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Europe & North America

World Consumer Rights Day 2011 in Europe and the USA

CI member organisations on both sides of the North Atlantic geared up for World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), with many using social networking to spread the word among consumers. Here are a few choice examples:

Consumer Union (CU), USA, is requested support for the Consumers for Fair Financial Services campaign from a number of high-level government officials. Targets for this outreach include Elizabeth Warren, Special Advisor to President Obama on the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Michael Froman of the National Security Council.

CU also promoted 15 March through social networking, blogging about WCRD and asking their supporters on facebook to 'like' CI's campaign.

Which?, UK marked the day by launching a new online competition which invited consumers to Tweet ideas for new bank rules - the best suggestion wining a Kindle e-book reader. The most interesting ideas will also be presented at CI's World Congress in May. Peter Vicary-Smith, Which?'s  CEO, appeared in the national media to discuss CI's Consumer for Fair Financial Services campaign.

Forbrugerrådet, Denmark, launched "Decent Banks Please!" - a new campaign centred around four demands of the financial services sector: "Fair fees!", "Show us the prices!", "Stop the deception!" and "Effective consumer protection, please!". In keeping with many of their European and US colleagues, Forbrugerrådet took full advantage of social media by setting up a Facebook page for consumers to post personal stories of unfair treatment at the hands of banks in Denmark. The organisation also produced a series of 'vox pops' to allow consumers to air their opinions and concerns about financial services.

UFC-Que Choisir of France celebrated both WCRD and its 60^th anniversary with a new initiative to 'give consumers the key' to their empowerment, receiving widespread media coverage.

ADICAE, Spain organised numerous activities across the country, including street-fairs across the country including WCRD-themed theatrical events and games for children.

Zveza Potrošnikov Slovenije (ZPS), Slovenia held a press conference to announce WCRD and to support CI's recommendations to the G20 on consumer protection in financial services.

Consommation Logement et Cadre de vie (CLCV), France produced a leaflet allowing consumers to score their bank against CLCV's 'fair banking' criteria. Banks that fail to meet these criteria are 'shown a red card'! Local CLCV branches will collect all the leaflets and send them on to the banks that scored badly.