Dear XX;
Thanks for your response.
No, I am not a member of CAC, what is that? I need to go to the website to find out more.
My interest in becoming a volunteer started about a few days ago, when one consumer went into a online forum to ask people how should he deal with the situation. He brought a package of Tofu from a store, only to find out it stale. He phoned, the store manager agree he can exchange if he bring back the food. He asked if the store can bring the food to his house to exchange instead, because, there is a long distance from his home to the store. It is not worthwhile for him to exchange, because it will cost more for the transportation. The manager refused. The consumer then said:" I am going to complain to the Comsumer Association". The manager replied" Go ahead, just tell them I sell stale food". Then this consumer ask people for the phone number of the CAC and also people's opinion. That's how I started to check the CAC website for the first time and aware of volunteering opportunity.
Most people in the forum seems to agree, it is too much for the store to bring the food to consumer's house to exchange and no example has been set. It is also seems kind of humbling for the store to do so aside from the economic perspective. They also think grocery stores will do the same as that store.
Then I think deeper. I have a couple of personal experience with stale milk(the expiration date is far away from the date I broght) from Loblaw and stale frozen fish from food basic(so it is impossible to see the freshness when you buy). All of those things are only a couple of dollars worth. Most people will simply just throw away the foods instead of go all the way to the store to exchange. It's simply no worth the time, transportation and effort to exchange. The same rationales apply to the buyer as to the seller for exchange, but it is the buyer who is the loser.
It is clear to me: Exchange policy is not enough. Who is the ultimate loser of stores selling stale food?? it seems to me the stores got nothing to lose. reputation? cosummers only have so few choices, and the stores seems conspired. I think store should have a moral resposibility to ensure the food is fresh or at least if the freshness of certain food is in question, they should inform the buyers.
We should set some rules and set some examples to make sure stores will do their best to ensure the freshness or inform the buyer. One idea will be: It's a de facto the buyers bring the food to the store exchange, how about the other way around? or maybe when the buyers bring food to exchange, they get double or triple ? of couse these kind of policies should only be apply to stale food, or things of similar nature. If we have those policies, I believed the stores to do their best to make sure exchange will never happen.
People always assume that's too much for the sellers, but how about the buyers though?
I attach my CV. I hope I can be of some use for the causes.
Have a nice day
XX
Original Message -----
From: XX
To: XX
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 12:57 PM
Subject: RE: Someone wants to volunteer
Dear XX:
Thank you for your interest in our organization. The requirements for becoming a CAC volunteer are simple - you must be a member of the CAC in good standing, and you must have an interest in addressing consumer concerns. Formal education and training in a particular subject area is not a requirement...passion and enthusiasm are.
Can you tell me what specific consumer issues you are interested in, and what exactly you would like to do for us to help us address these issues (i.e monitor information sources, report on public consultations, comment on issue-related documents, etc.)?
Please also provide a brief bio, or even a CV.
Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Operations Manager
CAC National Office