Protecting The Consumer

why do consumers need protection?
1. misleading advertisements
2. slick sales methods
3. unsafe or low quality goods or services
4. overhcarging and incorrect weights
consumers are protected by
1. consumer laws
  1. sale of goods and supply of services act 1980
    1. merchantable quality
    2. fit for purpose
    3. as described
    4. correspond to sample
    5. suppliers of services must be qualified
  2. consumer information act 1978
    1. there should be no hidden extras eg. holiday advertised @ $400 with hidden charge of fuel surcharges
    2. an item must be one pice for 28 consecutive days before it can be considered 'on sale/reduced' at a cheaper price.
2. organisations
  1. enterprise ireland; sets standard for quality of goods and services
  2. consumer association; advises its members about good and services and laws affecting consumers
  3. officer of the director of consumer affairs; publishes booklets advising consumers of their rights
  4. trade associations; most suppliers of goods and services are members of organisations which lay down standards of conduct for their members. eg;Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), Register of Electrical Contractors of Ireland (RECI)
  5. the ombudsman looks into complaints by members of the public against state organisations.
    1. ombudsman for credit institutions; complaints against banks and building societies.
    2. insurance ombudsman of ireland; complaints against insurance companies.
food labels and bar codes
1. a food label must;
  1. be clear and leggible
  2. show name of food and ingredients in ascending order
  3. show unit price and actual selling price
  4. show use-by date

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Protecting The Consumer

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	Created by caitriona.mcgett almost 10 years ago