Consumer rights in Malawi
When a shop must refund, replace or repair, when it does not have to, and how to complain to the Competition and Fair Trading Commission.
- Toll free: 2489
- Faulty goods: refund or replace
- Change of mind: no refund
Quick answer: In Malawi the Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) enforces consumer rights. If something you bought is faulty and the fault was not pointed out before you paid, you can ask for a refund or replacement, and a shop’s ‘goods once bought are not returnable’ sign does not take that away. You do not get a refund just because you changed your mind or found it cheaper elsewhere. Go back to the trader first with your receipt; if they refuse, complain to the CFTC on toll free 2489, by email to [email protected] or with the online complaint form.
What do you need?
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When you are owed a refund, replacement or repair
From the CFTC’s consumer protection questions and answers.
Goods you buy must be of merchantable quality (a basic level of quality for their price and description), fit for their purpose, including any purpose you told the seller about, and match the description or sample. You must also get clear ownership of them. Services must be done with due care and skill.
If goods are faulty and nobody told you about the fault before you bought them, the CFTC says you have the right to a full refund or replacement. Other remedies are repair, exchange, doing the service again, or paying for it to be fixed. The seller must deal with you: they may send the item to the manufacturer, but they cannot make you chase the manufacturer yourself.
Your rights last for a reasonable time for the price and quality of the item, so they can continue after a written warranty or guarantee ends. A sign or receipt saying ‘goods once bought are not returnable’ is not allowed.
- Faulty, not disclosed
- Refund or replace
- Who deals with you
- The seller
- No-returns sign
- Not allowed
- Lost receipt
- Other proof can count
When you cannot get a refund
The CFTC lists these cases.
- You changed your mind, or decided you do not like or need the item
- You found the same thing cheaper somewhere else
- You examined the item before buying and should have seen an obvious fault
- The fault was pointed out before you bought it, for example goods sold as seconds
- You damaged it through careless, unreasonable or abnormal use, or someone else (such as an installer) caused the damage
No receipt? Keep trying: the CFTC says a receipt is the best evidence but not the only proof of purchase. A mobile money message or bank record of the payment can help.
How to complain to the CFTC
Start with the trader. The CFTC records every complaint and investigates when there is enough evidence.
Go back to the trader with your receipt
Explain the problem and what you want (refund, replacement or repair). Note the date, the person you spoke to and their answer. If you complain in writing, keep a copy.
Contact the CFTC
Call the toll free line 2489, email [email protected], send a WhatsApp to +265 987 738 749, or visit an office: Lilongwe head office in the MERA Office Complex on Convention Drive, next to the Civic Offices (+265 891 001 441); Blantyre, Government Building, Ministry of Trade offices, third floor (+265 882 889 521); Mzuzu, Peace Building (+265 987 738 748).
Or fill the online form: you and the business
Open the online complaint form. Section 1 is your details; section 2 is the business: its name, address, phone, email and the person you dealt with. A printable consumer complaint form is also on the site.
Sections 1 and 2 of the CFTC form. The purchase and what you want
Give the date, the product or service and the amount paid, attach the receipt or contract, and choose the result you want: refund (state the amount in kwacha), exchange, service performed or other. Then say what you already did and describe the problem in full.
Section 4: the resolution you want. The CFTC logs it and looks at the evidence
For unfair trading practices, the CFTC analyses what you sent and opens an investigation once there is enough evidence. It does not tell you whether a trader is good or bad, or which shops to use.
Shop smart: CFTC’s tips
From the CFTC’s advice to consumers (December 2025).
- Demand a receipt for every purchase: it is your best evidence in a dispute
- Check expiry dates, especially on food and drinks
- Compare the shelf price with the till price, and be critical of ‘sale’ prices
- Faulty goods bought on sale can still be refunded, replaced or repaired: ‘no refund on sale items’ does not cover faults
- Online: check the seller’s reputation and its return and refund policy before you pay
Filling station charging above the MERA price? That is MERA’s job: see our fuel prices guide.
CFTC links
Consumer rights FAQ
How do I complain about a shop in Malawi?
Raise it with the shop first. If that fails, contact the Competition and Fair Trading Commission on toll free 2489, email [email protected] or use the online complaint form on cftc.mw.
Can a shop refuse to refund faulty goods?
If the fault was not disclosed before you bought them, the CFTC says you have the right to a full refund or replacement. If the trader refuses, complain to the CFTC with your receipt.
Is ‘goods once bought are not returnable’ legal?
No. The CFTC says traders may not display such signs or print them on receipts, because they suggest you can never get a refund even when the trader is at fault.
Can I return something because I changed my mind?
No. There is no right to a refund if you simply change your mind, no longer need it, or find it cheaper elsewhere.
What if I lost my receipt?
A receipt is the best evidence, but the CFTC says it is not the only valid proof of purchase. Keep any other record of payment.
Does my right end when the warranty ends?
Not necessarily. Your rights last a reasonable time given the price and quality of the item, so they can continue after a written warranty or guarantee expires.
Does the CFTC charge to handle a complaint?
The CFTC’s pages list no fee for consumer complaints. The toll free line is 2489.
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