Busybodies in a Good Cause:The Consumer's Foundation

To understand the reasons why the CFCT was founded we have to go back 20 years.

Do you plan to give roses for Valentine's Day? The Consumer's Foundation (CFCT) warns people to watch out for pesticide residues. Do you eat sausages on Chinese New Year? The CFCT wants everybody to pay attention to meat hygiene. The CFCT issues many helpful warnings to consumers.

"No returns and no refunds"

It may be hard for shoppers these days to believe, but people older than 40 will certainly remember that in the old days the Taiwanese government's export-oriented policy meant that consumers' interests were largely ignored and the market was flooded with fake merchandise. Food products generally lacked any proper labeling and canned food and powdered milk that was past the sell-by date could be found in most stores. Stores posted signs that warned "No returns and no refunds." Even banks were different in those days. Customers and bank clerks were separated by a high counter and there was a sign that read, "Count your money. The bank will not be liable after you leave the counter."

Carbonated drinks were sold in glass bottles that burst when the liquid contents expanded in hot weather. Every summer, numerous bottles would explode and injure schoolchildren, but consumers had no way to locate the manufacturer and seek compensation.

Professor Chai Sung-lin, a grey-haired but hale-and-hearty 82-year-old, remembers with regret the days when there was no consumer rights protection whatever in Taiwan.

Professor Chai recalls the case of Thalidomide babies. Thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant mothers in the late 1950s and early 1960s to combat nausea, but was later found to cause severe fetal malformations. This drug was taken by pregnant women all over the world, but in Taiwan its victims had no one to appeal to, which made their plight all the more tragic.

In those days, Taiwan's martial law denied citizens the right to assemble and protest. Nor were people aware of their own rights: important human rights such as consumer rights, workers' rights, women's rights and environmental protection were all ignored. Chai Sung-lin therefore began to make speeches and write essays in the hopes of raising people's awareness of their rights.

The Computex computer show draws huge crowds, but does it also pose a danger to the visitors' health? While technology enthusiasts marvel at the latest gadgets, the CFCT keeps a cool head and a sharp eye.

PCBs and dangerous moonshine

Chai Sung-lin had been campaigning tirelessly for years when in the summer of 1979, a cooking oil manufacturer in Changhua sold rice-bran oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). More than 2000 people, most of them poor, were poisoned. The manufacturer got off scot-free and refused to assume any responsibility for compensation.

This incident drew attention to the fact that consumers lacked almost any protection. To make matters worse, that winter, merchants began hoarding rice wine, triggering a wine-shopping rush. In no time, large quantities of counterfeit wine appeared on the market. A number of people went blind after drinking wine with a high content of methanol (industrial alcohol). When a professor at National Chiao Tung University lost his eyesight after drinking fake wine there was a huge outcry, and everyone in Taiwan began to fear that they might be the next victim.

The following year, after reading Chai Sung-lin's essays a few members of the Taipei Junior Chamber of Commerce-a young businesspeople's association-teamed up with some experts, scholars and other interested persons, and contributed their time and money to found the CFCT. Li Shen-i, a lawyer, made his office available to the CFCT, and Chai Sung-lin agreed to act as voluntary chairman. Initially, the foundation's budget was so limited that its office only had one desk, one staff member, and one telephone line.

Chai Sung-lin says, "The CFCT had to show results from the get-go, so that consumers and manufactures would feel the difference."

In order to publicize the work of the CFCT and raise consumer awareness, Chai Sung-lin decided to focus first on food products, because everyone has to buy and eat food. In those days, fishmongers often added borax to shrimp to make the meat look fresh and crisp. Vegetables also contained excessive amounts of pesticides to make sure there wasn't even a shadow of an insect on them. Chai assiduously collected evidence on such practices, and alerted the public whenever there was a serious case of food poisoning. Chai has strong feelings about this issue: "Most people won't acknowledge a problem unless it is staring them in the face. Unless lives have been lost, they think it doesn't really concern them personally. It's no big deal."

