Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer
Carlton Allen, an employee at Duhaney Park Shoppers Fair, stocks one of the shelves at the store. A grocery survey compiled by the Consumer Affairs Commission, which identified the prices of 10 basic food items in the Corporate Area and Manchester in January, revealed that the store, located in St Andrew, had some of the most competitive food prices.
World Consumer Rights Day will be celebrated tomorrow, March 15. A series of activities, under the theme 'Junk Food Generation - the campaign to stop the marketing of unhealthy food to children', have been planned to bring focus to the work of consumer rights organisations across the globe. Today, we remind you of your basic rights as a consumer:
The right to basic goods and services which guarantee survival: adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education and sanitation.
This means the right to be protected against products, production processes and services which are hazardous to health or life. The right to safety has been broadened to include the concern for citizens' long-term interests, not only their immediate desires.
This means the right to be given the facts needed to make an informed choice or decision. The right to be informed now goes beyond avoiding deception and the protection against misleading advertising, labelling or other practices. Consumers should be provided with adequate information enabling them to act wisely and responsibly.
This means the right to have access to a variety of products and services at competitive prices and, in the case of monopolies, to have an assurance of satisfactory quality and service at a fair price. The right to choose has been reformulated to read: The right to the basic goods and services. This is because the unrestrained right of a minority to choose, can mean a denial of a fair share for the majority.
This means the right to be represented so that consumers' interests receive full, sympathetic consideration in the formulation and execution of economic policy. The right is being broadened to include the right to be heard and represented in the development of products and services before they are produced or set up; it also implies a representation, not only in government policies, but also in those of other economic powers.
This means the right to a fair settlement of just claims. This right has been generally accepted since the early 1970s. It involves the right to receive compensation for misrepresentation or shoddy goods and services, and where needed, free legal aid or an accepted form of redress for small claims should be available.
This means the right to acquire the knowledge and skills to be an informed consumer throughout life. The right to consumer education incorporates the right to the knowledge and skills needed to take action to influence factors which affect consumer decisions.
This means the right to a physical environment that will enhance the quality of life. The right involves protection against environmental problems over which the individual consumer has no control. It acknowledges the need to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations.