On the work of local executive and administrative bodies in the field of consumer protection

 

An important element of state policy in the sphere of consumer protection is information and educational work. Currently, thematic issues of programs are periodically broadcast on republican and regional channels, and print media systematically cover issues related to consumer protection.

In the Republic of Belarus, state bodies exercise consumer protection within their competence. The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus coordinates activities in this area.

Within the district, state consumer protection and control over compliance with consumer protection legislation are carried out by the authorized representative for consumer protection of the district executive committee.

The authorized representative constantly provides advisory assistance to improve consumer literacy, ensures the placement of relevant information on stands and the official website, etc.

By the Department

The economy department of the Beshenkovichi District Executive Committee considered 8 appeals  on consumer protection issues, of which 7 – on issues of returning purchased goods, 1 – on rendering services.

In order to improve qualifications and professional level, consumer protection officers annually participate in seminars conducted by the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus.

World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated annually on March 15 worldwide, and each year is dedicated to one of the relevant topics of consumer relations.

According to tradition, the theme of the holiday is determined each year by the International Organization of Consumers Unions.

In 2019, the theme of the Belarusian Consumer Rights Protection Day was chosen as "Consumer protection in the era of smart

technologies" (ˮConsumer Protection in the Era of Smart Technologies“).

Digital technologies are increasingly entering our lives, changing the nature of many services and products. Thus, in addition to the already familiar services for online payment for acquired services and goods, today the ability to use auto-payment settings for utilities, mobile communications, and the Internet has been added.

In this regard, special attention must be paid to ensuring the observance of consumer rights to freedom of choice of goods and to receiving complete, reliable, and understandable information about goods, works, services, as well as about contractors, sellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, in order to enable consumers to make informed decisions regarding the purchase of goods (works, services).

Consumer trust and security are the key to the success of the digital economy.

Remote methods of concluding contracts (sale and purchase of goods, performance of work, provision of services).

(services) are widely used in our daily lives.

The organization of retail sales of consumer goods and the provision of various services via the Internet is developing very dynamically. As of January 1, 2019, 698 active online stores of business entities in the Vitebsk region were registered in the Trade Register of the Republic of Belarus. Since 2015, their number has more than doubled.

A comprehensive understanding by all consumers of how to properly purchase goods via the Internet (communication channels, mobile applications, etc.) can contribute to the correct choice of a seller (contractor), as well as the restoration of violated consumer rights in case of purchasing goods and services of inadequate quality.

To protect themselves from unscrupulous sellers on the Internet, every consumer should know the following:

1. The seller on the online store website must inform the consumer in Belarusian or Russian of the following information:

the name

of its organization, legal address, UNP (for an individual entrepreneur - surname, name, patronymic, address, information on state registration and the name of the body that carried out state registration);

store operating hours;

date of registration of the online store in the Trade Register of the Republic of Belarus;

on documents confirming the fact of purchase of goods, which the seller is obliged to issue to the buyer along with the goods (samples of such documents and the procedure for their completion are posted on the online store website);

on the goods (name, location of the manufacturer and importer, as well as, if available, the importer, representative, repair organization authorized to eliminate product defects and (or) its maintenance; established warranty periods for the goods, date of manufacture and service life (shelf life or storage period of the goods); price of the goods; availability of goods for sale; delivery time of the goods, price and terms of payment for delivery of the goods);

2. since June 16, 2013, in online stores, all without

exceptions, sellers must issue a cash receipt.

A buyer may file a claim for a defective product without a receipt if there is other evidence (e.g., information about the seller on the product packaging, in the warranty card, a receipt, identification marks, etc.). In the absence of proof of purchase from a specific seller, the latter may dispute the fact of purchase from him;

3. When a product purchased from an online store is delivered, the consumer must compare the information received on the website with the information in the documents for the purchased product (technical passport, warranty cards), which must contain an entry about the seller (name, contact phone number, seller's signature). Entries such as a name and mobile phone number in the specified documents are not allowed, as it is often difficult to identify the seller later if defects are found.

The buyer confirms the acceptance of the goods by signing the seller's accompanying documents;

4. When purchasing goods from an online store, the buyer retains all rights guaranteed by the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Protection of Consumer Rights".