Consumer organizations are
advocacyAdvocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse like unsafe products,
predatory lendingPredatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly...
,
false advertisingFalse advertising or deceptive advertising is the use of false or misleading statements in advertising. As advertising has the potential to persuade people into commercial transactions that they might otherwise avoid, many governments around the world use regulations to control false, deceptive or...
,
astroturfingAstroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some...
and
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
.
Consumer organizations may operate via
protestA protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s,
campaigningAn advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
or
lobbyingLobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
. They may engage in single-issue advocacy (e.g., the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Campaign for Real AleThe Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
(CAMRA), which campaigned against keg beer and for
cask aleCask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure...
) or they may set themselves up as more general consumer
watchdogs, such as the
Consumers' AssociationThe Consumers' Association is the umbrella organisation that houses the trading arm Which? Ltd. The Consumers' Association is a charity, registered in England and Wales No 296072. Which? Ltd is its wholly owned trading subsidiary....
in the UK.
One common means of providing consumers useful information is the independent comparative survey or test of products or services, involving different manufacturers or companies (e.g.,
Which?Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
,
Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
, etcetera).
Another arena where consumer organizations have operated is
food safetyFood safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
. The needs for campaigning in this area are less easy to reconcile with their traditional methods, since the scientific, dietary or medical evidence is normally more complex than in other arenas, such as the electric safety of white goods. The current standards on
mandatory labellingMandatory labelling or labeling is the requirement of consumer products to state their ingredients or components....
, in developed countries, have in part been shaped by past lobbying by consumer groups.
The aim of consumer organizations may be to establish and to attempt to enforce consumer rights. Effective work has also been done, however, simply by using the threat of bad publicity to keep companies' focus on the consumers' point of view.
Consumer organizations may attempt to serve consumer interests by relatively direct actions such as creating and/or disseminating market information, and prohibiting specific acts or practices,or by promoting competitive forces in the markets which directly or indirectly affect consumers (such as transport, electricity, communications, etc.).
International Organization
- Consumers International
Consumers International is the world federation of consumer groups that serves as the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers...
- International NGO
- ANEC
ANEC, the European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardisation , is an organisation promoting and defending consumer interests in the processes of standardization and certification and in legislation related to standardization and certification...
(Europe; focus on standardization)
- BEUC (Europe; )
- ICRT
International Consumer Research & Testing is a global consortium of more than 40 consumer organisations dedicated to carrying out joint research and testing in the consumer interest....
The only independent international organization for consumer research and testing.
Germany
- Stiftung Warentest
Stiftung Warentest is a German consumer organisation and foundation involved in investigating and comparing goods and services in an unbiased way. It was founded on 4th. December 1964 by the Federal Republic of Germany as an independent foundation under civil law. It is based in Berlin.- Aims and...
- Öko-Test
- Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv)
Italy
Japan
- Consumers Union of Japan
or CUJ was founded in 1969 by Takeuchi Naokazu. CUJ is certified as a non-profit organization by Japan's NPO legislation. With offices in Nishi-Waseda, Tokyo, CUJ publishes "Consumer Report" as a member newsletter, as well as an online service in Japanese....
(founded in 1969)
- Japan Offspring Fund
Japan Offspring Fund was established in 1984 and is registered as a Non-Political Organization . JOF activities include testing the safety of food and campaigning about safety issues regarding “living”, a broad concept based on the Japanese word kurashi...
(founded in 1984)
Poland
Republic of Ireland
- The National Consumer Agency
The National Consumer Agency is a statutory body that defends consumer interests in the Republic of Ireland.- Background :The NCA's origins can be traced to the setting up of the Consumer Strategy Group in March 2004....
(NCA) is a statutory body that defends consumer interests in the Republic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the
Enterprise Act 2002The Enterprise Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which made major changes to UK competition law with respect to mergers and also changed the law governing insolvency bankruptcy.-Structure:*Part 1 The Office of Fair Trading...
allows consumer bodies that have been approved by the
Secretary of State for Trade and IndustryThe Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. Its secondary title is the President of the Board of Trade...
to be designated as "super-complainants" to the
Office of Fair TradingThe Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
. These super-complainants are intended to, "strengthen the voice of consumers," who are "unlikely to have access individually to the kind of information necessary to judge whether markets are failing for them." Eight have been designated :
- CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
- a lobbying group concerned with the tradition and quality of beer.
- The Citizen's Advice Bureau, a free service that provides legal advice, practical help and information on consumer rights across the country.
- Consumer Council for Water
The Consumer Council for Water is a non-departmental public body that represents water and sewerage consumers in England and Wales. The organisation provides impartial advice and/or advocacy for aggrieved consumers....
(formerly known as Watervoice)
- Consumer Direct
Consumer Direct is a Government-funded call centre providing basic consumer advice in the United Kingdom. Information is also provided on their website ....
- General Consumer Council of Northern Ireland
- Good Garage Scheme
Good Garage Scheme is a series of same name automobile repair shop monitoring schemes in the United Kingdom , each of which aims to improve industry repair standards for the benefit of consumers. Initially, Trade Secretary Stephen Byers raised the idea for a government "good garage" scheme in...
, an automobile repair shopAn automobile repair shop is a place where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.- Types :The automotive garage can be divided in so many category....
motoring scheme
- National Consumer Council
- Postwatch
- Which?
Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
- formerly the Consumers Association - a consumer advocacy organisation which has substantial powers (for example to take representative actions under the Competition Act 1998The Competition Act 1998 is the current major source of competition policy in the UK along with Enterprise Act 2002. The act provides an updated framework for identifying and dealing with restrictive business practices and abuse of a dominant market position....
) but which is primarily a lobbying organisation funded entirely by subscriptions to its regular consumer information magazine.
United States
- Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Justice is a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations in the USA....
- American Consumer Institute
The American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research is a 501 nonprofit educational and research institute based in Reston, Virginia...
- Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
- Consumer Action
Consumer Action is a nonprofit, consumer education and advocacy center, serving consumers in the United States. Founded in 1971, the mission of Consumer Action is to help individual consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and to advance pro-consumer industry-wide change for the benefit of...
- Consumers Union
Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...
, publishers of Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
- Consumer Watchdog (USA)
Consumer Watchdog is a non-profit, progressive organization which advocates for taxpayer and consumer interests, with a focus on insurance, health care, political reform, privacy and energy....
, formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights
- Public Citizen
Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...
- Consumer Federation of America
The Consumer Federation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, education and advocacy....
- Consumer Federation of California
The Consumer Federation of California was founded in 1960 as a non-profit consumer advocacy organization. CFC campaigns for state and federal laws and appears at the California State Legislature in support of consumer focused regulations...
- Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group focusing on nutritional education and awareness.-History and funding:...
(food/nutrition)
- National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is an American consumer organization. The National Consumers League is a private, nonprofit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues....
- U.S. Public Interest Research Group
- Consumer Complaint Form, Federal Trade Commission