Consumer Advocates“Who watches out for the

consumer?”Private, Government, Regulatory Agencies, Magazines, Associations, Leaders

Consumer rights and responsibilities

To be informed-compare, evaluate To choose carefully-shop around-quality, brands To use products safely-read labels, follow instrux To speak out and be heard - letter of complaint To seek remedy and have problems corrected –

repair, reimburse, or replace To consumer education – read, compare, be aware

of illegal practices, use consumer publications To learn consumer skills –conservation,

consumerism

I want to say…

Who is a Consumer? You are!!!

Who is a consumer advocate? A party who stands up for another party and defends them.

Who is an advocate for you as a consumer? First and foremost…you are!!! Let’s review your rights…and

responsibilities as a consumer.

What are rights and responsibilities of a consumer?

To be informed To choose carefully To use products safely To speak out and be heard To seek remedy and have problems

corrected To consumer education To learn consumer skills

How consumers make a difference

Social awareness due to consumer and media exposure

– MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving– “Erin Brockovich” –polluted ground water

Boycotts- large # of consumers refuse to buy– Dollars vote– Prices go down – ex: gas prices– Business may fail- ex:clothing made using child labor

Conservation- reuse, recycle, reduce

Recycling?

Aluminum cans, metals – new aluminum products, structural products

Animal wastes- fertilizers Yard/kitchen wastes- compost for gardens Plastic bottles – carpet, auto parts, fiberfill Newspaper- newsprint, insulations, paperboard Construction waste, tires- pressboard, roads, playground mulch Furnishings & clothing- reused by another person (Goodwill,

Salvation Army, Kidney Foundation) Glass- jars, bottles and construction materials

Federal Citizen Information Center

Purpose: to provide American citizens with a catalog of federal publications available

May order info on-line Located in Pueblo, Colorado Phone # 1-888-8PUEBLO http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/. United States

General Services Administration

Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC)

Established 1972 Federal Agency Purpose:

– Set standards for product safety– Promoting safety from unreasonable risk of

injury from products– Testing products – Initiate recalls of unsafe products from the

marketplace– Conducting research and education

programs ? What are some recent research recalls? Go

to www.cpsc.org and find out.

Underwriters Laboratories

Tests electrical and other consumer products

Consumer Safety Can you think of places

you have seen the UL label?

Federal Trade Commission(FTC)

Founded in 1914 Federal Agency Purpose:

– To protect business and consumer from unfair competition (advertising, fraud, bait and switch, etc.)

– To enforce antitrust laws (monopoly)– To enforce truth in lending laws (credit)– To enforce truth in labeling laws

(consumerism) ? Have you ever been the victim of

unfair competition?

Environmental Protection Agency EPA (epa.gov)

Federal Law– Environmental Protection

Act (1970) Purpose:

– Sets, monitors, and enforces environmental standards

– Researches the effects of pollution on AIR, WATER, LAND

Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)

1934 – started as Bureau of Air Commerce Expanded in 1938 by Civil Aeronautics Board Became Federal Law in 1948 under Federal

Aviation Act (due to mid-air collisions air traffic controllers became licensed and regulated)

Purpose– To set safety standards– To license pilots– To regulate and monitor aircraft safety– Ensure safe navigation for pilots and aircraft

Enforced through Department of Commerce (one of federal cabinet offices)

? What are some other cabinet offices?

Federal Communications Commission(FCC)

Established in 1934 Federal Agency Purpose-

– To license radio and television stations

– To oversee interstate and international telephone and telegraph operations

Example: special telephone taxes- advertised prices change due to federal and local (911) taxes added

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Established in 1964 (Civil Rights Act)

Federal Agency Purpose:

– Enforces laws prohibiting job discrimination on the basis of:

– Race, Color, Religion, Gender, National Origin, Age, or Handicap

Federal Reserve Board(FRB)

Established in 1913 aka “The Fed” Purpose:

– Set monetary and credit policies

– Regulate banks in the Federal Reserve System

All national banks– Control money supply, regulate

interest rates, stabilize economy

? Do you know which branch of the Federal Reserve services the Charlotte area?

Answer-Richmond

Food and Drug Administration(FDA)

Established 1906, expanded 1931 Federal Agency Purpose-

– Approve and issue licenses for manufacturing and distribution of new products in market

– Setting and maintaining the purity and safety standards for foods, drugs, health aids and cosmetics

– Inspecting product manufacturing facilities– Ensure accurate labeling– Removing unsafe products from the market

? What book that created uproar and led to founding of FDA? The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

– President Theodore Roosevelt

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Established 1887 Federal Agency Purpose:

– To set rates, routes and rules for interstate trucks, railroads and businesses

– To improve transportation safety through research, monitoring vehicles and manufacturers for safety issues (emissions, tires, weight, fuel consumption)

? Ever see weigh stations on the interstate? ? What vehicles must be checked for

emissions?

