Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to today's citizenship lesson.

I'm Mrs. Barry, and I'll be teaching you about how we can manage our money well, and in particular, in this lesson, looking at what are our rights as consumers.

If you've set yourself up for this lesson and you've turned off all your apps and notifications that you are distraction-free, and you've got yourself in a nice, quiet place to learn.

I'm sure you've already got with you your brain because that's something we're going to need this lesson and you're going to need a pen or a pencil or something else that you can write with, and also something to write on and make some notes.

So once you've got all that together, we can make a start to our lesson.

We're going to look at what are our rights as consumers through a different range of ways.

So we're starting off this lesson by thinking about our rights and responsibilities as consumers and what rights and responsibilities mean.

We're going to have a look at Trading Standards and their role in terms of our rights as consumers.

And we're going to look at the concept of critical consumers.

So, being really aware of what we are buying and why we're doing so, and how we're doing that.

We'll do some activities to check your understanding and make sure you feel really confident on this.

So let us begin.

To be able to understand what consumer rights are, we first need to make sure that we know what a consumer is.

And a consumer is someone, simply, who purchases goods or services, goods being items such as a bike or a phone, and services being things like having your hair done.

So going to a hairdresser.

This might be in-store or online.

And that does make a difference when you're looking at consumer rights.

If you've ever bought something, then you are a consumer.

This isn't to be consumed with when you consume something.

So you eat or drink, okay? But a consumer is someone who buys something, whether it be goods or services.

So, consumer rights and responsibilities takes us to the difference between what a right is and what a responsibility is.

And again, we need to understand these core concepts to be able to do this lesson well.

So with every action taken, we have rights and responsibilities within it.

Now a right is something which we are entitled to by law.

Whereas a responsibility is a duty which we are expected to do as a citizen of a country.

And these are often interlinked, quite rightly, because for every right, there is usually a responsibility that goes with it.

So for example, we have a right to the freedom of speech, but we also have a responsibility in the way in which we use that freedom of speech.

And with these rights and responsibilities, we have to be conscious of the choices we make when it comes to buying goods and using services, looking beyond cost.

Critically here, there is a law that relates to consumer rights, and the Consumer Rights Law of 2015 combined lots of other different pieces of legislation, which protects the rights of consumers.

It includes both purchases of goods and services bought in-store and online, which is very important, 'cause it didn't previously include online, because online is such a new thing, in terms of being relative to all the other pieces of legislation that were already out there.

So there are five key rights, which are outlined in the Consumer Rights Law of 2015.

And they are: the right to value for money; the right to choose; the right to complain; the right to safety; and the right accurate information.

So there are five key rights there that we all have as consumers.

Now for task one, I'd like you to have a think about what we've learnt in terms of the difference between rights and responsibilities, and the fact that there is often a correlating or connecting responsibility to the rights that we have.

So for task one, you're going to pause the video, jot down the five rights you have as a consumer.

Can you think what responsibilities would match those rights? So, you have a right to freedom of speech and your responsibility is to use that carefully.

What responsibilities do you have that connect to these rights? And when you give that a go, then do you press play and we'll have a look.

Welcome back.

And I hope you've had a good go at that.

These are the responsibilities, really, that you have that connect to the rights you have as a consumer.

So the right to value for money also means you have a responsibility to research those prices.

It's no good saying, well, that wasn't value for money if you didn't go out there and have a look at what value for money would be.

Right to safety? You are responsible when you purchase or you use a service to be responsible for following the instructions.

So if you buy something, and it says, charge it for 10 hours before you use it, then you have to do that, because that might impact the safety of that good.

Or if you go and have your hair done, and they say you've got to come in for a bit of dye to be put on your skin, for example.

Then you choose not to do that.

You don't hold your responsibility for following those instructions.

Then actually, you might impact the issue of safety.

You have the right to choose where you need to shop around.

That's your responsibility.

For you to have a choice, you need to know what choices are out there.

The right to accurate information.

