Problem

Consumer vulnerability


Experimental visualization of narrower problems
Other Names:
Inadequate consumer protection
Unprotected consumers
Unwary customers
Nature:

Consumers are vulnerable to practices such as: inaccurate use of weights and measures; use of dangerous additives and preservatives in foodstuffs; lack of control of insecticides, pesticides and drug pre-testing; unsafe products (for example, unsafe toys, tyres, television sets and inflammable carpeting); fraudulent and misleading advertising; meaningless product guarantees and warranties; inadequate servicing and complaint handling facilities; inadequate indication of product quality, characteristics and degree of safety; lack of impartial testing services to evaluate and publicize the performance of competing products; uncontested price increases. The range of 'products' consumers can be abused on are: private goods such as cooking stoves; environmental goods like air and water systems; public services such as health or defence; government services in law making; tax-gathering and administration; and moral 'goods', for example the principle of protecting workers' health.

Strategies:
Protecting consumers
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
GOAL 10: Reduced InequalityGOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Problem Type:
C: Cross-sectoral problems
Date of last update
10.03.2022 – 05:23 CET