World Consumer Rights Day 2014: m-commerce
- By Eugene Clark
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 19, 2014
This year's World Consumer Rights Day fell on March 15, with the theme this time around focused on consumer rights in relation to mobile phones. The world of e-commerce has rapidly moved onto m-commerce, especially in China which has more mobile phone users than any country in the world. Coincidentally, it is predicted that 2014 will see the number of mobile phones surpass the 7 billion mark -- more than one phone for every human being on the planet.
World Consumer Rights Day is organized by Consumers International (CI) which was founded in 1960. CI is a federation of consumer groups with over 220 member organizations across 115 countries around the world. The March 15 date for World Consumer Rights Day goes back to a speech delivered by the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who was the first world leader to actually define the term "consumer rights." Kennedy outlined four fundamental consumer rights: the right to safety, the right to choose, the right to information and the right to be heard.
Since that time, the consumer rights movement has grown into a powerful global force that has contributed much to redressing consumer issues related to product safety, the importance of fair competition, the need to redress the imbalance of that power appearing in many consumer contracts, the accuracy of product labeling, consumer remedies and more.
In the case of mobile phones, some of the concerns include:
• Imbalance of bargaining power between consumer and telecommunication country.
• Contract language that is impossible for many consumers to understand and often contains disclaimers that are hard to locate, written in convoluted language and one-sided (in favor of the provider).
• Harsh penalty provisions of many contracts.
• In some countries the absence of choice and lack of competition lead to unacceptably high prices and poor service levels.
• Unfair advertising and other commercial practices on the part of some mobile phone providers.
• Unavailability of service (or poor service) to remote and rural areas and particular groups, e.g. the disabled.
• Sometimes unreliable mobile account crediting and proof of payment systems.
• The collection of consumer information without giving notice to the consumer and use of that information for commercial gain.
• Privacy issues related to mobile phone applications, especially regarding notice to consumers when a breach of privacy has occurred.
• Failure to adequately regulate harmful behavior such as porn, spam and online gambling.
• Problems with consumer rights and adequate security protection, especially in relation to mobile payments.
• Inadequacy of legal remedies, e.g. to allow consumers to take group action or an Industry Ombudsman who is charged with protecting the rights of consumers.
• Environmental concerns about e-waste caused by the disposal of electronic products.
• Health concerns regarding the long term use of mobile phones.
• Need for greater consumer input into the formulation of a general standard in these areas.
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