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CONSUMER LAW

Using the phrases for agreeing and disagreeing presented above, discuss these statements with a partner.

Look at these phrases for disagreeing and tick the ones which you think would be acceptable for a lawyer to use with a client.

1. You’re wrong about that.

2. I see what you mean, but I still feel...

3. I suppose that could be true. However, I think...

4. I agree with you to a certain extent, but...

5. I totally disagree.

6. I’m not sure I entirely agree with you on that.

7. That’s not true.

8. You’ve got that all wrong.

— Speaking _______________________________________________________

1. Sex discrimination cases will decline as women are now enjoying more equality in the workplace.

2. Drug testing in the workplace is an infringement of an individual’s right to privacy, a right which the courts should continue to protect.

3. It is an employer’s responsibility to help its employees overcome problems with addiction or substance abuse.

4. Women should be able to resume their careers where they left off after taking time off to bring up a family.

UNIT 11___________________________________________________________

Pre-reading tasks ____________________________________________________

1. Express your opinion: Do we need any kinds of consumer protection? Have you ever had problems in this sphere?

2. Match the English and Ukrainian equivalents.

1. to pose undue risk

2. fraudulent information

3. consumer protection to

4. seek a refund

5. shortcoming

6. to seek a replacement

7. informative labeling

8. measure performance

9. violating the law

a. дефект, недолік

b. вимагати повернення грошей

c. критерій оцінки ефективності

d. захист споживача

e. вимагати заміни

f. наражати на надмірний ризик

g. порушення закону

h. надання інформації про товарний знак

i. шахрайська інформація

Reading tasks _______________________________________________________

Read the text to understand what information is of primary importance or

CONSUMER LAW: PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS

Consumer protection is a term, which is applied to the efforts of government, public-interest organizations, individuals, and businesses to establish, protect, and enforce the rights of people who buy products such as food and automobiles or services such as health care and insurance.

Products offered for sale should not pose undue risk of physical harm to consumers or their families.

Consumers need sufficient information in order to choose wisely among the competing products and services available. The marketplace, however, contains a great many different and complex products, and advertising is usually not informative enough for consumer purposes. Therefore, consumers often lack the information required to compare the quality of various products and services, to determine their true cost, or to be assured of their suitabilty or safety. Many consumer problems are caused by incorrect or fraudulent information.

Consumers often need more than just the information sellers disclose. For instance, firms rarely volunteer information about the shortcomings of their products. To provide essential comparative information, several private, independent organizations test products and report their findings to interested persons.

A consumer who has been cheated or who has bought a product or service that does not perform properly has a right to seek a refund, replacement of the product, or other remedy. Sometimes, however, a buyer finds that the manufacturer or seller will not cooperate in resolving the complaint. In recent years laws have been passed to help dissatisfied consumers. Some laws declare certain deceptive business practices illegal and give consumers the right to sue a business believed to be violating the law. The communications media — newspapers, television, and radio — often aid consumers. Problems with credit and billing can also affect consumers.

Also, the needs of consumers should be considered when government decisions affecting them are made.

Industrialization brought to many countries of the world consumer problems it caused. In many nations the government plays a major role in product testing and consumer education. In the Scandinavian countries and Mexico, for example, the government funds consumer information and education activities. Some nations place great emphasis on informative labeling. The Swedish Institute for Informative Labeling, for instance, works to promote the use of standardized labels that include information about the product’s performance in specific “standardized methods of measuring performance” tests. Other coun­tries focus their efforts on making consumer assistance and information more accessible. Austria’s Verein fur Konsumenten Information operates a demonstration center in Vienna where the public can inspect available brands and receive impartial buying advice. Most industrialized nations, and many developing countries, have consumer product testing organizations that also publish reports on product tests, services, and other matters of importance to consumers.

The International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU) links activities of some 130 organizations in more than 50 countries. It serves as an international forum on consumer problems and works to stimulate an interchange of product test information, consumer education materials, and other data among organizations of different nations. IOCU sponsors an Asian-Pacific Regional Office to assist consumers in developing countries. The organization also represents consumer interests in international agencies such as the United Nations.

UNDERSTANDING MAIN POINTS___________________________________

Дата добавления: 2014-12-23