Who are Consumers?

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What is Meant by Consumer Protection?

 

Consumer protection is the effort made by governments and organizations to ensure that the public is treated as required by the law when purchasing a product or a service.  

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Consumer protection is especially important when someone is vulnerable while a product is being purchased or a service is being rendered.  For example:

 

(1) Canadians have unusual relationships with their doctors because doctors know personal information about their patients that other people, even family members, might not know.  Every province and territory in Canada has a regulatory body that sets strict guidelines on what qualifications are needed to become a doctor and what standards doctors must uphold.

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(2) Buying a home can be an emotional process because it involves spending large sums of money, and oftentimes means an upcoming change in lifestyle.  Whether a newborn child makes the existing house too small or the death of a family member makes the house too big and unaffordable; spending the time and money to purchase the next home can be highly emotional.  As a result, there are strict guidelines for people who want to become real estate agents to ensure that their customers - consumers - will receive excellence in service and won't be taken advantage of buying property.

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What is Professional Regulation?

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The Role of Regulatory Bodies

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Regulatory bodies preserve the reputation of professions by holding accountable individuals who fail to uphold the law and oftentimes, a code of ethics that outlines how professionals are required to conduct themselves.

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What is a "College"?

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What does Complaints & Discipline Mean?

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Do Regulatory Bodies Really Protect Me?

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How are Regulatory Bodies Run?

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Your Rights as a Consumer/Patient

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