Vasile Dinu

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Research Papers in Economics

Amfiteatru Economic    262 
 
The Need for Consumers’ Protection 
 
 
With the spectacular growth of supply for goods and being confronted with an exacerbation 
of competition, manufacturers were forced to remain objective to the fact that their 
competition depends on the number of customers attracted. As a result, manufacturers are 
concerned about the full satisfaction of the demands of consumers, so that their products 
are as close as possible, even to meet all expectations. 
And yet, in a market economy, there are many shortcomings in its mechanism that may 
alter and influence the rights and interests of consumers. Thus, consumers are not free in 
their choices because they are subject to constraints arising from mass production, the 
standard contract clauses, and some manifestations of monopoly. Meanwhile, market 
transparency is not always a reality, which dominates the market in this regard is 
advertising, this not having as its primary objective to provide information, but mostly sales 
promotion. Also, the issue of security products is illustrative for the disadvantaged situation 
of consumers the contemporary reality is marked by a series of accidents related to 
consumer goods. Still manifest serious imbalances in terms of access to justice and the 
interests of consumers compared with businesses, good knowledgeable of relevant 
legislation and very well represented by their employers and professional organizations. 
Indeed, there are many drives that come to argue the need to protect consumer rights and 
interests but one of the most important are: 
• Regardless the economic context, legislative or other nature, there from the 
economical, informational, legal and representing the interest points of view, a clear 
disparity of power among consumer, especially as individual and the economic 
organizations with which he/she could reach into a conflict of interest: 
– economic: the consumer resources are obviously lower than those available to 
the trader; 
– information: the manufacturer always has more knowledge about his product 
than the consumer, and consumers’ information is hampered due to the current information 
explosion; 
– in legal terms: the manufacturer/trader knows better the laws governing the 
commercial relationships, use them with legal advisers, while consumer is ignoring even 
the existence of a law that protects him by its provisions; 
– representation:  manufacturers are well represented both by business, 
professional and trade organizations as well as by their ability to persuade the authorities 
for adopting rules to take account of their interest, while consumers are often an amorphous 
mass, of atomized individualities, out of which few people decide to promote their interests 
through deeds within the organizations that represent them. 
• Legally, producers are not obliged to adopt the solution for carrying out a quality 
assurance system in their organizations or to certify quality, unless they are acting in a legal 
regulatory framework. However, in such circumstances it is clearly that several products 
are made at a confidence level regarding quality, low enough to justify consumer 
protection. There is the added fact that the construction and operation of national 
certification and accreditation faces many difficulties, especially technical, making their Vol XII • No. 28 • June 2010  263 
purpose, regarding ensuring compliance with quality requirements and safety not be 
achieved. 
• The need for protection of consumer rights and interests appeared, in general, also 
because of multiplication of unfair competition practices and the use of aggressive forms of 
sale or shocking, often equivalent to a pressure exerted on the consumer 
• Consumer protection becomes even more obvious if one takes into account that in 
the context of international trade liberalization, the restrictions put on the free movement of 
goods are diminishing. Effects of globalization on consumers are not always positive 
because they are often abused by a highly complex and varied offer and, as consequence, in 
a situation to consume products about they do not have the information. 
Consumer policy is necessary to put into focus the following objectives: 
– protection of consumers against the risk of purchasing a product or a service 
that could endanger their life, health or safety or influence their legitimate rights and 
interests; 
– promoting and protecting economic interests of consumers; 
– consumer access to comprehensive, accurate and precise information about 
the essential characteristics of products and services so that the decision to be taken about 
them to better meet their needs; 
– consumer education; 
– effective compensation of consumers; 
– helping consumers to organize to express their views in decision making 
processes concerning them; 
– promoting international cooperation in consumer protection and participation 
in rapid exchange of information; 
– prevent and combat, by all means, unfair trade practices and service delivery, 
including the financial ones that may influence the interests of consumers. 
Policy of consumer protection is a basic component of social protection, which materializes 
in a system of mandatory rules requiring a certain conduct of economic operators, so the 
citizen as consumer and partner on the goods and services market to be respected and 
protected and to be capable to act when its interests are violated. 
Within the market economy, the consumer has a dominant position, it constitutes the 
reference of all actions taken by both the manufacturer and trader, and its rights and 
interests ensure that position. 
Being a consumer is a quality that belongs with all citizens, and citizen rights, as a 
consumer, are human rights. The importance accorded to the consumer derives from the 
consequences that its lack might have on human beings, because deception of men - 
consumer by his fellow man, manufacturer, or trader is prejudicial to human dignity. The 
first, repeatedly discredited, will resign from the state of human conscious fooled. The 
second, once fraudulent, often illegally, will find that working less well, can earn better. In 
this way distorts the ethical "profession" of the consumer and also the manufacturer or the 
trader. 
It should also be noted that partial or hesitant approach to the legitimate rights of 
consumers might cause a reversal of values that will expand over time, on the spiritual 
goods. Amfiteatru Economic    264 
As in political democracy requires to ensure the rights of voters, the economy involves to 
ensure the consumer rights, so their protection. 
 
This issue, which has the theme “Protecting consumers’ rights and interests”, highlights 
several approaches that reflect the concerns of researchers in this field. Thus, the review 
contents a series of articles as: Human Factor’s Involvement in the Consumer Protection 
Management; Media Knowledge Consumers Protection; The Romanian Consumer and 
His/Her Rights: Opinions and Attitudes; The Application of Main Component Analysis 
Method on Indicators of Romanian National Authority for Consumers Protection 
Activities; Study on the Students’ Perception of Knowledge Usefulness and Necessity 
Concerning Tourists’ Protection; The Adjustment of Perspective Among Students 
Regarding Protection of Educational Services’ Consumer; New Approaches of Consumers’ 
Protection in Terms of Management Systems’ International Standards Evolution; The Risk 
Perception for Consumer Segments in E-commerce and Its Implication for the Marketing 
Strategy; Considerations Regarding the Security and Protection of E-banking Services 
Consumers’ Interest; Analyzing Students’ Perceptions from Their Interests and Rights’ 
Protection Perspective within Various International Contexts; Study on the Information 
Level of Pupils and Parents Regarding the Effects of Unhealthy Food Consumption; 
Research on Consumers’ Self-Protection through a Healthy Diet; Environmental Quality, 
Stimulating Factor Consumption in the XXI Century; Managing Eco-Design of Industrial 
Goods and Consumers’ Protection Nexus; Multinational Companies Responsibilities 
Regarding Consumers Safety; Security and Consumer Protection; E–tourism and Tourism 
Services Consumer Protection; Alternative Dispute Resolution through Mediation in 
Romanian Retail Banking; Buying Better for Your Money: The Smart Buyer’s Decalogue; 
Consumption for the Fulfillment of Human Life; Consumption of Public Childcare and 
Educational Services: An End-User Perspective; Romanian Harmonization of Laws with 
European Union Policies Regarding Consumer Protection. 
 
 
Editor-in-Chief, 
Vasile Dinu 
 

The Need for Consumers’ Protection

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The Need for Consumers’ Protection

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