Consumption and consumer rights: learning materials

Description of assignment

• The assignment is suitable as a classroom assignment, and it can be complete either alone or in pairs. The assignment can be expanded into e.g. a poster assignment, in which students create a joint gallery of online shops and related consumer skills.
• Time estimate 1–2 lessons, depending on whether the results are presented to the class.

Select an interesting online store from the web. You can use a search engine to find a product that you would like to purchase. You will not be examining a single product, but instead the entire online shop website. The online shop may be specialised in fashion, electronics, games, or other goods, and it may be Finnish or foreign.

At the same time, examine the Shopping online, by telemarketing or mail order page in the Suomi.fi Web Service and assess the online shop in the light of this information.

• What is the online shop you viewed?
• Are the contact details for the online shop, instructions on how to contact customer service and, for example, information on the country from which the shop sends its products easily available on the website?
• What conclusions can you draw on the reliability of the site? On what grounds?
• Can you find the terms and conditions of return on the website of the online store? Do they comply with distance selling laws that apply in Finland? Please also note who is responsible for the postal charges for any returns?
• Examine the online shop’s payment options. What payment options are available? Do the payment options seem safe? How has the website ensured payment security?
• Do the purchases made from this online store need to be declared?

Advanced assignment: Assess the impacts of shopping from this online shop from the perspective of ethics, ecology and the local economy! Do the online shop’s website include information on the store's values and responsibility? 

Description of assignment

• Work is carried out in groups made up of 3–4 persons: Each group prepares a miniature play on one of the situations described in the assignment. The teacher should divide the topics so that each topic becomes one scene.
• Time estimate 1–2 lessons (approximately 30–45 minutes for planning scenes and approximately 30 minutes for presenting them).

It is not very rare for travellers to face various difficulties: Flights may be delayed or cancelled, baggage may end up at the wrong destination. It is therefore important for travellers to be able to find valid information and advice for these problem situations.  

In groups of 3-4 people, prepare acted scenes on different problems encountered by travellers. The scenes must include instruction on how to solve or correct the situation in a manner that is favourable for the consumer and legal.

Search for information on the Passenger rights in problem situations page in the Suomi.fi Web Service.  

Topics:

• The flight you have booked has been cancelled
• Overbooking, meaning the traveller cannot fit on the flight he/she has booked
• A suitcase did not arrive at its destination
• The flight crew will not allow the passenger to board the flight
• A long-distance train is delayed
• A bus breaks in the middle of a journey
• A ship arrives at its destination late 

Description of assignment

• The assignment is suitable as independent classroom work or homework in connection with learning about consumer affairs. The sales speeches for Assignment 2 can be held in the classroom by randomly drawing the names of the readers from a box.
• Time estimate 1 lesson (+ holding possible sales speeches).

Read the Traveller's rights regarding travel packages page in the Suomi.fi Web Service and answer the questions

• What is a travel package?
• What do you feel are the most important terms and conditions you should know in advance when buying a travel package? 
• What should you do if you find that the contents of the package do not correspond to what was promised or that everything does not work as expected? 
• Where can you get help if you feel that the compensation or correction offered for the package is not fair?

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of buying a trip as a package from a travel agency and buying a trip (accommodation, transportation, other possible services) independently!

• What kind of traveller would you recommend a travel package to, who would you recommend independent travel to?
• Prepare to make a "sales speech" for either form of travel! 

Check out the Problem situations when travelling or staying abroad page in the Suomi.fi Web Service and give instructions on the situations of example persons:

• Sonja, who is on a student exchange in France, has been a victim of a pickpocket in Paris, and her passport has been stolen from her backpack's side pocket.
• A volcanic eruption has messed up air traffic from Iceland to mainland Europe, and Joel does not know how his return home from the horse riding trip is now succeed. 
• Maryam is in Denmark for a festival and has lost her phone and her identity card.