Latest news with #NationalConsumerTribunal
The Citizen
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Droom Troue fined R250 000 for turning brides' wedding dreams into nightmares
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is — as these brides found out when they entered a 'competition' to win a R500 000 wedding. The National Consumer Tribunal has fined a trustee of Droom Troue, a reality television show, R250 000 for contravening the Consumer Protection Act and ordered her to refund a total of R265 550 to seven participants who filed complaints. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) referred the matter to the tribunal after receiving eleven complaints from consumers about Lana-Jane de Jager, a trustee of the Shabach Trust, trading as Droom Troue. Droom Troue was a reality television show that recruited participants through a competition where they were promised the chance to 'win a dream wedding' worth R500 000. The NCC says De Jager promoted this competition across various platforms, including bridal magazines and social media. Participants had to follow Bruidsgids on Instagram, like Droom Troue on Facebook and text 'Droom Troue' along with their names and e-mail addresses to 36996 at R5 per text message. ALSO READ: Tribunal fines car dealer and home renovator for not respecting consumers' rights Brides complained to the NCC about Droom Troue The NCC received complaints from dissatisfied participants about Doom Troue between August 2022 and April 2023. When the NCC investigated the matter, it found that after entering the competition, Droom Troue informed participants that they had won the prize. And this is where it became too good to be true: to claim the prize, participants were required to sign a memorandum of understanding and pay a non-refundable 'commitment' fee of between R25 000 and R60 000 to claim the prize of a wedding valued at R500 000. After paying up, the participants did not receive any further communication from De Jager. The NCC investigation concluded that by informing participants that they had won a competition while there was no competition, De Jager contravened section 36 (2)(a)(i) of the CPA. Section 36 (2)(a)(i) states that nobody is allowed to directly or indirectly inform someone that they have won a competition if no competition was held. ALSO READ: Tribunal fines used car dealer R100 000 for disregarding consumer's rights NCC case at tribunal about Droom Troue Referring the matter to the tribunal, the NCC asked it to order that De Jager and Droom Troue contravened section 36(2)(a)(ii), (iii) and (iv), section 36(3)(a) and section 36(5)(c) to (f), as well as an order for an interdict prohibiting them from engaging in the same conduct in future. The NCC also asked the tribunal to order that De Jager and Droom Troue refund the complainants the amounts they paid with interest as well as pay an administrative penalty of R1 million. While the tribunal found that there was no competition, Droom Troue's memorandum of understanding referred to the complainants as 'participants' participating in the competition or competition process. According to the tribunal, this gave consumers the impression that the competition they were entering existed. In addition, the tribunal determined that the CPA provides that 'if any provision of the CPA, read in its context, can reasonably be construed to have more than one meaning, the tribunal or court must prefer the meaning that best promotes the spirit and purposes of the CPA. 'In this context, the tribunal found that the definition of a participant includes an instance such as this. The fact that no competition took place does not mean the complainants cannot be viewed as participants, since they still participated in the competition process, which we now know was just a ruse.' ALSO READ: Braai Block restaurant chain slapped with R1m fine for 'ripping off consumers' Tribunal finds Droom Troue intentionally misled brides Section 4(5)(b) of the CPA states that in any dealings with the consumer in the ordinary course of business, nobody is allowed to engage in any conduct that is unconscionable, misleading, deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive. The tribunal found that the conduct of De Jager and Droom Troue was intended to intentionally mislead and deceive multiple consumers, displaying little or no regard for the spirit and purpose of the CPA. Therefore, the tribunal ruled that De Jager and Droom Troue contravened sections 4(5)(b) and 36(2)(a)(i) of the CPA and found their actions unconscionable and declared the conduct prohibited. The tribunal imposed an administrative fine of R250 000 on De Jager and ordered her to refund the affected seven complainants a sum of R265 550. ALSO READ: Consumer Tribunal fines Cell C R500k for unfair, unreasonable and unjust conditions Droom Troue's submission to tribunal De Jager opposed the matter and denied that she contravened the provisions of the CPA. She submitted that Droom Troue is a reality television show and that the complainants were carefully selected to participate in it, not chosen by lot or chance. She also submitted that Droom Troue is not a promotional competition as defined in the CPA, but instead is a reality television show conceptualised in 2018 and which ended in 2024. The complainants were selected to be participants in the show and not a promotional competition. She also said she and Droom Troue did not enter into any agreement with the complainants to supply goods or services in exchange for money. De Jager also submitted that Droom Troue does not sell any goods or render any services for money and is therefore not a business as defined in section 36. In addition, she said participants were not selected by 'lot or chance', as almost all participants won the prize after a careful selection process. The relationship between De Jager was purely contractual and not subject to the provisions of section 36 of the CPA. ALSO READ: Consumer Tribunal finds another three used car dealers guilty of prohibited conduct Brides knew about 'commitment fee' to be part of Droom Troue – De Jager De Jager also submitted that the participants were always aware of the commitment fee that had to be paid to secure the potential bride and groom's commitment to follow through with the wedding. She said the commitment fee was introduced to curb wasted costs, effort and time to ensure that the wedding would take place and could be aired on television. She did not believe that the payments were