Consumer rights and obligations and prohibited acts under the Law on Protection of Consumer Rights

1. Consumer rights

Consumer rights are stipulated in Article 8 of the Law on Consumer Protection 2010:

1. Be guaranteed safety of life, health, property, rights and other legitimate interests when participating in transactions and using goods and services provided by organizations and individuals trading in goods and services.

2. To be provided with accurate and complete information about organizations and individuals trading in goods and services; the content of goods and service transactions; the origin of goods; to be provided with invoices, vouchers, documents related to transactions and other necessary information about goods and services that consumers have purchased and used.

3. Select goods, services, organizations and individuals trading in goods and services according to their needs and actual conditions; decide to participate or not participate in transactions and the contents of agreements when participating in transactions with organizations and individuals trading in goods and services.

4. Provide comments to organizations and individuals trading in goods and services on prices, quality of goods and services, service style, transaction methods and other contents related to transactions between consumers and organizations and individuals trading in goods and services.

5. Participate in developing and implementing policies and laws on consumer rights protection.

6. Request compensation for damages when goods and services do not meet standards, technical regulations, quality, quantity, features, uses, prices or other contents that the organization or individual trading in goods and services has announced, listed, advertised or committed.

7. Complain, denounce, file a lawsuit or request a social organization to file a lawsuit to protect their rights according to the provisions of this Law and other relevant legal provisions.

8. Get advice, support, and guidance on knowledge about consuming goods and services.

2. Consumer obligations

According to Article 9 of the Law on Consumer Protection 2010, the obligations of consumers include:

1. Check goods before receiving; choose to consume goods and services with clear origin and source, which do not harm the environment, are contrary to good customs and social ethics, and do not endanger the life and health of oneself and others; accurately and completely follow instructions for using goods and services.

2. Inform relevant state agencies, organizations and individuals when discovering goods and services circulating on the market that are not safe, causing damage or threatening to cause damage to the life, health and property of consumers; or acts of organizations and individuals trading in goods and services that infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

3. Prohibited acts

Prohibited acts as prescribed in Article 10 of the Law on Consumer Protection 2010 are as follows:

1. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services deceive or confuse consumers through advertising activities or conceal or provide incomplete, false or inaccurate information about one of the following contents:

a) Goods and services provided by organizations and individuals trading in goods and services;

b) Reputation, business capacity, ability to provide goods and services of the organization or individual trading in goods and services;

c) Content and characteristics of transactions between consumers and organizations and individuals trading in goods and services.

2. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services harass consumers through marketing goods and services against the wishes of consumers two or more times or have other behaviors that hinder or affect the normal work and life of consumers.

3. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services force consumers through performing one of the following acts:

a) Using force, threatening to use force or other measures causing damage to the life, health, honor, reputation, dignity or property of consumers;

b) Taking advantage of consumers' difficult circumstances or natural disasters or epidemics to force transactions.

4. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services, conducting trade promotion activities, and requesting direct transactions with persons who do not have civil act capacity or have lost civil act capacity.

5. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services request consumers to pay for goods and services provided without prior agreement with the consumers.

6. Consumers, social organizations participating in protecting consumer rights, organizations and individuals trading in goods and services take advantage of consumer rights protection to infringe upon the interests of the State, the rights and legitimate interests of other organizations and individuals.

7. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services take advantage of consumers' difficult circumstances or natural disasters and epidemics to provide goods and services that do not guarantee quality.

8. Organizations and individuals trading in goods and services that do not ensure quality, causing damage to the life, health and property of consumers.

4. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals trading in goods and services in providing information about goods and services to consumers

According to Article 12 of the Law on Consumer Protection 2010, the responsibilities of organizations and individuals trading in goods and services in providing information about goods and services to consumers include:

1. Label goods according to the provisions of law.

2. Publicly post prices of goods and services at business locations and service offices.

3. Warning about the possibility of goods and services having adverse effects on the health, life and property of consumers and preventive measures.

4. Provide information on the availability of spare parts and accessories for the goods.

5. Provide instructions for use; conditions, duration, location, and warranty procedures in case of goods and services under warranty.

6. Accurately and fully notify consumers about the standard contract and general transaction conditions before the transaction.