The Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs will be visiting Blenheim businesses on Tuesday April 27 to Wednesday April 28 to discuss the new cigarette lighter safety standard and other consumer protection issues.

In addition the Commission and Ministry will be holding a seminar which all Blenheim business people are invited to attend. The seminar will be on Wednesday at 6pm at the Blenheim Country Lodge Hotel.

The Chief Investigator from the Commission's Christchurch office, Stuart Wallace, said that the visit is part of a planned programme of reaching traders. These visits are educative, not investigative. Their aim is to raise awareness and compliance with the Fair Trading Act, Consumer Guarantees Act and other consumer legislation.

The product safety standard for cigarette lighters will be mandatory from May 15. The Minister of Consumer Affairs introduced it after young children started several house fires by playing with lighters. It aims to make lighters childproof.

Mr Wallace said that the visit is an opportunity for business people to increase their knowledge of two of the most important laws that affect them every day.

"It is an education exercise," he said. "We want people to understand how to operate within the law to protect themselves and their customers."

Ministry of Consumer Affairs Legal Advisor Pamela Rogers said, "We trust traders will take advantage of the visit and seminar to clarify any areas of uncertainty in respect of the Consumer Guarantees Act. Our visits and the seminar will also provide traders with a unique opportunity to question MCA staff on a wide range of consumer law that interests them in the operation of their business".

In particular on this visit the Commission will be focusing on motor vehicle, computer, appliance, tyre and cellphone dealers, real estate agents, sellers of goods covered by the three product safety standards (toys, bicycles and children's night-clothes) and sellers of cigarette lights, which will be covered by a product safety standard from May 15.

These are business areas that the Commission has identified as raising specific compliance issues.

The Ministry will be focusing on motor vehicle dealers, second-hand traders and small finance companies.

Seminar details

Venue: Blenheim Country Lodge Hotel, corner of Alfred and Henry Streets, Blenheim

Date: Wednesday April 28

Time: 6-8pm (doors open 5.30pm)

Cost: $25 (inc.GST) per head includes finger food (no charge for reporters). Cheques to Commerce Commission PO Box 2351, Wellington. Door sales will be available from 5.30pm.

Speakers: Commerce Commission Fair Trading Manager Rachel Leamy; Ministry of Consumer Affairs Pamela

Rogers

Commerce Commission staff in Blenheim April 27-28

Fair Trading Act Manager Rachel Leamy, Chief Investigator Stuart Wallace, Investigator Graeme Wood and Projects Officer Boris van Beusekom.

Ministry of Consumer Affairs staff in Blenheim April 27-28

Pamela Rogers,Trading Standards Officer Julian Crane, Lesa Kalapu Legal advisor, Kitty Bennett projects advisor

Media contacts

Commerce Commission

Chief Investigator Stuart Wallace, cellphone 021 668 219, work (03) 371 0297

Communications Officer Vincent Cholewa, phone work (04) 498 0920,

Ministry of Consumer Affairs

Pamela Rogers 04 474 2928 025 230 8059

Communications Advisor Judy Cochrane , cellphone 025 230 8058, work (04) 470 2302

Commerce Commission

The Commerce Commission exists to bring about awareness and acceptance of, and compliance with, the Commerce and Fair Trading Acts.

Fair Trading Act

The Fair Trading Act prohibits false or misleading representations, and gives the Minister of Consumer Affairs the power to make product safety and consumer information standards mandatory. It generally applies before a sale is made.

There are currently three product safety standards made mandatory by the Fair Trading Act. A fourth takes effect from May 15. They are for:

· bicycles

· fire safety of children's night clothes

· toys for children aged up to three years (to prevent choking)

· cigarette lighters (from May 15)

There are three consumer information standards made compulsory by the Act. They are:

· country of origin labelling for clothing and footwear

· fibre content of textile goods

· care labelling of textile goods

Education

The Commission puts considerable effort into educating business people about the Fair Trading Act. As well as media publicity, it holds seminars, visits areas where it has no office, provides speakers for conferences and works in particular with nation-wide traders. It also publishes two newsletters and a wide range of free pamphlets about the Acts it enforces.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs exists to work with consumers and business to promote a fair and informed market place for consumers.

Consumer Information Service

Provides assistance to target consumers through the Consumer Advocacy Team. Provides support, assistance and training to community agencies such as Citizens' Advice Bureaux, Budget Advice Services and Community Law Centres. Works with business on areas of compliance with consumer law and provision of written resources. Develops written resources for consumers, traders, business, schools and TOPs programmes.

NB. The Consumer Information Service targets Maori, Pacific Island and low income consumers. Businesses of particular interest to the Service are those who have, as a high customer base, our target consumers.

Trading Standards Service

Works to ensure that goods are safe and are exchanged on the basis of recognised, informed and accurate weight or measure. Administers and enforces the Weights and Measures Act 1987. Investigates short measure and product safety complaints, and upholds consumers' rights to safe products and services under the Fair Trading Act. Provides policy advice to Government on weights and measures for use in trade; and about safety issues with consumer goods (with a particular focus on child products).

Recent work has involved prosecutions for short measure firewood, developing a major trader programme in trade measurement; and investigations into the safety of disposable cigarette lighters, prams, strollers and cots.

Consumer Policy

Advises the Government on laws, practices and policies that affect consumers.

Administers the Consumer Guarantees Act, the Fair Trading Act, Hire Purchase Act, Unsolicited Goods and Services Act, Layby Sales Act and the Credit Repossession Act.

Much of the policy division's work is project based. One current project involves the consumer credit market and an assessment of the need for a general review of the consumer credit law.

The Consumer Guarantees Act.

The Act sets guarantees that consumer goods and services must meet. Consumer goods are those normally acquired for personal, domestic or household use. It also sets out the remedies available when the guarantees are not met. The Act will generally apply after a sale is made.