According to the survey on young consumers carried out by the Competition and Market Authority through the Skuola.net portal, on a sample of 2,000 people, people become consumers at an increasingly earlier age, but without adequate awareness of their rights: only 1 teenager in 3 claims to know the main pillars of the Consumer Code.
Early consumers but often unprepared to assert their rights. Today people frequently buy online from a very young age, so much so that almost half of Italian teenagers (47%) have already encountered post-sale problems, such as receiving a defective product or one that does not conform to the description. But, in cases like these, few know exactly what to do.
Outlining the portrait of a generation eager to grow, but still a little immature from the point of view of consumer protection, is thesurvey on young consumers carried out by the Competition and Market Guarantor Authority (AGCM) via the Skuola.net portal, thanks to the testimonies of 2,000 students between 11 and 18 years old.
To help young people become consumers aware of their rights, for three years the Competition and Market Authority has been carrying out the #convienesaperlo information campaign and initiatives aimed directly at students, such as the #convienesaperlo (also at school) 2.0 competition, connected to a Quiz Game on consumer rights developed in collaboration with the Skuola.net portal. To participate in the latest edition of the competition you have until March 15, 2024.
From the analysis of the responses to the questionnaire administered, it emerges that only one boy in 3 declares himself knowledgeable about the only instrument that can truly protect him, namely the Consumer Code, for which almost everyone asks to know more. Also thanks to the school: 9 out of 10 are in favor of specific lessons on these topics.
By subjecting those directly involved to a series of questions precisely on Consumer Codemore or less widespread gaps emerge, especially regarding the duration of the protections: only 15% are aware that the legal guarantee on each good sold lasts 24 months, while only 26% know that you can withdraw from an online purchase free of charge within 14 days from its receipt.
It goes much better when it comes to knowing the procedures to activate the protections. Approximately two thirds of the young people interviewed (62%) know that, in the event of a product failure during the warranty period, it can be repaired or replaced without further costs; 59% are aware of the fact that, in such circumstances, they should first turn exclusively to the seller.
Digital natives are even more familiar, as expected, if the purchase takes place online: 68% know very well that, if the purchased product arrives at home not working, they have the right to send it back without having to pay the shipping costs, while only 34% know that if they took the goods back to a physical store, things could be different. The shortcomings, however, remain and children show themselves willing to be helped, right from school: 58% of those interviewed believe it is mandatory to delve deeper into consumer rights, while 31% would like this opportunity to be offered on an optional basis. A sort of additional right, to be used during civic education hours or in other moments of school life. Just 1 in 10, however, believes that a young person can do it self-taught.
“Our Authority believes in the importance of educating the new generations so that young people can become consumers aware of their rights and their protection. For this reason, for some years we have been carrying out activities that involve students who, by playing, learn the tools to defend themselves in particular from scams, which are very widespread in online purchases today” declares Roberto RustichelliPresident of the Antitrust.
We are already starting to see the first fruits of this activity carried out by the AGCM given that, according to what emerges from the survey, half of the young people interviewed know the Authority and, more importantly, know that it is necessary to report any violations of the consumer rights.