• Гідрологія і Гідрометрія
• Господарське право
• Економіка будівництва
• Економіка природокористування
• Економічна теорія
• Земельне право
• Історія України
• Кримінально виконавче право
• Медична радіологія
• Методи аналізу
• Міжнародне приватне право
• Міжнародний маркетинг
• Основи екології
• Предмет Політологія
• Соціальне страхування
• Технічні засоби організації дорожнього руху
• Товарознавство продовольчих товарів

CONSUMER LAW: PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS

Consumer protection is a term, which is applied to the efforts of government, public-interest organizations, individuals, and businesses to establish, protect, and enforce the rights of people who buy products such as food and automobiles or services such as health care and insurance.

Products offered for sale should not pose undue risk of physical harm to consumers or their families.

Consumers need sufficient information in order to choose wisely among the competing products and services available. The marketplace, however, contains a great many different and complex products, and advertising is usually not informative enough for consumer purposes. Therefore, consumers often lack the information required to compare the quality of various products and services, to determine their true cost, or to be assured of their suitabilty or safety. Many consumer problems are caused by incorrect or fraudulent information.

Consumers often need more than just the information sellers disclose. For instance, firms rarely volunteer information about the shortcomings of their products. To provide essential comparative information, several private, independent organizations test products and report their findings to interested persons.

A consumer who has been cheated or who has bought a product or service that does not perform properly has a right to seek a refund, replacement of the product, or other remedy. Sometimes, however, a buyer finds that the manufacturer or seller will not cooperate in resolving the complaint. In recent years laws have been passed to help dissatisfied consumers. Some laws declare certain deceptive business practices illegal and give consumers the right to sue a business believed to be violating the law. The communications media — newspapers, television, and radio — often aid consumers. Problems with credit and billing can also affect consumers.

Also, the needs of consumers should be considered when government decisions affecting them are made.

Industrialization brought to many countries of the world consumer problems it caused. In many nations the government plays a major role in product testing and consumer education. In the Scandinavian countries and Mexico, for example, the government funds consumer information and education activities. Some nations place great emphasis on informative labeling. The Swedish Institute for Informative Labeling, for instance, works to promote the use of standardized labels that include information about the product’s performance in specific “standardized methods of measuring performance” tests. Other coun­tries focus their efforts on making consumer assistance and information more accessible. Austria’s Verein fur Konsumenten Information operates a demonstration center in Vienna where the public can inspect available brands and receive impartial buying advice. Most industrialized nations, and many developing countries, have consumer product testing organizations that also publish reports on product tests, services, and other matters of importance to consumers.

The International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU) links activities of some 130 organizations in more than 50 countries. It serves as an international forum on consumer problems and works to stimulate an interchange of product test information, consumer education materials, and other data among organizations of different nations. IOCU sponsors an Asian-Pacific Regional Office to assist consumers in developing countries. The organization also represents consumer interests in international agencies such as the United Nations.

UNDERSTANDING MAIN POINTS___________________________________

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