Consumer Rights Day focusing on increasing global trend on digital trade

By MARK HAIHUIE
WOLRD Consumer Rights Day was celebrated yesterday at Vision City Mega Mall with an awareness campaign by the Independent Consumer Competition Commission (ICCC).
Chief Commissioner of ICCC Paulus Ain said the theme for this year’s celebration was centred on the increasing global trend of consumers trading through digital platforms.
“World Consumer Rights Day takes place every year to highlight consumer right issues and bring together the global consumer movement to make lasting changes to people around the world,” he said.
“The speed in which this has occurred has meant (that) in some areas changes in the digital marketplace are outpacing consumer protection.
“There is evidence people are worried about many aspects of what is happening when they go online.
“Consumers with a connected device and a payment method can buy anything from music to take-away, book transport and accommodation or buy tickets to events.
“This new way to trade has opened up a vast array of choice for consumers and enhanced convenience on a scale never seen before
“However, along with benefits, e-commerce raises key issues for consumers such as access to fair and secure markets, being sure there’s redress when things go wrong and being exposed to scams and fraud.”