You're responsible for inspecting an item before purchasing it.

So, you need to be assured that you have the best awareness that you can of that product or service.

And then you also have the right to complain, but you're responsible for being honest and timely.

So you can't complain about something 20 years later and expect something to be done, unless there is some clause in the purchase that you've made that say you can do that.

You also you need to be honest.

You can't lie and say something's wrong with something if there isn't actually anything wrong.

So for each right we have as a consumer, we have a corresponding responsibility.

And well done if you got those.

And if you didn't, don't worry.

We've gone through them and hopefully you can see those connections.

There are also three key standards that a product should meet.

So, something needs to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described.

So when we talk about satisfactory quality, goods shouldn't be faulty or damaged when they're received.

And you need to consider also what you've bought for the price you paid.

If you pay a lot of money for something, you expect it to be of a really good quality.

Whereas if you go for a bargain version, so a much cheaper version, then it's not going to necessarily be as good a quality as something that's more expensive.

So you have to think about your choice when you're looking at satisfactory quality in relation to value.

In terms of fit for purpose, it must do the job that it's intended for.

So if you buy a phone charger, for example, you expect it to charge your phone.

And that would make it fit for purpose.

That also links into issues of safety.

So if it charges your phone, but actually causes a fire, that's not really fit for purpose.

And lastly there, as described.

It must match the description.

So if on the box, it says that you are getting a red kettle, and you go home and you open the box, and actually the kettle is blue, it's not as described, and you'd have some rights that relate to the fact that the product doesn't meet a key standard.

So, I just want to have a look at these three bikes here, and you buy a red bike in this scenario.

Which of these would meet these three key standards and why.

So just have a quick think.

Which of those bikes would meet the three key standards at the top? Hopefully you've seen that only one of them are red.

And the as described, you said you buy a red bike.

And so there you go.

It was there.

Fit for purpose.

Well, that's the only one that looks like it could be usable and is red.

And in terms of satisfactory quality, it certainly looks like it is of a good quality.

So these are the sorts of things you need to be looking out for when you think about the rights you have as a consumer.

Now what happens when your rights are impacted in terms of it's not fit for purpose, it's not satisfactory quality, and it's not as described? Well you have some options available to you.

And we're just going to talk through them now.

So if you don't want an item anymore, then, you can actually return it.

And you can, in some places, get a refund.

But that depends on the situation.

Now, if an item does not meet the three key standards, there are some further options available to you.

So we'll start with returns.

Retailers have their own policies on this, and some will refund the price to the original payment method.

Whilst others will exchange or give credit, and they usually require you to have the receipt, the card you paid with, unless you paid with cash, and the original packaging.

So if you don't want an item, then you have this option for a return, but you have to check a retailer's policy on that as to how that would happen.

Now, if the item does not meet the three key standards, then you have further options.

So you could ask for a refund, but not all items can be refunded.

For example, digital purchases are excluded from this option.

You have 30 days, if you can get a refund, to ask for that for an unsatisfactory item, but there are some items that wouldn't be expected to last for 30 days.

And so they have less time.

And these are known as perishables.

So things like milk.

They go off after a certain period of time.

And so you usually have until their use by date to say, actually, this isn't of a satisfactory quality, isn't fit purpose, or isn't as described.

After 30 days, for most goods or services, you can ask for a repair or a replacement, or for work to be done if it is a service rather than a good.

Now with repair and replacement, there's some further rights you have.

So after 30 days, a repair or replacement can be made.

But if that isn't satisfactory, then a price reduction, which would mitigate or go against what is wrong with the item, or refund could be agreed.

And there is some protection up to six months after the purchase.

It's different for services because, obviously, a service isn't something necessarily physical.

So there are slight differences with services and these mostly apply to goods.

And there is a difference between goods bought in-store to goods that are simply digital.

So there is no physical item there again.

The other thing to bear in mind is you may have heard of warranties, and warranties are separate to these consumer rights.

