Consumer Protection

Week 04
 Who is a
consumer?
The term ‘consumer’ applies to any individual who buys or hires goods and
services.
However, it is most often used to refer to the person/entity who would be using the
product for the purpose it was intended to.
 What is
Consumer
Protection?
Consumer protection refers to some kinds of safeguards against malpractices and
exploitative techniques of marketers or suppliers of services that adversely affects
consumers.

Consumerism is a social movement whose purpose is to protect the buyer.

 You see all the
drinks on the
shelf

This is you
Why do we need consumer protection?
● Safety
● Fairness
● Economic Stability
● Social Order
How is consumer protection achieved
● Unfair trade terms
- Contra Proferentum Rule
● Setting standards for the quality of goods
● Defining the ambit of services
● Protection against unfair trade practices
- Monopolization
- Restriction of supply
- Misinformation
● Protection against unfair competition
Defective Products
Products can be regarded as defective if:

+ their safety is not such as persons are generally entitled to expect

+ that safety embraces not only risks of death or personal injury, but also the
risk of damage to property.
How to determine the defectiveness of a product
(a) The manner and purposes for which, the product has been marketed, its
get-up, the use of any mark in relation to the product and any instructions for, or
warnings with respect to, doing or refraining from doing anything with or in relation
to the product;

(b) what might reasonably be expected to be done with or in relation to the

product;

(c) the time when the product was supplied by its producer to another
Recovering damages
Damages can be recovered for:

+ The product
+ Personal injury
+ Damages to property
Tutorial
Explain why a government needs to invest their efforts, to a great extent, on
consumer protection.

(10 Marks)