Chai recruited a group of volunteers who would go to various markets and stores to check whether food labels showed the production and sell-by dates. They published daily reports of their findings and alerted people to the importance of proper labeling. In response to heightened consumer awareness, the Legislative Yuan quickly passed the Product Labeling Act. Within a year, even young school children started checking the sell-by date when they bought food.

In recent years the concept of "green consumerism" has gained widespread acceptance. Consumers who refuse to buy products that harm the environment or endangered species have made fur products the target of public criticism.

Strict regulations

Half a year after the CFCT was founded, Chai Sung-lin began publishing Consumer Report magazine, with an initial circulation of more than 30,000. A one-year subscription cost NT$1000. Eager to become more savvy consumers and to protect their consumer rights, people expressed their support for the CFCT in concrete ways.

To give the CFCT public credibility, its first chairman Chai Sung-lin decided that the foundation had to follow a few basic principles: Consumer Report must not publish ads; the the chairman's term is two years and a new election must be held every term; and volunteers who get involved in politics must resign from the foundation. So far, CFCT members have rigorously observed these principles.

Chai, who was reelected chairman and held the post for four years, says that because the CFCT stands in the way of unethical profit-making, in the early days it was often challenged or attacked. But the CFCT has stood its ground and has won the respect of the public inch by inch. Consumer rights have also begun to gain widespread acceptance in Taiwan.

The government was the first to change its attitude, when it began to take consumer rights and legislation in Taiwan more seriously; next, the courts began to hear consumer rights cases; then, companies began to change their attitude and to realize that their business depends on customers; and finally, the Taiwanese public began to demand their rights as consumers.

Do you plan to give roses for Valentine's Day? The Consumer's Foundation (CFCT) warns people to watch out for pesticide residues. Do you eat sausages on Chinese New Year? The CFCT wants everybody to pay attention to meat hygiene. The CFCT issues many helpful warnings to consumers.

Looking out for ordinary people

The CFCT saw 14 years of hard work rewarded with the promulgation of the Consumer Protection Law in early 1994. This law not only laid down manufacturers' responsibilities with respect to products and services, but also gave consumer protection organizations a clear legal status and remit. The government also established the Consumer Protection Commission under the Executive Yuan.

Today, most Taiwanese people think that there is no consumer issue that does not concern the CFCT, including basic consumer necessities, travel insurance, compensation for victims of the 921 Earthquake, credit card disputes, real-estate transactions, and weight loss programs and cosmetics. Last year, for example, the CFCT acted on behalf of basketball fans who felt they had been duped by Nike Taiwan in what came to be known as the Jordan Incident. In May 2004, the CFCT received many complaints from Michael Jordan fans who were bitterly disappointed about Jordan's 90-second appearance at a promotional event. Many fans had spent thousands of NT dollars buying clothes and footwear for the chance to win tickets in a lucky draw.

Chai Sung-lin points out that in the past, consumer advocates only cared about product safety, but as industrial quality requirements rose, the CFCT began to pay more attention to more fundamental issues such as management concepts, customer service, fair pricing, and so forth.

Jason Lee was elected the CFCT's new chairman in November 2004. Since the beginning of this year, he has been working tirelessly to plead the cause of consumers.

In January, the case of "Little Sister Chiu" shocked Taiwanese society. A four-year-old girl who was beaten severely by her father died in a Taichung hospital after two weeks in a coma. She had been refused admission to several hospitals in Taipei. The girl's father was arrested on charges of child abuse and grievous bodily harm, and several medical professionals and officials in Taipei were disciplined for negligence. Although the public hue and cry about this case has subsided, the CFCT continues to promote compulsory professional liability insurance for all physicians in the hopes that doctors will not pick and choose which patients they treat for fear of medical malpractice suits.

When 42-year-old Jason Lee, who is himself a father, talks about the case of "Little Sister Chiu" he cannot hide his emotion: "The CFCT must stir things up until nobody is indifferent. We have to make our society a better place to live in!"

There is no consumer issue the CFCT doesn't handle. Its scope includescram schools, rental apartments, package tours, and much more.（photo by Hsu Yu-feng）

Educating consumers, educating companies

How far does the CFCT take its self-appointed responsibility as a "busybody"?

