Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

A decision by the Caribbean Cement Company Limited (CCCL) to renege on a lucrative promotional sale deal it made in December 2006 with cement distributors has left at least one Montego Bay-based businessman hopping mad and crying foul.

Presenting documentation he got from the cement company as proof of his involvement in the promotional sale deal and meeting the prescribed target, the distributor, who asked that his identity not be disclosed, said that having met his end of the deal, instead of keeping their side, CCCL was now trying to force him to settle for a less lucrative arrangement.

Meeting sales target

"I met the sales target and was presented with a credit note for 720 bags of cement valued at $7,200," said the businessman, showing The Gleaner both the promotional letter and authorised credit note he had received after meeting his target.

"When I went to redeem the credit note, all they decided to offer me was 15 bags of cement instead of the agreed 720," said the disgruntled businessman. "They are claiming that the original arrangement was faulty and they had changed it."

When CCCL was contacted for a comment, an official of the company admitted that they had ran a promotional sale campaign in December under the terms and condition outlined in the letter the businessman showed to The Gleaner but she was unable to explain why the outlined promise was not kept.

Several letters

"Yes, the letter is authentic ... we have sent out several letters like that to various distributors," said Denise Minto, of CCCL's promotional department.

"Unfortunately, I am not able to say exactly why the terms outlined to the distributors were not kept but I can't comment any further."

When the Fair Trading Commission was contacted for a comment as to what action the aggrieved distributor could take against CCCL, an official told The Gleaner that he could either pursue a legal option in the courts or seek the assistance of Consumer Affairs Commission, a government entity empowered to address concerns relating to the CCCL.