And so they are usually in addition and are offered by the manufacturer.

So whoever's putting those goods together.

So it's always worth looking at warranties and what's available with a purchase you may or may not make.

So, we're going to have a think about those rights and responsibilities now, 'cause that's a lot of information that we have just gone through.

And we're going to consider some scenarios and decide if the statement is sometimes true, always true, or never true.

And one of my favourite cakes is chocolate cake, so let's use that as an example.

So, chocolate cake is the best type of cake in the world.

Would that be a sometimes, an always, or a never? Now, in my world, this might not be the case, 'cause I would say it was always true.

But actually, that's not for everyone, and not everyone would agree.

So it isn't always true, that it's not, it isn't not true either.

So this is a sometimes true.

There are exceptions here.

So that's what you're looking for here.

Is it always true, sometimes true, or never true? You have a 30-day repayment period with all items which are faulty.

Is that sometimes true, always true, or never true? Have a think.

Hopefully, you said sometimes.

Sometimes not all goods have a 30-day repayment period, and some perishable goods, such as milk are not covered by this.

You have to check what you're buying as to what rights you have with that.

To get a refund, you must take your receipt and your payment method with you.

Is that sometimes true, always true, or never true? This one's always true.

Yes.

Your receipt acts as your proof of payment, and your payment method is used to receive the refund.

You can return digital downloads.

Is that sometimes true, always true, or never true? This one is never true, because digital downloads are not physical items. You can however, ask that they are repaired or replaced if they're not functioning properly.

So if you, for example, you get an app, and it's not working properly and you've paid for it, you can request a repair or replacement.

Then they should fix that.

The Trading Standards are an organisation that help monitor situations to do with consumer rights.

And if you have a problem with an item or service you have paid for, then there are different routes for you to try and solve the issue.

Trading Standards is a government organisation which can help, to a certain extent with this.

And they have two key priorities.

They firstly want to protect consumers, and they secondly want to support businesses.

And in terms of those, both groups, consumers and businesses, they're trying to prevent fraud.

So for task two, I've put some infographics which are basically pictures of information on the screen.

And I want you to tell me about the work of Trading Standards in 2019/2020.

One, the infographics.

Can you identify three conclusions that you could draw a note down.

So what has Trading Standards done in relation to consumer rights? So when you're ready, pause the video, note some of these down, three conclusions, and then press play when you're ready to continue.

Welcome back, and well done for giving that a go.

I've drawn some conclusions here.

These aren't exhaustive, but there's a few on the screen for you to have a look at, and we'll just cover some of the conclusions that you might have drawn from these infographics.

So firstly, faulty goods were stopped and you can see there that 5,256,377 unsafe and non-compliant goods out of the supply chain, were taken away.

So they were stopped, which is brilliant, because you don't want fraudulent goods on the market.

They're bad for consumers in terms of the ensuring they're safe, fit for purpose, and of good quality.

And they're bad for businesses because they stop businesses from being able to sell real goods in the way that they should be able to.

Secondly, it stopped businesses losing out on trade.

So here you have got the fact that 219,442,873 pounds of consumer and business detriment was dealt with.

So detriment is a negative thing.

And so that was stopped, and it enables the businesses to trade properly, and be able to do their job within society.

Lastly there we've got people committing fraud with court and we can see there, prison sentences totaled 91 years and five months were handed down, as well as 64 people were convicted of offences by Trading Standards.

You could have a conclusion about ensuring that goods were safe for people, because you can see there that there were some product safety issues that were tackled.

So, 1.

1 million unsafe and over 4.

1 million non-compliant items were stopped from entering the UK supply chain, which saved a lot of money in cost to society.

And also prevented a lot of injuries.

And they calculated that they saved 11 lives from some of the work that they did.

And those protect our rights.

Trading Standards doing the work they do of protecting consumer rights and supporting businesses.

Another thing we should be aware of when we look at consumer rights is critical consumers.

