Frameworks for Consumer Empowerment

1
Frameworks for Consumer Empowerment

• Louise Sylvan
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

2
Question

• If consumers are protected by consumer protection
  laws - whether they know it or not - do they
  really need to know their rights?

3
Some answers

• No in many cases
• Yes in others
• Awareness of rights
• Skills and settings for exercising rights

4
Three distinct areas of cp

• Sensible society rules
• Equitable rules
• Market conduct and information rules

5
When to use Communication

• Will succeed
• Compliments other strategies
• No alternative

6
Successful behaviour change

• No significant counter-influence
• Risk assessments are realistic
• Costs/benefits reasonable

7
Picking the right tools

• Education primarily
• Experiential goods
• Education Regulation combination
• Non-experiential goods
• Credence goods
• Complexity/shaped products