Consumer organizations are
advocacyAdvocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes — including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions — that directly affect people’s current lives...
groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse. Unsafe products,
predatory lendingPredatory lending is a pejorative term used to describe unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process...
,
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 an English-language euphemism referring to political, advertising, or public relations campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but designed to mask its origins to create the impression of being spontaneous, popular "grassroots" behavior...
and
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into an 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...
are all examples of corporate abuse.
Consumer organizations may operate via
protestProtest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favor, though more often opposed. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake...
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 practice of influencing decisions made by government . It includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituents, or organized groups. A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a...
. They may engage in single-issue advocacy (e.g., the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
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 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
watchdogDog*guard dog, a dog who barks to alert their owners of an intruder's presenceIn computing* Watchdog timer, a device in computer systems* Event Log Watchdog, a freeware software program...
s, such as the
Consumers' AssociationThe Consumers' Association, which now trades as Which?, is a charity, registered in England and Wales No 296072. Which? Ltd is its wholly owned trading subsidiary. It is a consumer rights organisation in the UK, founded in 1957 by Michael Young....
in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
.
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 campaigning charity with a magazine and website run by Which? Ltd...
,
Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union. 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. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as...
.
Consumer organizations are
advocacyAdvocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes — including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions — that directly affect people’s current lives...
groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse. Unsafe products,
predatory lendingPredatory lending is a pejorative term used to describe unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process...
,
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 an English-language euphemism referring to political, advertising, or public relations campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but designed to mask its origins to create the impression of being spontaneous, popular "grassroots" behavior...
and
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into an 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...
are all examples of corporate abuse.
Consumer organizations may operate via
protestProtest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favor, though more often opposed. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake...
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 practice of influencing decisions made by government . It includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituents, or organized groups. A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a...
. They may engage in single-issue advocacy (e.g., the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
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 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
watchdogDog*guard dog, a dog who barks to alert their owners of an intruder's presenceIn computing* Watchdog timer, a device in computer systems* Event Log Watchdog, a freeware software program...
s, such as the
Consumers' AssociationThe Consumers' Association, which now trades as Which?, is a charity, registered in England and Wales No 296072. Which? Ltd is its wholly owned trading subsidiary. It is a consumer rights organisation in the UK, founded in 1957 by Michael Young....
in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
.
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 campaigning charity with a magazine and website run by Which? Ltd...
,
Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union. 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. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as...
. 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.).
Consumer organizations in various countries
- 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 Ltd. is an association of consumer rights organisations, which cooperate on researching and testing.It consists of 34 organisations from 30 countries, spanning five continents...
(mostly European)
Japan
- Consumers Union of Japan
Consumers Union of Japan Consumers Union of Japan Consumers Union of Japan (日本消費者連盟） 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...
(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)
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 is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
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 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 :
- Which?
Which? is a product-testing and campaigning charity with a magazine and website 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.
- National Consumer Council
- The Citizen's Advice Bureau, a free service that provides legal advice, practical help and information on consumer rights across the country.
- Postwatch
- CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent, voluntary, consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale and the traditional British pub...
- a lobbying group concerned with the tradition and quality of beer.
- General Consumer Council of Northern Ireland
- 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 ....
- 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 does so by providing impartial advice and/or advocacy for aggrieved consumers....
(formerly known as Watervoice)
- Which?
Which? is a product-testing and campaigning charity with a magazine and website run by Which? Ltd...
- National Consumer Council
- Citizens Advice
United States
- 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 together through the Council of Better Business Bureaus . The BBB goal is to foster a fair and effective...
- 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 an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving consumers 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. 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, non-partisan 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
-Introduction:Public Citizen is a non-partisan, politically left-of-center, non-profit public interest 'advocacy organization' based in Washington, D.C., with a branch in Austin, Texas...
- Consumer Federation of America
The Consumer Federation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance the consumer interest 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.-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