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Being a good consumer means knowing
what to look out for and what to avoid. It means knowing
where and how to get the best value for money. And where
to go if things go wrong. It means that in your role as
a consumer you have both rights and responsibilities. Some
of the most important are:-
Consumer choice is something you
might take for granted because you expect to be able to
walk into a shop and take your pick from a selection of
brands. Suppliers compete with one another to attract your
attention and tempt you to buy their products and shop in
their stores as opposed to those of their rivals.
You might use a shop because it's near
your home or because the prices are reasonable or because
it always has what you want. You may be mad about crisps
but always choose one brand because you think they taste
best and have more flavour, but you may choose a certain
type of crisps because they have less fat than the others.
Or you may use a particular shampoo because you believe
it makes your hair look shiny and feel soft.
But supposing that you weren't given
the option because there was only one company making beefburgers
and one making shampoo. What if there was only one place
that sold them? You'd have to take whatever they offered
and pay whatever they asked or go without. You'd have no
real choice.
between
suppliers means that customers get a better deal because
it keeps traders on their toes. They have to change and
respond to consumer demand or risk going out of business
by losing their customers to their competitors.
Consumer choice can be an effective means
of influencing production because by refusing to accept
shoddy or over-priced goods and services you can force suppliers
to change their ideas. You as a consumer can actually encourage
competition and help improve quality - provided that you're
prepared to use your right to choose.
Suppliers of goods and services
should give out clear and accurate information so that you,
the consumer, are able to make meaningful comparisons and
can choose what is best suited to your individual needs.
Not only can this information help you
make comparisons but it is also important that you can rely
on information on labels, for example if you have a nut
allergy.
Another time this could be important
is if you have sensitive skin and need to avoid certain
fibres. There was a famous Court case many years ago (Grant
-v- The Australian Knitting Mills), where a gentleman bought
some long woolly underpants and then came out in a painful
red rash because he was allergic to the material. Also this
is a different example, proving that reading labels carefully
can save you a great deal of embarrassment later on. We
have to know that we can rely on any information being accurate.
Sometimes suppliers may be given the
option and allowed to choose what information or detail
they provide. Here it's up to you to find out what you think
you need to know and to use that information to help you
make your choice.
You have the right to be sure that
products are not going to put your life or health in danger.
Manufacturers will normally have to carry out rigorous safety
tests and checks before they are allowed to put their goods
into the shops.
Other goods must be labelled with warnings
or clear instructions for use. If you have a look at a bottle
of bleach, or the label on an electric blanket, or the instructions
for a new hairdryer, or a box of fireworks, you will see
that they all have instructions to make sure that you use
them safely.
Consumers, however, still have
a responsibility to read and follow the instructions carefully.
You can't blame the manufacturer or supplier if you choose
to ignore the warnings.
No one enjoys feeling that they've
been cheated or conned into paying a high price for poor
quality. But it can happen, unless you look carefully at
what you're buying.
Remember that "value" doesn't
always mean "cheapest". Instead it means that
the standard or quality ought to be reflected in the price.
Whether you think that something is worth its asking price
is for you to decide.
If, for example, you buy a pair of expensive
jeans and pay far more than the average price for them,
you might expect them to last, to keep their shape and to
wear well. Whereas if you buy a much cheaper pair you may
not worry if they go baggy in places and wear thin at the
knees after a much shorter time.
You often have to strike a reasonable
balance between cost and quality. It can be unreasonable
to expect the highest standard at the lowest price. You've
probably heard the expression "You only get what you
pay for" - just think for a minute what it means.
Of course you may be lucky and pick up
a genuine bargain in the sales. But you should still make
sure that the reduced price isn't simply to make up for
a reduction in quality, and that you're buying something
you really want. It's no saving at all if you're left something
you can't use.
This has nothing to do with putting
on your clothes again. It's just another way of saying that
as a consumer you have the right to complain and to have
your complaint settled fairly.
Unfortunately, no matter how careful
you may have been there's still a chance that something
may go wrong. If it does then you may be entitled to ask
for some, or maybe all, of your money back.
Most shops or suppliers would be
willing to help because they believe that a satisfied customer
is one who will come back again and spend more money,
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