So, one of our responsibilities as a consumer is to ensure that we research products before we purchase them.

And that was one of the responsibilities that we talked about earlier on, and in doing this, we can be critical consumers and consider four key things: affordability, quality, value, and ethics.

And this is the opposite of impulse buying, which is where you feel pressured to buy something.

And it allows us to make an informed purchase.

Businesses do this too, to appeal to their target audiences in that they look at their ethics and who they're putting their products across to and trying to match up.

They're also looking at affordability.

Are their goods affordable? Are they selling quality products? And do they have good value? So, being a critical consumer, I'd like you to enact those four things.

So we are looking at making sure you are considering the ethics of what you're buying.

You're considering the value, the quality, and the affordability of what you're buying.

So there's four options here, and I want you to pick which one you would choose and why.

Remember to justify the reason.

That's really important.

So option one is 500 pounds gaming console, brand new, from a popular online company.

Option two, the gaming console is 425 pounds.

It's refurbished, which means that it's been used, but it's been checked and put back into full working, good working order.

And that's from a popular high street shop.

Option three is 350 pound for that gaming console.

Brand new from someone on a social media site.

And option four is 520 pounds, is a brand new gaming console from an independent high street shop.

So pause the video, write down which one you would pick and why.

And as a bit of a challenge, you can always write down why you wouldn't pick the other ones.

So I think about justifying not only your best choice, but also why you wouldn't pick the other three options.

And when you've done that, press play and we can have a look together.

Well done for giving that task a go.

Let's have a look at what you might have justified when you chose which one you thought would be your best purchase and why.

And I've put some questions on the screen for you to think about, and they take us back to this idea of being a critical consumer, and making sure you're not pressured, and that you really investigate what you're purchasing.

So do you need it? Can you afford it? Do you want to use this company? Is it working? And what are your consumer rights? So do you need it? That's a personal choice.

So you might have talked about that in your response.

Can you afford it? Again, that's a personal situation that you need to consider.

Do you want to use that company? And that's an ethical choice, which is part of being a critical consumer.

So you might choose to use the independent high street shop and support those shops on your high street, or you might feel that that's not right for you.

Is it working? Well, you need to be able to guarantee that, and all four of these options should work.

But that last question is really important.

What are your consumer rights? Only three of these places are going to have some kind of ability to guarantee your consumer rights.

And that would be the online company, high street shops, but not the person on social media.

There is no guarantee that that brand new console that they are advertising on social media actually works.

And if it doesn't, they might just block you so you can't get hold of them.

And then you have no consumer rights because they are not monitored by anyone.

So, you could be in trouble there.

The message here with this activity is to ensure that you check your consumer rights, you're aware of them, you know what they are, and you're able to use them by using your responsibility as a consumer to meet the requirements for the rights available to you.

And remember, businesses also have to use this, because they also purchase goods.

So it's wider than you as an individual.

And it goes to larger organisations too.

So well done for completing today's lesson, looking at what are our rights as consumers.

We started the lesson by thinking about what a consumer is, moving on to rights.

So the entitlements we have as consumers and responsibilities, the expectations there of us as consumers.

We have considered the Consumer Rights Law of 2015 and the implication that has for individuals and businesses alike.

And we have looked at Trading Standards and the expectations of key standards required for goods or services.

And we've also looked at how they protect consumers and support businesses from fraud.

We've looked at critical consumers, thinking about affordability, quality, value, and ethics when making purchases, thinking about all of the rights that we have as consumers.

There are lots of things covered in today's lesson.

Well done for completing all the activities and listening in, and hopefully all those activities allowed to you to check your understanding, and you feel confident in being able to explain what our rights are as consumers.

So, if you've done anything during the lesson that you think actually you'd like to share, you can do that by asking your parent or carer to show your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, typing in @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

And there's one last thing that I do need you to do before you complete today's lesson.

And that is to complete the exit quiz now.

So lots of all your hard work, and I look forward to teaching you another citizenship lesson in the future.