Lee recounts how a few years ago, CFCT volunteers became concerned about misleading Taiwanese car ads that claimed that because windshields were made of tempered glass they prevented injuries, when in fact collisions often resulted in serious eye injuries. The CFCT called on manufacturers to use laminated safety glass. The government subsequently changed the law to require them to do so.

Once, a CFCT staff member was waiting for a traffic light next to a convenience store when he noticed a small boy looking curiously into a microwave oven at close range. It occurred to him to test whether the oven was old and had a door that didn't shut properly, thereby emitting unsafe levels of radiation. Sure enough, that's precisely what the test showed. The CFCT launched a campaign to alert the public to this danger, and now radiation leaks from microwave ovens are much less common than they used to be.

While ordinary consumers happily go about their shopping, CFCT staff are always on the lookout for suspicious products they can test. For example, while everybody was talking about the latest gadgets presented at the Computex computer show held in Taipei and Kaohsiung in early January, the CFCT turned its attention to the poor air quality during the show. After people reported feeling dizzy, three air-quality tests conducted by CFCT revealed high concentrations of carbon dioxide, airborne particles, and aerobic plate counts. The CFCT immediately alerted the organizers, urging them to improve the air quality and guarantee the visitors' right to clean air and a healthy environment.

Jason Lee says that companies often complain that the CFCT is poking its nose where it doesn't belong. He tells them, "We're not trying to cause trouble. We just hope that you'll improve."

Some companies are receptive to the CFCT's message and even call the foundation asking for advice when they encounter a problem. But other companies on the CFCT's blacklist resort to stalking and phone harassment tactics to intimidate CFCT staff into giving up their meddlesome work.

On one occasion Jason Lee is unlikely to forget, he was getting ready to expose an illegal product at a news conference, when a group of men wearing black suits marched in. Things immediately got tense. A friend grabbed Lee's pantleg and implored him not to proceed with his talk, because his life was in danger.

Lee recalls, "My heart was beating wildly, but I decided to go for broke. If the CFCT were overcautious and fainthearted, we might just as well give up."

There is no consumer issue the CFCT doesn't handle. Its scope includescram schools, rental apartments, package tours, and much more.（photo by Hsu Yu-feng）

The other side of the coin

Although the CFCT has made a big contribution to Taiwanese consumers, most people don't go out of their way to understand its work. They learn the results of its tests from the media. Many people are under the impression that the CFCT is a government agency. In fact, it is a non-governmental organization that has always relied on small donations from the public to fulfill its mission.

Jason Lee remarks with a wry smile, "The truth is that the CFCT is the most vibrant paupers' organization out there." Perhaps because the CFCT puts in its oar just about everywhere, a lot of people think it has abundant personnel and financial resources. In fact, when one walks into its offices, one is immediately struck by how poverty-stricken the place looks. There is an air-conditioner that has been in use for more than 20 years, the floor surface is peeling, all sorts of mismatched desks and chairs are thrown in together, and the big conference table has been there since the CFCT was founded.

Lee explains that the CFCT handles 5000-6000 complaints a year, or 400-500 a month. Because the foundation is always in the red, it can only afford to employ three full-time staff members. They work till late into the night, even on holidays, with the commitment of volunteers. Without this dedication, they would not last long.

Chai Sung-lin, the founder and first chairman of the CFCT, has won public acclaim for his consumer education work. He is over 80 years old, and glows with health and enthusiasm.

Consumer obligations

Because of the recession that has afflicted the Taiwanese economy in recent years, the number of subscribers to Consumer Report, which used to be a steady source of income for the CFCT, has dropped from more than 30,000 to a little over 10,000. What's more, in today's rapidly developing media environment, the mass-circulation media disseminates CFCT test results and uses them as the basis for its own articles and news items. This has made life much more difficult for Consumer Report, which is a monthly publication.

Jason Lee says that consumer report magazines in the United States have a circulation of up to 3 million. The reason for this is that Americans consider it their duty to support consumer organizations. In other countries, consumer foundations and organizations don't need to hold frequent news conferences to attract publicity; nor do the media plagiarize their test results. People who want to keep abreast of the latest consumer trends have to buy the consumer organizations' publications.

