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Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete. Consumer Choice became more important. A need Additional Rights Rights and for government to play a larger Subsequent presidents also role was recognized. sent messages to Congress em- Responsibilities phasizing the need to ensure The Consumer consumer rights by legislating Bill of Rights consumer protection and/or In the American economic The Consumer Bill of Rights established administrative policies system, consumers, producers, was first explicitly defined by or agencies dealing with and governments all share in President Kennedy in a Consumer consumer concerns. Many decision-making. Consumers play Message to Congress in 1962. The consumer activists and political a key role in the functioning of the four basic rights defined by leaders continued working to economic system. The majority of President Kennedy were: extend consumer rights. Consum- the nation’s economic output ers have come to expect these consists of goods and services ■ The right to safety: to be rights as they make purchases of bought by individuals and fami- protected against the marketing of goods and services in the market- lies for their own use. Wise goods that are hazardous to health place: consumers look for good values or life. ■ Quality of design, work- when they buy. They are increas- ■ The right to be informed: to manship, and ingredients. ingly concerned with product be protected against fraudulent, ■ Courteous and respectful safety and reliability and try to deceitful, or grossly misleading treatment from the business firms select products and services which information, advertising, labeling, which provide consumer products provide high quality for the price. and other practices, and to be and services. During colonial times, con- given the facts needed to make ■ Ecologically sound con- sumers provided most of their informed choices. sumer products and services. own goods and services directly. ■ The right to choose: to be ■ Products and services Very little was provided through assured, wherever possible, of whose uses are consistent with the the marketplace. As the economy access to a variety of products or values of a humane society. developed, consumers began to services at competitive prices. In ■ Redress of legitimate griev- purchase more and more items. those industries where govern- ances relating to purchased Markets became more impersonal, ment regulation is substituted for products and services. and the individual consumer’s competition, there should be ■ Consumer education. purchases became a smaller and assurance of satisfactory quality Making rational choices becomes smaller influence on large retailers and services at fair prices. more difficult as the numbers of and manufacturers. More com- ■ The right to be heard: to be Author: Doris "Katey" Walker plex products and services became assured that consumer interests Extension specialist available, making it difficult for will receive consideration in the family resources and public policy consumers to judge quality and formulation of government policy safety. Concerns about corporate and fair treatment in its adminis- This is one in a series of publications ethics and environmental quality trative tribunals. dealing with consumer choice. Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University, Manhattan Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete. 2 products, services, and ways of structions about product use and the cheapest market even if it merchandising them increase, so care should be kept for future ref- means a loss of jobs in some everyone should have the oppor- erence. Consumers should learn locations? What is the responsibil- tunity to gain the knowledge and about and evaluate any physical ity of consumers if goods and skills needed to implement risks associated with a product’s services are cheap because chil- effective consumer decisions. use before buying it. dren, women, or men have been ■ The responsibility to exploited to produce them? Consumer complain. If a problem develops, Balancing the benefits of individ- even though the consumer has ual consumer decisions with the Responsibilities selected and used a product or well-being of the larger commu- In many cases, consumers are service correctly, there is a respon- nity thus becomes another respon- “their own best protection” when sibility to inform the retailer and sibility for today’s consumer. they exercise their rights and also manufacturer. Consumers should Consumers play three distinct accept the responsibilities which also communicate significant facts, but interdependent roles: con- go with them. Responsibilities satisfactions, and dissatisfactions sumers, workers, and citizens. associated with the four basic to appropriate business and Carrying out consumer rights and rights include: government representatives. responsibilities involves decisions ■ The responsibility to get Along with these basic respon- which affect not only the well- information: Before buying a sibilities, consumers must be being of the individual consumer, product or service, a consumer honest in their dealings, pay their but others as well. Business and should seek reliable informa- bills, and use consumer credit consumers, acting together, can tion—from labels and packages, wisely. serve consumer needs and make consumer publications, sales- Responsible consumers also reasonable profits. people, and other sources. Part of avoid needless waste. They the consumer’s responsibility is to realize that their actions affect References evaluate the objectivity, accuracy, business, their nation, consumers Jones, Joyce E. Consumer and relevance of this information. in other nations, and future gen- Choice: Using Information in ■ The responsibility to erations. Consumers are now Purchasing Decisions. KSU Coop- choose: Consumers should make becoming aware that they—as erative Extension Service, 1989. purchase decisions based on an well as business and industry— Lee, Stewart M. and Mel J. analysis of needs, wants, and have a responsibility to avoid Zelenak. Personal Finance for resources. It’s essential to think, polluting the air, water, and soil Consumers. Columbus, Ohio, plan, and comparison-shop before through recycling and disposing Publishing Horizon, 1987. buying. Responsibility for choice of waste in a way that will not Pridgen, Dee. Consumer Pro- also requires assuming the ex- harm the environment. tection and The Law. New York, pense ourselves when we make Consumers also have a re- Clark Boardman Co., 1988. an error or change our minds. sponsibility to avoid exploitation Stampfel, Ronald. Forum In- ■ The responsibility to use of those in the labor force who sights, Consumer Rights and products carefully. As consum- supply goods and services. At the Responsibilities: What Are the ers, we need to use products for same time they have a right to buy Issues? New York, J.C. Penney their intended purpose and care products and services that have Co., 1981. for them according to the manu- been produced efficiently. This Troelstrup, Arch. The Con- facturer’s instructions. Receipts, raises some difficult questions. sumer in American Society. New warranty information and in- Should consumers always buy in York, McGraw Hill, 1978. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, MANHATTAN, KANSAS MF-929 May 1989 Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, Richard D. Wootton, Associate Director. All educational programs and materials available without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. File Code: Family Economics 5 5-89—10M 11-93—2M.

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