Tyrone Reid, Staff ReporterTHE UNFAIR commercial practice of 'marrying' goods has arisen once more, due to the severe cement shortage that has the nation in a
stranglehold.
Customers are lamenting that they have been told that the scarce commodity has taken on multiple partners and would not be sold in isolation.
Reports reaching The Gleaner are that some hardware merchants in the Corporate Area and Spanish Town, St. Catherine are demanding that customers purchase other supplies if they want to buy cement.
For example, a customer who wants 20 bags is told he must spend an additional $10,000 on other supplies to secure the purchase.
"I went to four separate hardwares in Spanish Town and the Corporate Area last Friday and was told I had to spend $10,000 more on supplies I didn't even need in order to get the cement," a disgruntled customer told The Gleaner.
Another customer said he went to two stores in the Spanish Town area and was told the same thing.
NOT AWARE OF THE PRACTICE
Michael Archer, president of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica, told The Gleaner that he was not aware of the practice. He, however, said that some hardware merchants have lamented that the dearth in cement has put a dent in their sales of other supplies. As a result, Mr. Archer said he could not deny that the unfair trading practice was currently taking root in the industry.
"I would suspect that because of that ... they would try to marry the cement. I wouldn't necessarily write it off that it is not happening," he said.
Errol Salkey, president of the Hardware Merchants' Association, confirmed that the cement shortage was affecting the sales of his members. "The members are hurting in their pockets ... they are taking a beating," he stressed.
Mr. Salkey revealed that because business had slowed to a trickle, some members have had to send workers home.