consideration or payment as defined in the CPA, while the so-called goods or services were bequests gifted to the couple. Clause 27 of the MOU clearly stipulates that the commitment fee is a nonrefundable payment to ensure the participants are committed to following through with the wedding, she said. Although the tribunal accepted that it was not a competition, it noted in its judgement that none of the advertisements included in the case record indicate that participants were being recruited to participate in a reality show. The tribunal also said the fact that no competition took place does not mean the complainants cannot be viewed as participants since they still participated in the competition process, which 'we now know was just a ruse'. ALSO READ: Tribunal fines car repairer R100 000 for being 'dishonest and contemptuous' Droom Troue and De Jager deceived consumers making them think it is a competition In addition, the Tribunal found that De Jager and Droom Troue, through their conduct in recruiting potential participants for their television show, intentionally set out to mislead and deceive consumers into thinking that they were entering a competition to win a prize and signed an MOU to that effect. 'By their conduct, De Jager and Droom Troue set out to intentionally mislead and deceive multiple consumers and displayed little or no regard for the spirit and purpose of the CPA. The tribunal finds their conduct unconscionable.' The tribunal declared the conduct of De Jager and Droom Troue prohibited and granted an interdict prohibiting De Jager from engaging in the same or similar prohibited conduct in the future. De Jager must also refund the seven consumers the amounts between R25 000 and R46 400 that they paid. Hardin Ratshisusu, acting commissioner of the NCC, welcomed the tribunal's judgement. 'Consumers should be careful when participating in schemes with a promise of winning money or other benefits. 'In this case, consumers were deceived and promised a dream wedding and robbed of their hard-earned cash. Importantly, this case affirms the role of the CPA in guarding against misleading schemes disguised as promotions targeted at consumers.'
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Peanut butter recall: What you need to know
The peanut butter industry in South Africa faces serious scrutiny as the National Consumer Tribunal has imposed a significant fine following alarming product recalls. The National Consumer Tribunal (Tribunal) has endorsed a settlement agreement with House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, which trades as Eden All Butters. This agreement includes an administrative fine of R500,000 against the supplier. Product recalls In February 2024, major retailers Dis-Chem and Pick 'n Pay issued recalls for certain peanut butter products. These recalls were triggered by the discovery of elevated levels of aflatoxin, a harmful mycotoxin associated with contaminated peanuts. Investigation An investigation by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) revealed that the recalled peanut butter was sourced from House of Natural Butters, which had distributed contaminated and decayed peanuts across South Africa, breaching vital food safety regulations and consumer protection laws. While the Tribunal's decision brings closure to the case against House of Natural Butters, the NCC continues its inquiries into another implicated peanut butter manufacturer, indicating that more actions may be forthcoming against suppliers failing to meet health and safety standards.
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
R500 000 penalty for House of Natural Butters over contaminated peanut butter products
The National Consumer Tribunal has confirmed a settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, after several peanut butter products were found to contain dangerously high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds. Image: Supplied A peanut butter manufacturer has agreed to pay a R500 000 administrative penalty following a product safety investigation after several peanut butter products were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds. The National Consumer Tribunal confirmed the settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, trading as Eden All Butters. According to the NCC, the supplier and the commission entered into the settlement agreement on February 25, 2025, which was subsequently referred to the Tribunal. On June 3, 2025, the Tribunal confirmed the agreement and made it a consent order in terms of section 74(1) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). The NCC said it had first been alerted to the issue in February 2024 through product recall notifications issued by Dischem and Pick 'n Pay. These recalls were prompted by elevated levels of aflatoxin in certain peanut butter products supplied by House of Natural Butters. 'The NCC established that the affected products had higher than legally acceptable levels of aflatoxin, as set out under R1145 Regulation Governing Tolerance of Fungus-Produced Toxins in Foodstuffs,' the commission had stated. Following discussions with the manufacturer, it emerged that House of Natural Butters also produced items for other suppliers. As a result, the company launched broader recalls starting on February 2, 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading An NCC investigation found that between May 11, 2023 and November 6, 2023, House of Natural Butters had 'imported and supplied contaminated, decayed and impure peanuts, groundnuts and byproducts to South African consumers through various retailers.' In confirming the consent order, the Tribunal noted: 'The respondent imported the products from Malawi and Zambia using trucks and trailers, via land borders and port entries. The trucks and trailers did not have the requisite certificates of acceptability required for the transportation of food. Further laboratory test results from various accredited food testing laboratories established that the products were contaminated, decayed and impure.' The matter involving another peanut butter manufacturer implicated in the case is still ongoing. Acting Commissioner of the NCC, Hardin Ratshisusu, welcomed the outcome. 'The NCC welcomes this consent order as it brings this matter against House of Natural Butters to a finality. It is incumbent upon suppliers of food products in the South African market to ensure strict compliance with food safety regulations and the Consumer Protection Act.'
