Ten major topics for 2023 related to consumer affairs
Every year, NCAC publishes "ten major topics related to consumer affairs" of the year chosen out of the cases that drew significant public attention and/or showed typical trends.
The year 2023 has been marked by: the active consumption after COVID-19 being reclassified as Class 5 in Japan under the Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases; consumer affairs consultation influenced by the lowering of the age of adulthood taken effect a year before; strong recommendation of bicycle helmet use, etc.
Ten major topics for 2023 related to consumer affairs
- COVID-19 reclassified as Class 5, followed by the increase of problems related to travel booking and ticket resale
- Contractual trouble among people aged 18 and 19: triggers are beauty and money
- Enforcement of the revised Consumer Contract Act and the revised Act on Specified Commercial Transactions
- Stealth marketing regulated for the first time
- Unfair practice by Big Motor: compliance issues among used car sales and damage insurance industries
- Problems with the former Unification Church: the Japanese government moved for dissolution of the religious group
- Increased problems related to door-to-door purchase: 80% of contract signatories are the elderly
- Duty of effort to wear bicycle helmet regardless of age
- New toy regulation to prevent children from swallowing magnetic balls and swelling balls
- Digital transformation of consumer affairs consultation and rebuilding of the system
