Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law, and they are linked to the idea of consumer rights and to the formation of consumer organizations, which help consumers make better choices in the marketplace and pursue complaints against businesses. Consumer rights are the rights that consumers have when they purchase goods or services. These rights are designed to protect consumers from unfair practices in the marketplace and to ensure that they are treated fairly by businesses. The following are some of the key consumer rights:

• The right to safety: Consumers have the right to be protected against the marketing of products and services that are hazardous to health or life.

• The right to be informed: Consumers have the right to be protected against fraudulent, deceitful, or grossly misleading information, advertising, labeling, or other practices, and to be given the facts needed to make informed choices.

• The right to choose: Consumers have the right to have available a variety of products and services at competitive prices.

• The right to be heard: Consumers have the right to be assured that consumer interests will receive full and sympathetic consideration in making government policy, both through the laws passed by legislatures and through regulations passed by administrative bodies.

• The right to education: Consumers have the right to have access to programs and information that help them make better marketplace decisions.

• The right to redress: Consumers have the right to work with established mechanisms to have problems corrected and to receive compensation for poor service or for products that do not function properly.

Consumer protection laws safeguard purchasers of goods and services against defective products and deceptive, fraudulent business practices. These laws are made up of a large patchwork of federal and state laws governing everything from products like cosmetics and medicine to services like lending practices. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversees antitrust law and consumer protection through the inspection of complaints of scams and fraud against businesses. States use a variety of agencies and statutes to enforce consumer protection, expanding on the federal law in many areas.