I walked into a leading couch emporium in a new design centre in Bryanston a week ago and made enquiries about the stunning L-shaped leather couch in their window that was priced at just under R10 000 on "Special Offer", presumably for their opening... too good to be true? Obviously, since none were available for sale and unlikely to be in the next six months, as there was no stock. This 'bait marketing' tactic used by this brand means I will never shop at that store again, but what do they care, right? I'm just the consumer... However, in terms of the new Consumer Protection Bill, what they did will be illegal in future and they could be fined and I could be compensated. The protection of the consumer from such unscrupulous marketing tactics is one of the good things about the new Bill and we all applaud it. However, the Bill is so poorly constructed and disadvantages suppliers to the extent that many perfectly legal marketing promotions and discounts are so tied up in red tape that it could increase prices for consumers instead. Enrico du Plessis, who is the mover and shaker behind a new marketing body, and Alison Lee, the head of the Corporate Lawyers Association, are to be applauded for their recent efforts to make sure that their submissions to the DTI regarding the new Bill benefit both the marketer and consumer. The deadline is today and now it's up to Government to ensure that the industry's comments are taken seriously. Enjoy! Louise Marsland, editor, www.bizcommunity.com