A consumer is a person who buys and uses goods or services to satisfy his or her needs (things that are necessary for survival, such as food, clothing, and shelter) and wants (things not necessary for survival, but which add pleasure and comfort to our lives). We all are consumers. We buy products and services every day. We buy snacks, clothing, books, pay bills etc. Consumers are very important to businesses and the economy. The buying decisions we make can lead to either success or failure of many businesses. Consumers’ wants and needs guide business practices. As a result, businesses expend great efforts to attract and please consumers.

In 1962 Consumer Bill of Rights was presented to Congress. Later on two more rights were added to the original four. They declared that every consumer had the following rights:

1. The right to be informed – to be given the correct information needed to make a choice;

2. The right to safety – to be protected from harmful goods and services;

3. The right to choose – to be assured of the availability of a variety of goods and services at competitive prices;

4. The right to be heard – to be assured that consumer interests will be fully considered by government when laws are being developed and enforced;

5. The right to a remedy – the assurance of the right to legal correction of wrongs committed against consumers;

6. The right to consumer education – to learn about consumer rights and responsibilities as economic citizens.

These rights underlie many other countries’ consumer rights protection policies, Ukraine included, where there are eight following rights, basically covering the same points. In Ukraine every consumer has the rights: to state protection in case their consumer rights being violated; to guaranteed level of consumption; to the proper quality of goods and services; to safety of goods and services; to be given the true information about the goods and services, their quality, quantity, variety and the manufacture (the employee of the business, the salesperson); to a remedy or legal correction of wrongs committed to consumers through goods or services; to be heard in the court or other appropriate state agencies in case your consumer rights being violated; to unite into consumer unions.