Developing an Information-Based Marketing Strategy for a Consumer Protection Agency: A Case Study

Consumer protection agencies can improve their responsiveness and productivity by gathering and using market information to develop social marketing programs. The authors propose a strategic model using consumer complaint data and examine its application in the design of an information system for the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Results obtained from this system are presented to illustrate how the analysis of complaint data can be used in formulating a consumer protection strategy.     

Economics of Consumer Protection: Contributions and Challenges in Estimating Consumer Injury and Evaluating Consumer Protection Policy

Journal of Consumer Policy - The author examines the role of economics in consumer protection, drawing from her experience at the U. S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has a dual mandate to...     

An Information-Based Approach to Labeling Biotechnology Consumer Products

Using an economic framework this paper explores the need for labeling of biotechnological consumer products. In particular, we assess the impact of labeling on information problems faced by consumers and regulators. Using information analysis, we propose an approach to labeling biotechnology products that attempts to respect both the real nature of consumer information-processing capacities and approaches and the environment of uncertainty in which any regulatory policy for biotechnology will operate. We conclude that the fact of uncertainty on the scientific front and the nature of consumer concerns in this area gives rise to a need for some type of labeling. Using labels to convey substantive information, however, is likely to be of limited value to consumers. A comprehensive approach to information policy for consumers in this field should aim instead to use labeling requirements to harness the incentives of producers and other private entities to effectively convey to consumers what they want and need to know. We therefore recommend that governments require a simple alert label on biotechnology consumer goods that will prompt consumers to assess their information needs and producers or others to supply those needs. Government regulation in this scheme would consist of basic health and safety regulation and direct or indirect monitoring and regulation of the content of the information ultimately conveyed to consumers by producers and others.     

Principles and Visions of a New Consumer Policy: Discussion Paper by the Scientific Advisory Board for Consumer,Food, and Nutrition Policy to the German Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection,Food, and Agriculture

Journal of Consumer Policy -     

发展中国家竞争政策中的消费者保护

本文认为,发展中国家竞争政策中的消费者保护有其特定的含义,它不仅包括通过维护和促进竞争提高消费者福利水平的内容,还包括防范与禁止厂商欺诈行为以保护消费者合法权益及运用直接价格干预的方法保护低收入个人消费者的内容.文章提出,发展中国家的竞争政策应专注于促进竞争、提高效率、增进消费者福利,并通过政策目标和竞争例外范围的设定与其他经济和社会政策相互协调,解决消费者权益保护和低收入人群保护的问题,避免竞争政策执行过程中因目标和标准冲突而造成的混乱和低效率.     

Service Markets: The Effects of Competition Policy and Consumer Protection

This article outlines the current status of Competition Policy (Monopolies and Mergers; Anti-Competitive Practices; Restrictive Trade Practices) and Consumer Protection (Legislation; Consumer Protection Agencies; Voluntary Codes of Practice) in services markets. The relative neglect of services markets until recently is reflected in the fragmented and patchwork systems, mechanisms and agencies available in this important sector of the economy and further developments are likely.     

Toward A Framework for Consumer Policy Analysis

In this paper, an attempt is made to define the scope of the various subdisciplines of consumer studies. The topical relationships between these subdisciplines are also explored. From this basis, a framework is developed for investigating consumer issues and related policy questions.     

从国际消费维权角度分析中国消费维权

中国消费者维权是国际消费者维权的一部分,中国消费者维权应该借鉴国际消费者维权的经验。在消费者处于弱势地位的时候,消费维权应该在完善消费者权益保护制度入手来进行,从而使得我国消费者权益保护和国际接轨。     

Consumer Protection Law in Cuba

Journal of Consumer Policy - The authors address the origins and evolution of consumer law in Cuba and the influence of European Union consumer law on development in Cuba. The transition from the...     

政府规制与消费者保护

政府规制是保护消费者利益的根本方式。本文主要通过制度分析来探讨我国消费者保护运动中政府规制的绩效及其影响,从改善政府规制规制绩效的制度建设角度提出改进措施,以期促进消费者保护与消费和谐的实现。     

基于完善我国消费者权益保障制度的思考——兼评《消费者权益保护法》

为更好的保护消费者合法权益,规范市场主体生产经营行为,构建和谐的消费关系,我国消费者权益保障制度应当与时俱进,大胆吸纳公益诉讼制度;进一步优化完善商品召回制度;承认"职业打假人"的法律地位;强化消费者协会的职能;才有助于在全社会营造出商业诚信文化氛围,最终成为扩大内需,拉动经济持续增长的内在动力。     

Guidelines for Consumer Policy in Central and Eastern Europe

Journal of Consumer Policy -     

Considering Market-Based Instruments for Consumer Protection in Higher Education

Based on the economics of consumer protection and contributions from the economics of education, this article presents an analytical framework to deal with the problem of consumer protection in the higher education sector. It is demonstrated that there are not only governmental mechanisms (information provision, quality regulation) but also market-based mechanisms (seller signalling, private certification, private information intermediaries, student screening) to mitigate the informational asymmetry between buyers and sellers of educational services. This informational asymmetry, called students’ ex ante quality uncertainty, provides the central economic rationale for thinking about student protection, quality assurance and consumer information in the higher education marketplace. The basic argument of this paper is that governmental quality assurance is unnecessary in higher education if the market participants themselves, with the help of private third parties (i.e., certifiers and information intermediaries), are able to cope with market failure due to asymmetric information.     

消费者增权理论与我国消费者权益保护法的完善

消费者增权理论是近年来西方社会科学领域关注的热点问题之一,在消费者增权理论中,信息供给型增权和制度供给型增权是两种主要模式。我国现阶段的消费模式和消费者权益保护实践表明,制度供给型消费者增权可以更好地保护消费者利益。所以,从消费者增权理论出发,完善消费者权益保护法律体系,是增进消费者利益保护和实现消费和谐的重要举措。     

Consumer Law and Policy in Ghana

This paper presents a picture of the landscape of consumer law and policy in Ghana and reviews the scope of protection of consumer interests with specific regard to product safety and liability, consumer sales, and telecommunication services. It assesses the legislative and policy framework on consumer contracts, product safety, and unfair commercial practices; discusses the role of national agencies in enforcing safety standards; and highlights some critical consumer issues in telecommunications service delivery. The paper examines the regulatory framework on other consumer issues such as advertising, labelling, and marketing of consumer products; terms and conditions of consumer contracts; and after sales services including the enforcement of guarantees, warranties, refund, and return policies. The paper also discusses the extent of external influence on the development of consumer law and policy in Ghana and reviews the level of interaction with other legal systems and supranational bodies in the three focal areas. The contribution also explores areas of Ghana’s consumer protection framework which could benefit from guidance from the EU transnational model on consumer protection and makes recommendations for the enhancement of the emerging legislative and policy regime on consumer protection in Ghana.     

Alternative Regulatory Cases Challenging Consumer Policy

By means of the concept of postmodern politics, we provide insights into how alternative regulation is challenging consumer policy. New actors, new forms of interaction, and new goals are emerging alongside established forms of consumer policy. In particular, we examine two alternative regulatory cases: trust marks and consumer-generated information systems. They both exemplify alternative regulation of electronic commerce, which has facilitated regulatory innovation for over a decade. On the basis of our analysis, we suggest that governmental consumer policy cannot imitate the alternative regulatory solutions. We also encourage governmental actors to consider building bridges to consumer networks. This would broaden the scope of consumer policy and be in line with the modes of operation of governmental actors. Consumers are themselves contributing to this rethinking of governmental consumer policy. By networking, consumers provide each other with empowering information on consumption. Doing so on the massive scale enabled by information and communication technologies, they are challenging conventional consumer policy, which can no longer address consumer needs as it could in the pre-Internet days. New issues are emerging for consumer policy to address, and networked consumers are already contributing to policy.     

Consumer Law and Policy in Kenya

This contribution seeks to examine the consumer protection law and policy in Kenya with a view to understand how consumer issues, such as product safety and product liability, are addressed as well as the remedies for defective goods. It also seeks to understand the available provisions on the safety standards of consumer products, such as mobile phones, by highlighting the consumer issues that arise for mobile phone users with particular reference to the services provided by mobile network operators (MNOs) – i.e., the financial services and products – and how the consumer protection regime has addressed them. It will conclude by examining how the Kenyan consumer law has manifested itself, either by its influence on other states’ consumer laws and policies or the way(s) in which its own laws have been influenced by foreign and supranational consumer laws. References will be made with regard to the influence by the European Commission (EC) Product Safety Directive, the EC Product Liability Directive, the EC Consumer Sales Directive and the EC Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Furthermore, this contribution will highlight the challenges encountered with respect to the achievement of a consumer protection regime in Kenya, as a result of the fragmentation of the law and policies.