Israel Consumer Council CEO, Lawyer Mr. Ehud Peleg, has sent a letter to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection and Fair Trade, Lawyer Mrs. Tamar Pincus, asking her to establish consumers protection regulations and price labeling of single item presented to consumers in packages including several items. This should ease on the consumers to compare prices with similar products and to make an appreciation of their value. This way, consumers will be able to better cope with the cost of living and to make informed purchases.
The Consumer Council receives many complaints from consumers facing difficulties to compare products sold in packages of different sizes and that bear no indication of any unit of measure. Indication of units of measurement allows for a fair comparison of the price regarding the value. For example, battery packs sold side by side in different sizes – either packs of four, six, ten batteries or else. According to the Consumer Protection Regulations, as to today, there is no obligation to display the price of each item in the pack, and the consumer has to make many calculations in order to weigh which product is most advantageous.
An analysis conducted by the Consumer Council has revealed that this is a consumer problem whose solution is internationally recognized. For example, the European Directive states that sellers should be requested to mark the price per unit of measure (weight or volume) or according to each item in the package. In the same way, UK regulations concerning the obligation to indicate prices include, among others, the display of both the total price and the price per unit of measurement, as well as the obligation to indicate the price of each single item price in the package.
In 2012, the Council had turned with a similar request to former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Shalom Simhon, who identified the need and importance of the modification for the consumers and ordered to promote the issue. The purpose of the current request is for the regulations to be amended as soon as possible, adding the requirement to specify the number of items in certain products and the price per item.
Israel Consumer Council CEO, Mr. Ehud Peleg, "sometimes, shopping becomes a complex mathematical exercise, which is beyond the means or the patience of many consumers who give up on performing it. The right to receive comparable information is a basic right of the consumers - says Lawyer Peleg - and its objective is to enable them to exercise their right to make an informed choice regarding worthwhile purchase. When packages are displayed in different sizes, it is difficult for the consumers to conduct a comparison.
Our proposal has already received partial response through the obligation to show the price per unit of measure. Council CEO states that the process needs to be completed and the obligation to display the price per unit in the packages must also be set in order to allow for easier comparison in packs of diapers, toilet paper, batteries, etc.
