Protecting the consumer..

Reasons for consumer protection
1. unsafe or low quality goods
2. overcharging and incorrect weights
3. misleading advertisements
4. slick sales methods
consumer laws
1. Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980
  1. merchantable quality
  2. fit for their purpose
  3. as described
  4. correspond to sample
  5. suppliers of services must be qualified
2. Consumer Protection Act 2007
  1. protects the consumers against false or misleading claims about goods or services
  2. forbids suppliers giving any misleading info about
    1. goods
      1. services
        price
        quality
  3. goods on sale must have been on sale at the higher price for at 28 days in the previous 3 months
  4. forbidden to publish any ad that is likely to cause damage or injury to the public
Food labels
1. clear, legible and understood
2. show name of food
3. show actual selling price
4. show use by sell by and best before date
Bar codes
1. series of lines on goods that allow computers to identify products
2. scanned at check outs
3. less mistakes
4. records stock
Symbols
1. symbols of quality
2. it tells the buyer that the good is of good quality
Unit pricing
1. shows the price per kilo/litre
2. it enables a consumer to decide what is the best value
3. food labels must show the price per kilo/litre rather than overall preice
4. consumers can compare prices the best prices per kilo/litre by price over quantitiy
Consumer protection agencies
1. Enterprise Ireland
  1. State organisation that sets new standards for safety and quality of new goods and services and issues reports
  2. operates the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)
2. Trade Associations
  1. suppliers of goods and services are members of organisations which lay down standards of conduct for their members
  2. these associations try to settle disputes between members and customers
    1. E.g; Irish Travel Agents Association (ITTA
3. Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs
  1. enforces the Consumer act 1978
  2. publishes booklets advising consumers of their rights
4. Small Claims Court
  1. deals with consumer claims up to 4,000 euro
  2. handles claims speedily~no solicitors needed
  3. fee of fifteen euro
  4. need to settle dispute before with seller before going to the small claims court
5. Consumer Association of Ireland
  1. voluntary body
  2. advises consumers about goods and services and laws affecting them
  3. Consumer Choice magazine
6. Office of the Ombudsman
  1. investigates complaints by members of the public against state organisations
  2. E.g government departments
7. Ombudsman for Credit Institutions
  1. deals with complaints against bank and buildings societies
  2. try to deal with dispute with the bank before you call upon the ombudsman
8. Insurance Ombudsman of Ireland
  1. deals with complaints against insurance companies about overcharging and compensation payments
9. the media
  1. Joe Duffy show
  2. highlights complaints
  3. embarrasses people into solving the problem

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Protecting the consumer..

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	Created by Lauren Mcguane almost 7 years ago