Office for Competition and Consumers Protection

On January 2, 2006, on the initiative of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, the “Consumer” series came back on TV. Viewers could learn how to solve their consumer problems efficiently and where to look for free-of-charge help. Subsequent episodes of the series were shown on every other Monday at 7.35 p.m. on the TVP2 channel.

This was already the third season of the series, which is designed to teach the viewers how to be an aware consumer. Every episode presented a particular problem often faced by the weaker market participants. Experts advised what to look out for when you are signing a contract, how to file a complaint about a defective product or service and how to deal with unsolicited e-mails or other forms of unsolicited communication.

The objective of the authors of the series and the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, which co-produced the project, was to reach a maximally wide audience. That is why, local consumer ombudsmen played an important role in each episode, helping the weaker market participants to pursue their rights.

The series retained its interventional character, known from previous years. Viewers had a chance to get to know the relevant legal provisions in force and the most up-to-date decisions of the President of the OCCP.

To add a touch of novelty, the main topic of each episode was illustrated by a satirical drawing by Szczepan Sadurski and a humorous monologue by Michał Ogórek. As always, Dorota Wellman, a TVP2 journalist, hosted the programme. The series was co-produced by Maciej Chmiel and Jakub Bałdyga.

“Consumer” was broadcasted every other Monday at 7.35 p.m. The third season of the series ended in September. Additionally, in 2006 there appeared another series of six episodes devoted to the influence of market competition on the situation of consumers.

The third season of “Consumer” constituted a part of the “My consumer ABC” education and information campaign. Its goal was to develop consumer awareness in children and teenagers, as well as to inform adult market participants of the rights they are entitled to. The campaign encompassed training sessions, educational publications and happenings at university campuses, stressing the need for protection of consumer rights.

The production of the TV series was co-financed by the European Union.

The episodes of the third season of “Consumer” were devoted to the following topics:

1. Basic consumer rights
2. Where to look for help?
3. Every product must be safe!
4. How to shop? What to look out for when signing a contract?
5. How to pay your bills?
6. How to shop over the phone, on-line or while on holiday?
7. How to file a complaint about a defective product or service?
8. Unsolicited e-mails and other forms of unsolicited communication. How to defend myself?
9. Is advertising only empty promises?
10. How to set up a bank account and use a payment card?
11. Quality of fuels in Poland
12. Can an entreprise sell my debt?
13. A prize that never was
14. How to use telecom services? What to demand?
15. How to buy and redo an apartment?
16. What to do to have a stress-free holiday?
17. How to buy and insure a car?
18. How to use cable TV?
19. How to pursue my rights?
20. Airline services

To download a video file with a selected episode of “Consumer”, click on the link with its topic and choose the “Save as” option from the fold-down menu.

What to look out for when signing an agreement, what to avoid and what to demand – such topics were central to the second season of the “Consumer” series, shown on TVP2 in 2005.

The authors of the series wanted to develop Polish consumers’ awareness of the rights they are entitled to and show them how these can be executed. Also, the series propagated proper consumption patterns. “In the Strategy of Consumer Protection Policy 2004–2006, a document adopted by the government, we have advocated as our priority objective the creation of a consumer-friendly market. The key tools for achieving this goal are education and information, so will not be able to succeed without cooperation with the media,” Dr Cezary Banasiński, President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, claimed.

The series had an interventional character. Journalists clarified various problems, including ones sent in by the viewers, and assisted in solving them.
Episodes were divided into thematic blocks that gave consumers detailed information on the relevant legal provisions in force and possibilities of claims recovery. Each of them had a permanent part entitled “Consumer Essentials”, presenting the results of consumer test and the inspections of products and services conducted by the Trade Inspection.

The TV series was designed to reach a maximally wide group of viewers. For this reason, apart from interviews with specialists and reports on real-life problems and situations, each episode featured a street survey and market research results. The authors also found space for some humor and included in the series fragments of old Polish comedies and cabaret sketches by the Kabaret Moralnego Niepokoju ensemble. There also appeared an animated character who instructed consumers where to turn for help.

The second season of the broadcast was hosted by Dorota Wellman, a TVP2 and “Gala” weekly magazine journalist, a graduate of Polish philology and an art historian. “While working on Consumer I learned a lot myself. I got to know my rights and institutions that provide help. Now I know I am not helpless and I can fight dishonesty. Owing to the series, I now read all the contracts I’m about to sign much more carefully. Consumer is a practical every-day guide. It does not bore or tire you and it helps overcome problems. We help and we intervene. We are on your side,” said the host.

