ALIN Legislative News
From Institute of State and Law, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
LAW ON
PROTECTION OF CONSUMER RIGHTS NO. 19/2023/ QH15 COMES INTO FORCE ON JULY 1st
2024
The Law on Protection of Consumer Rights No. 19/2023/QH15 was passed by
the National Assembly on June 20th 2023, and will come into force on July 1st
2024. This Law consists of 7 Chapters and 80 Articles, stipulates principles
and policies on the protection of consumer rights; rights and obligations of
consumers; responsibilities of business organizations and individuals towards
consumers; activities of agencies and organizations to protect consumer rights;
dispute resolution between consumers and business organizations and
individuals; state management on the protection of consumer rights.
The Law has expanded the scope of organizations participating in consumer
rights protection, adding the participation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front,
socio-political organizations and social organizations in consumer rights
protection. At the same time, it has added regulations on the rights of
consumers to request business organizations and individuals to negotiate and
the right to request state management agencies on consumer rights protection,
social organizations participating in consumer rights protection to support
negotiations when their legitimate rights and interests are violated; as well
as perfecting regulations on simplified procedures to resolve civil cases on
consumer rights protection.
The Law also adds a number of prohibited acts, including prohibited acts
for multi-level marketing organizations and individuals; organizations and
individuals conducting business in establishing, operating, and providing
digital platform services. In addition, it adds provisions on the
responsibility to ensure safety, measurement, quantity, volume, quality, and
uses of products, goods, and services sold and provided to consumers; specifies
the responsibility to protect consumer information; clarifies the warranty
recalculation period in case of exchange and return product or goods; adds
provisions on the responsibility to receive and resolve consumer feedback,
requests, and complaints.
Most importantly, the Law supplements the concept of sustainable
consumption, regulates activities to promote sustainable production and
consumption, and stipulates the responsibilities of ministries,
ministerial-level agencies, and People’s Committees at all levels in promoting
sustainable production and consumption. Notably, it also supplements
regulations on the responsibilities of business organizations and individuals
towards vulnerable consumers: The elderly; people with disabilities; children;
ethnic minorities; people living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas,
islands, areas with difficult socio-economic conditions, areas with especially
difficult socio- economic conditions as prescribed by law; women who are
pregnant or raising children under 36 months old; people with serious illnesses
and members of poor households as prescribed by the law.
Author: Dr.
Nguyen Thi Huong
Topic: Consumers,
protection, protection of consumer rights
Jurisdiction:
Viet Nam
Date: August 27,
2024