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The Director of Consumer Protection is responsible for enforcing the Consumer
Protection Law of 1981.
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Principal Clauses of the Consumer Protection Law:
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Prohibition against misleading consumers.
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Prohibition against exploiting consumers in distress.
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Prohibition against misleading advertising.
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Regulation of credit sales.
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Obligation to reveal full information to the consumer.
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Regulation of advertising directed at children.
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Regulation of product labeling.
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Obligation to reveal full information and protection against fraud in
specific transactions:
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- Door-to-door sales
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- Sales of vacation apartments
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- Indirect sales involving no direct contact between seller and buyer in which the
seller contacts the buyer through various forms of advertising. The link between
seller and buyer is through the telephone or other electronic means without
examination of the goods or services by the buyer.
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Additional Authorities of the Director of Consumer
Protection:
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The Real Estate Agent Law which establishes the rules for land
transactions. The law prohibits real estate agents from operating without a
license and specifies the obligations of the real estate agent.
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The Council for Higher Education Law which establishes
the rules for
academic institutions to receive official recognition or a license from the
Council for Higher Education. The law requires academic institutions to
make information fully available to their students.
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The Uniform Contracts law gives the Director of Consumer
Protection the
authority to turn to and appear in the Court for Uniform Contracts and to
receive copies of contracts made with consumers.
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The responsibilities of the Director include initiating
legislation, carrying out
consumer surveys and dealing with any area of consumer protection not under
the
legal jurisdiction of a different authority. The Consumer Protection Law
applies to
all sectors of the economy except banks and insurance.
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The Director receives complaints directly from the public.
A complaint which
involves the violation of consumer law is passed to the regional offices for
investigation under the auspices of the Domestic Trade Administration (see
appropriate section). At the conclusion of the investigation, the regional
office's
legal staff makes a decision whether to prosecute for violation of the
Consumer
Protection Law or to utilize other measures.
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Preventive Measures - The guiding principle of the
Consumer Protection Unit is that
wise consumers are a necessary condition for quality of life in a modern
society.
Accordingly, the Consumer Protection Unit, in cooperation with other
organizations,
is active in consumer education, publishing of consumer information and the
formulation of programs of study.
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For further information:
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The Director of Consumer Protection - The Ministry of
Industry and Trade
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Agron St. 30, Jerusalem 94190
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Tel: 02-6220183-185
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Fax: 02-6243093
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E-Mail: consumerprotection@moital.gov.il
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