Voices for Change: the Consumer Right to Representation

World Consumer Rights Day 2002: Voices for Change
Annex B: Examples of Success
This annex highlights examples of
the impact of successful consumer
representation. For further details,
please contact the person listed.
Armenia: Consumers have their say on
legal changes
The Union for the Protection of Consumers’
Rights and the National Association of
Consumers carried out a survey in 2001 on
consumer concerns in relation to a proposed
consumer protection law. As a result, they
were able to recommend changes in the draft
law to the authorities, and 60 per cent of these
were adopted.
Contact person: Abgar Yeghoyan
E-mail: abgar@freenet.am
Australia: E-commerce and
spam guidelines
Australia, like most other countries, had no
government-endorsed guidelines for the
protection of consumers in e-commerce. As a
result of OECD work on consumer protection
in this area, Australia set up an advisory body
to the Ministry for Financial Services and
Consumer Affairs on which the Australia
Consumers’ Association (ACA) was
represented, along with legal people, the
Internet industry and private businesses
involved in e-commerce. ACA canvassed
hundreds of consumers through its website,
and together with the Internet Industry
Association successfully lobbied the Minister
to take an “opt-in” position on spam
(unsolicited mail). This means that businesses
may not e-mail consumers unless they have
their permission to do so or the consumer is
already a customer. Australia is currently the
only nation to date to have clearly articulated
this position.
See the Australian government guidelines for
consumer protection matters in e-commerce at:
www.ecommerce.treasury.gov.au/
Contact person: Louise Sylvan
E-mail: lsylvan@choice.com.au
Australia: Price gouging prevented
The Australia Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), a governmental body,
introduced a provision into federal legislation to
prevent exploitation of consumers following the
enactment, in July 2000, of a Goods and Services
Tax. It was concerned about the possibility of
exploitation due to lack of awareness of the
effects of the new tax on prices.
The ACCC also set up a government-funded
consumer consultative group to gauge how best
to distribute relevant information to empower
consumers in relation to price exploitation.
Included in this group was a broad range of
national consumer represen-tatives. The group
lobbied compensation for consumers in the
event of exploitation and for intensified price
monitoring of products and services that most
impact disadvantaged or low-income groups.
As a result of this consultation with consumer
advocacy groups, the ACCC produced
explanatory publications and delivered them
to every residential address in Australia.
It produced versions in six languages and
established an indigenous officer to take phone
complaints and enquiries. It also conducted
enforcement actions, resulting in almost $9.5
million in refunds to 528,000 consumers.
This contributed to a low incidence of price
exploitation, due to consumers’ vigilance and
the pressure placed on business to alter prices
carefully and correctly.
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