Chapter 23: Consumer Rights and Responsibilities

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy outlined what he called the Consumer Bill of Rights. * The bill stated that every person has four basic consumer rights—the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to safety, and the right to be heard.
These rights received a lot of attention from the consumer movement, a movement to pass laws protecting consumers from unfair and unsafe business practices.
As a consumer, you have a right to receive accurate information.
Because the United States has a market economy, its consumers can choose from a wide variety of goods and services.
You have a right to products that are safe to use. * $Product liability$ is the legal responsibility that manufacturers have to make a safe product.
Consumers who have complaints about products or services have a right to be heard. * Sometimes products do not work properly after they are purchased. * Usually if a customer takes a defective item back to a store with a receipt, the business will replace it or issue a refund.
Consumers have the right to learn how a market system works.
There are always some businesses that do not operate in the best interests of the consumer. * Some might try a tactic known as bait and switch. * $Bait and switch$ is a sales tactic in which buyers are tempted by an advertised bargain but are then persuaded to buy a more expensive item instead.
Customers have a right to be treated in a respectful and courteous manner.

\ \

As a consumer, you have the responsibility to educate yourself.
Responsible consumers know what they are buying. * Before making a major purchase, you should always do some homework.
Responsible consumers make comparisons to find the best product or service at the best price.
Many consumer choices can affect the environment * Illegal dumping can harm natural habitats. * All of these things contribute to $pollution$ , the contamination of air, water, and land. * Pollution is caused by waste from products as well as the ways we use them.
As the population grows, the demand for resources increases.
$Conservation$ is the process of preserving, protecting, and planning the management of resources.
$Recycling$ involves collecting products for processing so that they can be used again.
Consumers must follow the instructions provided in product manuals or other materials on the safe use of products.
Responsible consumers can help improve the policies and products of the businesses where they shop.
If you object to a company’s policies or products, you could organize a $boycott$ , a refusal to buy its goods or services.
Part of being a good consumer is getting the best value for your money.
You have a responsibility to seek a remedy for a defective product.