From: "WebWarrior3@InfoWar.Com" <WebWarrior3@InfoWar.Com>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 03:06:49 +0800
To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Subject: Re: Cyber 'Nannys"
In-Reply-To: <v03102804b105af4a91ed@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <34E0A2B9.F4F4AFA0@InfoWar.Com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Declan McCullagh wrote:

> There are many bad laws on the books. Doesn't mean they're good ones,
> WebWarrior3.
>
> Many "consumer protection" laws in truth hurt consumers through more
> government regulation, reduced competition, and higher prices.
>
> -Declan
>

I do not claim to be a specialist in consumer protection and you may be right that
there are many laws that end up hurting consumers.  I don't know of any, but they
may be there...You mentioned:

Government regulation, as in your car or kerosene heater has to meet certain
criteria before it is sold?

Reduced competition, as in the case where a company wants to produce an item that
is unsafe or does not do what it is supposed to and is not allowed to market it?

Higher prices--I would rather pay a higher price and know that if the product does
not perform as indicated or purported I have recourse than pay less for a product
that does not work and end up being stuck with it.  Ya get what ya pay for (not
including taxes) generally, or you get what you can afford as the case may be. I
seriously doubt that consumer protection laws have kept anyone from being able to
afford a product they would have otherwise been able to enjoy.

Scott R. Brower
http://www.infowar.com
http://www.efflorida.org