A group of experienced TV journalists stood behind the programme. Monika Pawluczuk, the host and editor of various TV programs, e.g. “Praca dla każdego” (“Work for Everyone”), “Wielki mały biznes” (“Great Small Business”), “Mixer”, as well as the author of documentaries and radio broadcasts, was the editor and director of “Consumer”. Kuba Bałdyga, producer of TV programmes and documentaries, e.g. “W akcji” (“In Action”), “Zwariowana kamera”(“Crazy Camera”), handled the production of “Consumer”.

The script was co-authored by Maciej Chmiel, the producer of the celebrity talk show “Wywiad z wampirem” (“Interview with a Vampire”), hosted by Wojciech Jagielski on TVP2, the “Ulubione Kawałki”(“Favourite Pieces”) music series with Marek Niedźwiedzki and “Mieszane uczucia” (“Mixed Feelings”) with Małgorzata Domagalik.

The first episode addressed problems associated with consumer credit and loans. Viewers could see how much a “no interest” credit really costs, what to look out for when signing a credit agreement and what the conditions of withdrawal from such a contract are. Also, different forms of indebtedness were compared, i.e. consumer credit and credit card.

Subsequent episodes advised how to choose a language school well, what factors to take under consideration when selecting a private university and what precautions to take so that you will not have to complain about defective services connected with the refurbishment of your apartment.

The episodes of the second season of “Consumer” were devoted to the following topics:

1. Taking out a consumer credit/loan 
2. Learning a foreign language
3. Studying at a private university/Quality of services
4. Redoing a flat/Do it yourself/Services
5. Setting up an account with an Internet bank/E-payments
6. Setting up an account with a traditional bank/Shopping with a payment card
7. Buying a car/Quality of fuels
8. Protection of the youngest consumers
9. European Consumer Centre
10. Buying an apartment/Using the services of a real-estate agent/Insuring an apartment
11. Computer equipment, legal and illegal software/Buying Internet service
12. Certificates – trustworthy or not? CE marking
13. Special offers and sale actions
14. We are insuring a car
15. Tourism
16. Legal protection of consumer interests in Poland

To download a video file with a selected episode of “Consumer”, click on the link with its topic and choose the “Save as” option from the fold-down menu.

Do you have a problem with your complaint about a defective product or service? Are you receiving countless unsolicited offers? You don’t remember what rights you are entitled to and whom to turn for help? These and other questions were answered by a consumer TV series first broadcasted in 2004 on TVP2, on the initiative of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.

This viewer-fiendly, easy-to-follow series helped consumers to learn how to deal with the problems they often encounter in shops, banks or in contact with service providers. The programme combined advisory, interventional and educational elements, and particular role was played by consumer ombudsmen and representatives of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, as well as non-governmental consumer organizations. Moreover, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection presented the directions of change for consumer rights and competition regulations in Poland but also clarified issues connected with the European integration.

The thematic scope of the episodes focused on the protection of the economic interests of the consumers using financial, telecom, mail order and tourist services. The programme also discussed e-commerce and health safety of weaker market participants.

Initial episodes of the series were devoted to the broadly understood advertising, protection of the youngest consumers, traffic insurance, real property market and quality of products and services. The series had the objective to reach a maximally wide audience. For this reason, apart from interviews with specialists and reports on real-life problems and situations, each episode featured a street survey and market research results. The authors also found space for some humour and included in the programme fragments of old Polish comedies and cabaret sketches by the Kabaret Moralnego Niepokoju ensemble. There also appeared an animated character who instructed consumers where to turn for help.

The second season of the program was hosted by Dorota Wellman, a TVP2 and Gala weekly magazine journalist, a graduate of Polish philology and an art historian. The script wasco-authored by Maciej Chmiel, the producer of the celebrity talk show “Wywiad z Wampirem” (“Interview with a Vampire”) hosted by Wojciech Jagielski on TVP2, the “Ulubione Kawałki”(“Favourite Pieces”) music series with Marek Niedźwiedzki and “Mieszane uczucia” (“Mixed Feelings”) with Małgorzata Domagalik, as well as documentaries, such as “Rodowody niepokornych” (“Origins of the Fearless”). Tomasz Prange-Barczyński was the editor and director of the series. Mr Prange-Barczyński is a journalist and editor with Canal +, TVN, Radio Zet and Radio PIN.

Subsequent episodes of the first season of “Consumer” were devoted to the following topics:

1. Protecting the rights of the youngest consumers 
2. Buying an apartment 
3. Out-of-store shopping 
4. Misleading advertising 
5. Where do we like to shop?
6. Insurance 
7. Quality tests 
8. Price versus quality of products and services 
9. Warranties 
10. Going shopping 
11. Services 
12. Telecom and mobile telecom
13. Culture of mediation, good practices and arbitration courts 
14. Debts and debt collection 
15. Food and gastronomy 
16. We are going on holiday

To download a video file with a selected episode of “Consumer”, click on the link with its topic and choose the „Save as” option from the fold-down menu.