Consumer rights refer to the rights of consumers to be protected against unfair practices in the marketplace. These rights are often established by law and aim to safeguard buyers of goods and services, and the public, against fraudulent, deceitful, or grossly misleading information, advertising, labeling, or other practices. The following are some of the 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 given the facts needed to make informed choices and to be protected against fraudulent, deceitful, or grossly misleading information, advertising, labeling, or other practices.

• 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 have their interests 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 access 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 inspections 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. Consumer protection lawyers may spend their careers providing direct representation to consumers by using the court system to seek redress for unfair or deceptive business practices or defending against lawsuits brought by banks or debt collectors.