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Consumer Rights - Shop Smart

Theme: Consumerism

Grade: 10-12

 

Introduction

The 2004 National Consumer Survey found that very few South Africans know what their consumer rights are. Do you know what you are buying? Are you sure that you are making the best buy? Do you know the risks of debt? What if the product that you buy turns out to be a dud - do you know your rights? It's your hard-earned money that you spend when you go shopping. You want to be sure that you are protected as a consumer.




Photo: Jon Sullivan, PDphoto.org

Task

The National Consumer Forum has given a desktop publishing company run by you and your friends the opportunity to submit designs for a series of consumer awareness posters. Since this is part of an ongoing education programme you have the opportunity to choose from the following list:

  1. spending on credit / on account
  2. knowing your rights as a consumer
  3. how to seek help as a consumer
  4. buying second-hand goods
  5. dealing with builders
  6. false advertising

You should produce four posters for your submission. You may have more than one poster on one issue. Your campaign should have a clear, identifiable theme and the posters should be factually correct in highlighting and addressing the issue. Each poster should give a clear message to the consumer.

Process

For this assignment, you will work in teams of four and you will divide your task into roles as follows (click on each role for more information):

  1. Consumer Researcher
  2. Consumer Researcher
  3. Graphic Artist
  4. Copywriter

 

Resources

 

Assessment

 

Conclusion

The best way to learn is to teach. You should have learnt a great deal about a few consumer-related issues by producing this series of posters. If you are fully supportive of the issues that you have exposed, this will affect the decisions you make in your role as a consumer.

 

 
 

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