World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year on March 15. The date is a symbolic moment for consumer associations, authorities and consumer protection bodies to come together and celebrate past achievements aimed at future goals.

On this occasion, various actions are organized to raise global and national awareness of the importance of consumer rights and how to achieve them. Various meetings, round tables and conferences are organized annually to inform the public about consumer rights, inform and educate how to protect themselves from abuse, discrimination and even exploitation of vulnerable consumers.

Subsequently, professional organizations discuss relevant issues at their meetings, and among them in recent years, for example, sustainable global consumption, plastic waste management, the creation of fair digital markets and reliable smart products, fairness in digital finance or responsibility and fairness in the use of artificial intelligence.

A look into the past

On March 15, 1962, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech to the United States Congress in which he listed four basic consumer rights that were later enshrined in the Consumer Bill of Rights. Later, in 1985, the United Nations, through the UN Recommendations on the Protection of Consumer Rights, expanded them to eight rights.

The Guiding Principles were first adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 39/248 of 16 April 1985, later expanded by the Economic and Social Council in resolution E/1999/INF/2/Add.2 of 26 July 1999, and recently revised by the General Assembly of the Economic and Social Council in resolution 70/186 of December 22, 2015. Then March 15 was recognized as the World Consumer Rights Day.

Four consumer rights were initially provided for:

• the right to safety, which ensures the protection of consumers from dangerous products and services;

• right to information: consumers have the right to clear and truthful information about products, including ingredients, prices, guarantees and potential risks. It gives the right to fight against misleading advertising and deceptive practices;

• Choice: A competitive market with a variety of options allows consumers to choose and make informed decisions. This right protects against unfair, abusive, anti-competitive business practices that limit choice;

• the right to be heard: consumers have the right to voice their concerns, complain and receive a fair resolution of complaints.

The expansion of fundamental rights in 1985, endorsed by the United Nations through the UN Guiding Principles on Consumer Protection, also included:

• the right to the satisfaction of basic needs, which requires that people have access to basic, essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, utilities, quality water, etc.

• the right to compensation, according to which consumers receive a fair resolution of claims in the event of damage to their interests or health, including compensation for distortion of goods and services, unsuitable goods or unsatisfactory services.

• the right to consumer education, which states that they should be able to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed choices about goods and services, being aware of their basic responsibilities and how to act in accordance with them;

• the right to a healthy environment, to live and work at the workplace or at home, which does not threaten the well-being of current and future generations.

At the moment, in the European Union, consumers are guaranteed a number of rights that are equally recognized in all member states, both within them and in relation to goods and services obtained through cross-border relations.

These rights include: clear information about products, accurate information about prices charged by traders, online sales with transparent terms, protection of personal data, access to online content from the country of origin when abroad.

In addition, consumers in the European Union benefit from:

– the right to return any purchase made online within 14 days;

– the right to repair or replace low-quality products;

– the right to protection against dangerous products;

– at least 2 years of warranty for purchased products;

– protection against unfair commercial practices;

– protection against aggressive sales methods;

– clear instructions for installing digital content;

– access to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Each time this day is celebrated, specialized organizations from around the world meet in various events united by a common goal to remember the results achieved over time in the promotion and protection of consumer rights (some of them achieved with great difficulty) and to establish common goals and priorities of consumer-oriented policy.

Whether it’s for ordinary consumers, small entrepreneurs or large companies, this day is for everyone: it’s a chance for people all over the world to learn about their rights when buying goods and services. This is a special opportunity to bring together all stakeholders to promote consumer rights and the vision of a fair market.

N. Ed: Kalu Monika is a lawyer specializing in consumer law with more than ten years of experience in this field. She specializes in protecting the rights of consumers of financial services, and her field of competence includes banking contracts, insurance contracts, regulation of the rights of consumers of financial services in national legislation and legislation of the European Union. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in economics. She is the founder and president of the United Consumers Association and a member of the Banking Stakeholder Group (BSG) of the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group (IRSG) of the European Occupational Insurance and Pensions Authority (EIOPA). ), representing consumers. He is an independent member of the international public organization Finance Watch.

Source: Radub85 / Dreamstime.com