Lee's biggest frustration is that compared to other countries, "Taiwanese consumers lack a sense of independence." Although consumer awareness is rising, most people are quite content to see their consumer rights championed without living up to their own responsibilities as consumers. Not only do Taiwanese consumers fail to help each other; they are also unwilling to support consumer organizations.

Professor Chai Sung-lin says that although Taiwanese consumers are much savvier than they used to be, they are still too unquestioning. People just don't read enough, so they don't take the initiative to inform themselves about consumer issues. They also like other people to do their homework, and are therefore easily deceived by advertisements.

Professor Chai thinks that the reason consumers in other countries are more knowledgeable, is that before making a purchase they are willing to do their homework and collect information about the product. That's why wildly exaggerated ads don't tend to be effective abroad. And when consumers are tricked, they take a stand and publicize their case. That way, other people avoid being hoodwinked.

Chai says that consumer rights and obligations are closely intertwined. According to him, consumers have five obligations: to inform themselves; to take a stand; to unite; to care about consumer issues; and to protect the environment.

As far as environmental protection is concerned, in recent years the international community has vigorously promoted "green consumerism" to encourage consumers around the world not to buy products that threaten endangered wildlife (such as rhinoceros horns and ivory ware) and to buy more products that can be recycled or save energy. Taiwanese consumers are still very apathetic in this respect. There is still much work to be done to raise the level of consumer ethics.

Do you plan to give roses for Valentine's Day? The Consumer's Foundation (CFCT) warns people to watch out for pesticide residues. Do you eat sausages on Chinese New Year? The CFCT wants everybody to pay attention to meat hygiene. The CFCT issues many helpful warnings to consumers.

International consumer police

In recent years, Taiwan's environment has changed rapidly and new forms of consumption have emerged. The CFCT faces new challenges with the arrival of globalized production and marketing, and virtual consumers who shop across borders thanks to the Internet.

Chai Sung-lin points out that because multinational companies are pursuing a global business strategy, "Whenever consumer rights are ignored in one country, it can harm consumers in other countries." Consumers International is currently working on setting up a network to police consumers' rights that will handle issues such as drug double standards, GM food verification, and the exporting of environmental pollution from rich to poor countries.

Jason Lee recently returned from a trip to Japan, and was very impressed with the strict and detailed regulations regarding the food source labeling he saw in that country. The CFCT would like to promote a food traceability system that will inform consumers about the origin of the food they buy. Whenever a problem arises, it will be possible to trace it back to the source. But because of limited personnel and financial resources, the CFCT will work on getting this project off the ground for quite some time to come.

Everyone wants their undertaking to grow in the future, but Chai Sung-lin says, "Our ultimate goal at the CFCT is that society will no longer need us." He hopes that the day will come when everyone in Taiwan will know how to look after their own interests as consumers, and that they will not only attach importance to consumer rights but also to their obligations as consumers.

Chai says that manufacturing and consuming are means rather than ends. They are economic activities that help people improve their life. Having helped people become savvier consumers, the CFCT's next step is to improve the quality of life in Taiwan. Everyone can do their part to make it happen.

Do you plan to give roses for Valentine's Day? The Consumer's Foundation (CFCT) warns people to watch out for pesticide residues. Do you eat sausages on Chinese New Year? The CFCT wants everybody to pay attention to meat hygiene. The CFCT issues many helpful warnings to consumers.

There is no consumer issue the CFCT doesn't handle. Its scope includescram schools, rental apartments, package tours, and much more.（photo by Hsu Yu-feng）

Jason Lee, the new chairman of the CFCT, is not only a consumer-rights busybody himself, but also urges everyone else to do their bit to make Taiwan a better place to live.

There is no consumer issue the CFCT doesn't handle. Its scope includescram schools, rental apartments, package tours, and much more.（photo by Hsu Yu-feng）

In recent years the concept of "green consumerism" has gained widespread acceptance. Consumers who refuse to buy products that harm the environment or endangered species have made fur products the target of public criticism.