National Labor Relations Board(NLRB)

Established 1935 Federal Agency Purpose:

– To protect employees against unfair labor practices

– To investigate unfair labor practices– To regulate labor unions (collective bargaining by

employees with management)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Began in 1946 as Atomic Energy Commission

Expanded in 1974 as NRC Federal Agency Purpose:

– Set standards and regulate the operation of nuclear power plants

– Issue licenses for nuclear power plants Locally- Duke Power (McGuire

Nuclear Plant)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Founded in 1970 Federal Agency Purpose:

– To promote health and safety in the workplace– To set standards of safety– To investigate violations and assess penalties for

violations

Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC)

Founded in 1934 Federal Agency Purpose:

– To regulate stock exchanges– To oversee investment companies and

brokers– To protect investors

? What stock exchanges can you name? Amex, NYSE, Nikkei, London,OTC, etc

United States Postal Service (USPS)

Established in 1775 by Ben Franklin Federal Agency Purpose:

– To distribute domestic and international parcels to the public

– To protect consumers against mail fraud and scams

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Federal Agency Established in 1862 by Abraham Lincoln Purpose:

– Ensures product safety for meat, poultry, dairy and agricultural products-fruits, vegetables

– Research and regulate production & processing of fresh foods

– Stewardship of national forests and rangelands

– Research in human nutrition & new crop technologies

– Lead anti-hunger effort with “STAMP OUT HUNGER IN THE US”- Food stamps, WIC, school lunch programs

Attorney General (AG)

The attorney general– Protects citizens from fraud and criminal acts– Stop actions of individuals or corporations by

injunctions, cease and desist orders– Files criminal actions/lawsuits against violators of

legal statutes Government’s lawyer for the people AG for each state and the federal

government

Office of the Attorney General www.usdoj.gov

Created by Judiciary Act of 1789 Evolved into the head of the Department of Justice

and chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government

? Who is the NC Attorney General?www.ncdoj.gov

? Who is the US Attorney General?www.usdoj.gov

Public Utilities Commission

Regulates prices and production of natural gas and electricity

a governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility. (natural gas, electricity)

may be owned by the consumers that it serves OR may be a stockholder owned utility either publicly

traded on a stock exchange (DUKE POWER)

Licensing

Why require licenses? – Prove knowledge of subject area– Prove identity– Raise revenues ($)

Professional licensures:– Nurses, doctors, medical personnel– Realtors, insurance agents, stock brokers– Plumbers, electricians, contractors

Other licenses:– Hunting, drivers, pets, vehicle tags, open retail business,

passports, marriage ? Can you think of others?

Weights and Measures

Standardized measurements– Pounds, Ounces, Miles, Feet, Inches– Grams, Liters, Kilometers, Meters

Food products-prepackaged or fresh Vehicles-fuel pumps, air pumps, pressure, speed Hospitals-input, output, pharmacies, medicines ? Can you think of other places that standardized

weights and measure are important?

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Division of Department of Transportation (DOT)

Regulate highway safety standards Research fuel consumption (estimated mpg-

miles per gallon) and ways to save fuel Investigate consumer complaints Research on ways to increase highway

safety

Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Established in 1912 Non-governmental agency with both

state and federal levels Purpose:

– To accept consumer complaints about business dealings

– To keep records available to public– To inform the public about unfair trade

practices and issues– to remedy problems or fulfill promises for

a product or service being questioned

Consumer Reports Magazine

Established as Consumer’s Union in 1954 Expert, independent, non-profit, non-

governmental periodical Purpose:

– To research products for safety and quality– To inform the public about safety and quality

issues for products available to the public– To provide access through the magazine and

online to inform the public

Consumer Reports ®

ConsumerReports.org and Consumer Reports ® published by Consumers Union

Mission:– To work for a fair, just and safe marketplace for all

consumers– To empower all consumers to protect themselves

by making good purchasing decisions

Consumer Federation of America (CFA)

Founded in 1968 Part of the “consumer movement” Purpose:

– To advance the consumer interests through research, education and advocacy

– To scrutinize business practices, products and services – To raise awareness through the news media – To defend the interests of the public at large

Associated with Ralph Nader Headquartered in Washington, DC with state and

local affiliates

Ralph Nader“Father of the Consumer Movement”

Graduate of Princeton Law Became consumer

advocate in 1963 due to concern for public welfare

Wrote book- Unsafe at Any Speed in 1965 about the Chevrolet Corvair that led to the passage of national auto safety standards

Used “crash dummies”

Consumer Movement Issues

“Nader’s Raiders” were instrumental in establishing:– Freedom of Information Act (1966)– OSHA (1970)– EPA (1970)– CPSC (1972)

Publicly and actively addressed environmental and health issues such as :

– oil pipeline safety, baby foods, insecticides, mercury poisoning, pension reform, lead paint, coal mine safety, nuclear radiation, meat processing