How to Enforce the Consumer Bill of Rights
The Consumer Bill of Rights lists the rights that consumers are entitled to which are enforceable by law. Prior to the 1960s, consumers were subject to unfair treatment and practices when purchasing goods or services from businesses. This problem was solved in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy created The Consumer Bill of Rights, a list of four basic consumer rights. Consumers are better able to enforce their rights when they know what they are.
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Instructions
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Enforce your right to safety. The Bill of Rights states that consumers are entitled to use products without being harmed. Consumers should expect that products have been properly tested by the manufacturer before they are released for sale, that products with dangerous parts are properly labeled with a warning and that defective products which are already on the market are immediately recalled.
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Choose freely. You have a right to be able to make a choice from a range of products offered by different manufacturers. The government protects this right by discouraging monopolies, examining the effects of a merger on the consumer and prohibiting activities by manufacturers that are meant to reduce the consumer's choices.
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Enforce your right to be heard. If you have a problem with a product you purchased or about unsatisfactory service, you have a right to file a complaint and expect a solution. You can address your complaint directly to the source of the problem, to the Better Business Bureau or even to the Attorney General of your state. There are other organizations dedicated to protecting consumer rights as well. You can find the ones in your state when you visit the website for Consumer Affairs (see Resources below).
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Insist upon being informed. When shopping for a product, have enough information about it to buy with confidence. Manufacturers are obligated to provide consumers with this information through advertising and proper labeling. The information that the companies provide must be honest and accurate or they subject themselves to legal action.
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Expect clear communication. Your right to be informed is in effect whenever you have to sign a legal contract. The company is obligated to make all pertinent information visible to you and not hide it behind incomprehensible terms and phrases.
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Tips & Warnings
In 1985, the United Nations expanded The Consumer Bill of Rights to include four other rights applicable to third-world countries.
