International Consumer Protection Treaty

Many countries have consumer protection legislation. With the advent of international e-commerce an international consumer protection regime is required. Such is likely to happen in the near future, but could be detrimental to both consumers and to small business.

Ideally an international regime should extend national consumer protection legislation to residents of all nations that are party to the regime. However it should do it in such a way that is simple for both consumers and small businesses.

These objectives could be achieved by an International Consumer Protection Treaty that set minimum standards for national consumer protection, including the establishment of an office for dealing with consumer complaints and the extension of the consumer protection provisions to residents of all Treaty nations.

Consumers would then know that they had at least the protection set down in the treaty when dealing with a business located in any treaty nation. Businesses would only have to comply with their own nations consumer protection legislation.

Consumer complaints by a consumer in one nation (A) against a business in a second nation (B) would be mediated by the consumer complaints offices in A and B. The consumer would communicate with Office A, who would communicate with Office B, who would communicate with the business.

If you are interested in the above, or have comments on it, please email me.

Michael Baker,
November 2000

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mbaker@pobox.com

Last updated 8 November 2000