This section explores students' prior knowledge and understandings about being a consumer. It explores consumer rights and responsibilities and the responsibilities of businesses.

Information you gain about your students’ level of consumer knowledge and understanding will assist you to adapt the suggested activities in the rest of this resource to more closely meet the needs and strengths of your students.

Section 2 - Documents to Download (PDF Format)

Section 2 - all documents

Section 2 - Individual Documents

Consumer & business rights & responsibilities

Activity 1 - Fair play?

Fair play scenario

Activity 2 - Exploring consumer language

Activity 3 - Making a purchase

Activity 4 - Rights & responsibilities of consumers & businesses

Activity 5 - Rights of businesses

Activity 6 - Reflection and evaluation

Consumer rights and responsibilities chart - teacher

Consumer rights and responsibilities chart - student

Reflection and evaluation

Learning intention for students

We will explore and describe some key rights and responsibilities of consumers and businesses.

How will we know we have done these things?

We will be able to:

question the guarantees and rights we have as consumers after discussing the ‘Fair play?’ scenario
consider the responsibilities businesses have to a consumer
consider the rights and responsibilities consumers have
collect, sort and form questions about words and terms linked to this unit.

Background information for teachers

Important Teachers’ Note

Although the Consumer Guarantees Act talks specifically about 'guarantees', we have substituted the word 'rights' in this resource.

New Zealand law contains many references to 'rights'. Here we are referring to your students’ rights as consumers. For example, a student has the right to expect that their school backpack is going to last a reasonable length of time. If it doesn’t, they may have the right under the Consumer Guarantees Act to demand a repair, replacement, or sometimes a refund.

The Consumer Guarantees Act is written to give consumers guarantees. These guarantees are specific, for example: that goods are of good quality, are safe, and are durable.

There is a risk that students will become confused when they encounter the term 'guarantee' after being taught about 'rights'. To avoid this, please explain that you are using the term 'right' instead of 'guarantee' when you introduce activities about the Consumer Guarantee Act to your students.

The main ideas explored in Section 2 are:

Consumers have some rights that are protected under New Zealand consumer law.
Consumers have the guarantee that the goods they purchase will be of an acceptable quality. Acceptable quality includes: goods are fit for normal purpose (use), and are safe, durable (able to last) and free of minor defects (problems).
Consumers have the guarantee that goods they purchase from a trader are fit for a particular purpose that the consumer explains to the seller.
Consumers have a right of redress (to have things put right) if the goods they purchase are short weight or measure.
Consumers have the right to expect NOT to be misled or deceived (tricked or lied to) about the goods or services they are buying.
Consumers have the right to expect that the goods they purchase will be safe to use.
Consumers have a guarantee that services will be provided with reasonable skill and care.
Consumers have the right to redress (to have the problem resolved or ‘put right’) if the goods and services they bought do not meet their guarantees (eg, if the goods are faulty).
Businesses have the responsibility to act honestly and responsibly when selling goods and services. This includes a legal obligation not to provide inaccurate, misleading or false information.
Consumers should act honestly and responsibly when buying goods and services.