Abstract
The failure of contemporary economies to give consumers “what they really want” manifests itself in a set of “consumer problems” that give rise to the demand for consumer protection. The pivotal problems: monopoly, informationally imperfect markets, consumer dissatisfaction or grievances, the underrepresentation of consumers, disadvantaged consumers. This article deals with the entire spectrum of measures designed to eliminate or correct these problems. It suggests criteria for assessing any corrective measure and deals generally with the merits and drawbacks of regulatory and legislative approaches before considering specific corrective measures. The body of the paper focuses on specific measures, giving examples and citing advantages and disadvantages. The paper is summarized by posing the crucial questions in consumer protection on which policy-makers and citizens alike must make up their minds.
Zusammenfassung
Verbraucherpolitik: Instrumente zur Korrektur. Das zunehmende Verlangen nach Verbraucherpolitik entsteht aus einer Reihe von Verbraucherproblemen, die die mangelnde Fähigkeit gegenwärtiger Wirtschaftsordnungen widerspiegeln, den Bedürfnissen von Verbrauchern angemessen zu begegnen. Solche Verbraucherprobleme sind der Trend zur Monopolisierung, eine unzureichende Markttransparenz, Verbraucherunzufriedenheit und Verbraucherklagen, eine nicht ausreichende Berücksichtigung von Verbraucherinteressen sowie der mangelnde Schutz benachteiligter Verbrauchergruppen.
Dieser Beitrag behandelt die gesamte Spanbreite von Maßnahmen zur Lösung oder zumindest Verminderung solcher Probleme.
Er beginnt mit den Kriterien zur Bewertung solcher Maßnahman, beschäftigt sich anschließend allgemein mit den Möglichkeiten und Grenzen regulierender und gesetzgeberischer Ansätze und wendet sich dann im Hauptteil den Maßnahmen im einzelnen zu, wobei auch Beispiele angeführt werden.
Der Beitrag wird abgerundet durch die wichtigsten Fragen der Verbraucherpolitik, die sowohl von den Verantwortlichen der Verbraucherpolitik wie auch von den Bürgern entschieden werden müssen.
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This paper has been improved by comments from Melbourne Boynton, Alan R. Andreasen, Robert O. Herrmann, Loren V. Geistfeld, Marjorie Galenson, and James N. Morgan. This article is a revised version of a paper prepared for the UN Centre for Transnational Corporations. The author expresses his appreciation of the UN Centre support of this project. As usual, responsibility for content remains with the author.
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Maynes, E.S. Consumer protection: Corrective measures. J Consum Policy 3, 191–212 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02386013
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02386013