a statement today.
She said the premises was suspected of committing an offence under Paragraph 12(1)(a) of the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (Act 599) for providing a misleading representation regarding the price of goods for trade purposes.
The goods and relevant documents were also inspected to assist in further investigations, she said.
Junaidah said KPDN Labuan viewed such price discrepancies seriously as displayed prices were among the key information consumers relied on before making purchasing decisions.
“Traders are responsible for ensuring that prices displayed on shelves, labels or price tags are accurate and correspond with the prices charged through the payment system at the counter,” she said.
She advised traders to regularly check their price tags and point-of-sale (POS) systems, particularly when prices are changed, to prevent consumers from being charged prices that differ from those displayed.
Consumers, meanwhile, are advised to check shelf prices and receipts after making payments and retain their receipts as evidence in the event of discrepancies.
Information or complaints regarding trade misconduct can be channelled to KPDN for further action, she said.
