The 2023 Law on Consumer Protection defines specific responsibilities for businesses in their dealings with vulnerable consumer groups. This law builds on and enhances the provisions of the 2010 law, focusing on protecting these consumers and outlining the obligations of businesses toward them and consumers in general.

Vulnerable Consumer Groups

The law identifies seven groups of vulnerable consumers: Elderly people; Persons with disabilities; Children; Ethnic minorities; People living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, islands, economically disadvantaged areas, and specially disadvantaged areas as defined by law; Pregnant women or women raising children under 36 months old; Individuals with serious illnesses and members of legally recognized poor households

Responsibilities of Businesses Toward Vulnerable Consumers

To protect these consumers, the law outlines specific responsibilities for businesses, including:

Handling complaints and disputes in a manner appropriate for each vulnerable group.

Compensating vulnerable consumers for damages caused by delays, refusal to prioritize, or refusal to accept and process their requests.

Prohibiting discrimination, stigmatization, or exploitation of their vulnerabilities to infringe upon their rights and interests.

Ensuring that businesses do not refuse to address the requests for protection from vulnerable consumers.

Prohibited Actions by Businesses

Article 10, Clause 1, of the law lists actions that businesses are prohibited from taking, such as:

Deceiving or misleading consumers through false, incomplete, or inaccurate information about products, services, business reputation, or capabilities.

Harassing consumers through unwanted direct or indirect contact to promote products, services, or contracts, or otherwise disrupting their normal activities.

Forcing consumers to purchase products or services against their will through coercion or threats.

Requiring consumers to pay for products or services without prior agreement.

Refusing to compensate, refund, or replace products or services when there are errors or discrepancies from what was advertised or agreed upon.

Substituting or tampering with products or services during delivery.

Failing to disclose sponsorships for influencers who promote products, thus encouraging consumer purchases.

Preventing consumers from inspecting products or services unless otherwise stipulated by law.

Forcing consumers to buy additional products or services as a condition for contract agreement against their will.

Including prohibited clauses as specified in Article 25 of the 2023 Law on Consumer Protection in contracts, templates, or general trading conditions.

Illegally collecting, storing, using, editing, updating, or destroying consumer information.

The 2023 Law on Consumer Protection takes effect on July 1, 2024.

This bulletin is intended solely to provide information about newly enacted legal regulations and should not be used for advising or applying to specific cases.

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