Consumer Rights and Responsibilites Chapter 23 Consumer Rights and Responsibilites pp. 370-383

Why It’s Important As a consumer, you have rights about the safety and the quality of the products you buy. Along with those rights, you also have responsibilities to choose and use products wisely.

The Consumer Bill of Rights In 1962, President John F. Kennedy outlined what he called the Consumer Bill of Rights.

The Consumer Bill of Rights The four basic consumer rights are: The right to be informed The right to choose The right to safety The right to be heard

The Consumer Bill of Rights These rights received much attention from the consumer movement, a movement to pass laws protecting consumers from unfair and unsafe business practices.

The Consumer Bill of Rights Over the years, three more rights were added. These rights are: The right to have problems corrected The right to consumer education The right to service

The Right to Be Informed Consumers can make wise decisions only if they have the information they need. As a consumer, you have a right to accurate information.

The Right to Be Informed Businesses are required to give you certain information about their products. Packaged foods must list all ingredients starting with what they contain the most.

The Right to Choose Consumers can choose from a wide variety of goods and services, because the United States has a market economy.

The Right to Choose When one company controls the market, it has a monopoly. Competition means there are choices. Lack of competition hurts the consumer.

The Right to Choose The federal government has the power to keep markets competitive. The government can use antitrust laws to stop monopolies from forming or to break them up.

The Right to Safety The legal responsibility that manufacturers have to make a safe product is called product liability.

The Right to Safety Products that might be dangerous if used improperly must have instructions for correct and safe operation.

The Right to Be Heard Consumers who have complaints about products or services have a right to be heard.

The Right to Be Heard If you’re not happy, businesses generally want to hear about it so they can fix the problem and keep you as a customer.

The Right to Be Heard Bait and switch consists of advertising an item at a low price to lure you into the store. Once you’re there, the salespeople tell you they’re out of the item and try to get you to switch to a more expensive item.

The Right to Be Heard There are a number of laws to protect consumers from fraud, or deliberately misleading business practices.

The Right to Be Heard You can turn to various government or consumer organizations for help if you have a problem.

The Right to Have Problems Corrected Usually if you take a defective item back to the store with your receipt, the business will replace the item or refund your money.

The Right to Have Problems Corrected If a business refuses to correct a problem, you can write to the manufacturer to find out how to get the problem resolved.

The Right to Consumer Education Consumers have the right to learn how a market system works. When you decide to buy an item, you should know that different stores might charge different prices.

The Right to Consumer Education Some sources of consumer education are: Comparison shopping Labels and fact sheets continued

The Right to Consumer Education Consumer education classes Magazines such as Consumer Reports Consumer organizations

The Right to Service Customers have a right to be treated in a respectful and courteous manner.

The Right to Service You have the right to expect fast delivery of goods or services and that they meet the standard of quality a business claims.

The Right to Service You have the right to be served without discrimination on the basis of your race, gender, income, or age.

Your Responsibilities as a Consumer As a consumer, you have the responsibility to educate yourself.

The Responsibility to Be Informed Before making a major purchase, read Fact Sheets from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can also get product information on the Internet.

The local newspaper runs these stories. Figure 23.2 HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION The local newspaper runs these stories. As a consumer, what is your responsibility after reading these headlines?

The Responsibility to Choose Carefully Responsible consumers make comparisons to find the best product or service at the best price.

Pollution The environment is threatened with all kinds of pollution, or contamination of air, water, and land. Consumers (and producers) must do their part to cut down on pollution.

Conserving Resources Conservation is the process of preserving, protecting, and planning the management of resources. Every consumer should be aware of the limited supplies of resources and adjust their consumption accordingly.

Recycling Recycling involves collecting products for processing so that they can be used again.

Recycling It’s the responsibility of all consumers to: Reduce the use of disposable materials Reuse products when they can Recycle materials to reduce waste

The Responsibility to Use Products Safely Consumers must follow the instructions given by the manufacturer for the safe use of products.

The Responsibility to Use Products Safely You can have safety problems if you buy products from an unreliable source.

The Responsibility to Speak Out You have the responsibility to report unfair, unsafe, and illegal business practices.

The Responsibility to Speak Out You can let the company know if you don’t approve of its products or policies. You can boycott, or refuse to buy, a company’s goods or services.

The Responsibility to Seek Remedy You have a responsibility to seek remedy for a defective product.

The Responsibility to Learn Consumer Skills Some tips for making smart consumer decisions are: Read information on labels and packages. continued

The Responsibility to Learn Consumer Skills Compare prices at different stores and look for sales. Pay attention to the media to become aware of illegal practices. continued

The Responsibility to Learn Consumer Skills Read consumer information publications. Attend classes or workshops on consumer issues and problems.

Being a Responsible Consumer Graphic Organizer Graphic Organizer Being a Responsible Consumer Speak out Make educated choices Keep informed RESPONSIBLE CONSUMERS Make comparisons Get the best value Speak out Speak out Use products safely Conserve resources