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Health
- IOL News
House of Natural Butters fined R500,000 for contamination in some peanut butter products
The National Consumer Tribunal has confirmed a settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, after several peanut butter products were found to contain dangerously high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds. Image: Picture: Pexels/Karolina Grabowksa The National Consumer Tribunal has confirmed a settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, trading as Eden All Butters. The supplier will pay a hefty administrative penalty of R500,000 as part of this agreement. This follows a product safety investigation launched after several peanut butter products were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds. According to the NCC, the supplier and the commission entered into the settlement agreement on February 25, 2025, which was subsequently referred to the Tribunal. On 3 June 2025, the Tribunal confirmed the agreement and made it a consent order in terms of section 74(1) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). The NCC said it had first been alerted to the issue in February 2024 through product recall notifications issued by Dischem and Pick 'n Pay. These recalls were prompted by elevated levels of aflatoxin in certain peanut butter products supplied by House of Natural Butters. 'The NCC established that the affected products had higher than legally acceptable levels of aflatoxin, as set out under R1145 Regulation Governing Tolerance of Fungus-Produced Toxins in Foodstuffs,' the commission had stated. Following discussions with the manufacturer, it emerged that House of Natural Butters also produced items for other suppliers. As a result, the company launched broader recalls starting on February 2, 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ An NCC investigation found that between 11 May 2023 and 6 November 2023, House of Natural Butters had 'imported and supplied contaminated, decayed and impure peanuts, groundnuts and byproducts to South African consumers through various retailers.' In confirming the consent order, the Tribunal noted: 'The respondent imported the products from Malawi and Zambia using trucks and trailers, via land borders and port entries. The trucks and trailers did not have the requisite certificates of acceptability required for the transportation of food. Further laboratory test results from various accredited food testing laboratories established that the products were contaminated, decayed and impure.' The matter involving another peanut butter manufacturer implicated in the case is still ongoing. Acting Commissioner of the NCC, Hardin Ratshisusu, welcomed the outcome in the House of Natural Butters matter. 'The NCC welcomes this consent order as it brings this matter against House of Natural Butters to a finality. It is incumbent upon suppliers of food products in the South African market to ensure strict compliance with food safety regulations and the Consumer Protection Act.' Cape Argus
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Health
- IOL News
House of Natural Butters fined R500,000 for contamination in some peanut butter products
The National Consumer Tribunal has confirmed a settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, after several peanut butter products were found to contain dangerously high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds. Image: Picture: Pexels/Karolina Grabowksa The National Consumer Tribunal has confirmed a settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, trading as Eden All Butters. The supplier will pay a hefty administrative penalty of R500,000 as part of this agreement. This follows a product safety investigation launched after several peanut butter products were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds. According to the NCC, the supplier and the commission entered into the settlement agreement on February 25, 2025, which was subsequently referred to the Tribunal. On 3 June 2025, the Tribunal confirmed the agreement and made it a consent order in terms of section 74(1) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). The NCC said it had first been alerted to the issue in February 2024 through product recall notifications issued by Dischem and Pick 'n Pay. These recalls were prompted by elevated levels of aflatoxin in certain peanut butter products supplied by House of Natural Butters. 'The NCC established that the affected products had higher than legally acceptable levels of aflatoxin, as set out under R1145 Regulation Governing Tolerance of Fungus-Produced Toxins in Foodstuffs,' the commission had stated. Following discussions with the manufacturer, it emerged that House of Natural Butters also produced items for other suppliers. As a result, the company launched broader recalls starting on February 2, 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading An NCC investigation found that between 11 May 2023 and 6 November 2023, House of Natural Butters had 'imported and supplied contaminated, decayed and impure peanuts, groundnuts and byproducts to South African consumers through various retailers.' In confirming the consent order, the Tribunal noted: 'The respondent imported the products from Malawi and Zambia using trucks and trailers, via land borders and port entries. The trucks and trailers did not have the requisite certificates of acceptability required for the transportation of food. Further laboratory test results from various accredited food testing laboratories established that the products were contaminated, decayed and impure.' The matter involving another peanut butter manufacturer implicated in the case is still ongoing. Acting Commissioner of the NCC, Hardin Ratshisusu, welcomed the outcome in the House of Natural Butters matter. 'The NCC welcomes this consent order as it brings this matter against House of Natural Butters to a finality. It is incumbent upon suppliers of food products in the South African market to ensure strict compliance with food safety regulations and the Consumer Protection Act.' Cape Argus
