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Chapter 8 Consumer Services 201
Consumer Advocacy
Consumer advocacy involves speaking on behalf of or supporting
consumers. Consumer advocates are human services workers who are on
the side of consumers, looking out for their best interests. They listen to
consumers’ concerns. They provide information about consumer rights
and offer guidance for self-advocacy (the action of speaking up for and
representing oneself). They support actions to resolve a consumer-related
confl ict. Consumer advocates play an important role in today’s business
world. They often represent the “underdog” and seemingly powerless.
Consumer advocates help them have a voice as consumers of goods and
services.
Some consumer advocates work for consumer protection
organizations (Figure 8.2). In these organizations, consumer advocates
protect consumers by stopping unfair business practices so the impact
on consumers is minimized. They may lead the charge to
penalize
(punish) those who carry out unfair business practices. Overall, their
goals are to improve the quality of life for consumers and to enhance
the quality of the marketplace by encouraging just (honest; fair)
practices.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Figure 8.2 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects consumers by working to
prevent unfair, anticompetitive, and deceptive business practices. What are some other
consumer protection organizations?