FEATURE
DO YOU KNOW
THE BASIC CONSUMER RIGHTS? Many persons in Antigua & Barbuda are not aware that they have rights and responsibilities as consumers. The Consumer Protection and Safety Act, among other legislation, outlines those rights, so when the businesses and people try to take advantage of consumers it is the duty of the Prices and Consumer Affairs Division to take up the mantle to represent them. SOME OF THESE RIGHTS ARE: • B asic Need The right to basic goods and services which guarantee survival, eg, adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education and sanitation. • Safety The right to be protected against the marketing of goods or the provision of services that are hazardous to health and life. • Information The right to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising or labelling and the right to be given the facts and information needed to make an informed choice. • Choice The right to choose products and services at competitive prices with assurances of satisfactory quality. • Representation The right to express consumer interests in the making and execution of government policies, and in the development of products and services. • R edress The right to be compensated for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.
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• Consumer Education The right to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be an informed consumer in order to make confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them. • Healthy Environment The right to live and work in an environment which is neither threatening nor dangerous and which permits a life of dignity and well-being, for present and future generations. But consumers also have responsibilities. • T he responsibility to be alert and ask questions about the price and quality of goods and services that we use. • The responsibility to take action. • T he responsibility to assert ourselves and act to ensure that we get a fair deal. SHOP WITH THE THREE “CS” Consumer Protection begins with YOU the consumer. SHOP wisely. Remember, the final decision to buy is yours. YOU see the item, YOU hear the advertisement, YOU fall for the sales pitch, and YOU decide that you either need or want the item, so YOU buy it. It’s all YOU!!! So be CAREFUL. Before you buy, find out as much as possible about the item, be it a house, a car, or a pair of socks. Yes, socks. You may wish to find out what type of fabric from which the socks are made. Some fabrics are more comfortably worn than others. Some fabrics generate more heat and cause sweating and discomfort. You should exercise CAUTION. Find out the store’s policy before buying. For example, find out if the store would give refund or exchange even if there isn’t anything wrong with the item – and you simply changed your mind. Shop within your means – CONTROL yourself. Do not get carried away and make purchases you do not really need or you really cannot afford. Do not buy something because your friend has one. If you cannot pay your utility bill because you bought a new outfit, it means that you should not have bought it because you really cannot afford it. Remember, CARE, CAUTION and CONTROL!!! •