The Consumer Authority prevents and stops illegal marketing, unfair contract terms and other forms of illegal commercial practices targeted to consumers.
We achieve this by offering guidance and entering into dialogue with traders, by effective use of economic sanctions and through information. We also work to protect the rights of the consumers and to ensure that consumers may take informed decisions.
The Marketing Control Act regulates how the Consumer Authority operates, and is the most important law we enforce. In addition to this, we ensure that traders comply with other parts of consumer protection legislation such as the Cancellation act, the Financial Services Act and several other laws.
When traders infringe the Marketing Control Act, the Cancellation Act, the Financial Agreements Act or other pieces of legislation that the CA enforces, the CA may prohibit this conduct (MCA § 40) and impose administrative fines (MCA §§ 42 and 43). Natural or legal person that are accessories to infringements, may also be the subject of decisions by the CA. The CAs decisions may be appealed to the Market Council (MCA § 37)
The Consumer Authority participates in a broad specter of international co-operation forums, to contribute to strong consumer protection across national borders.
Elisabeth Lier Haugseth is the director of the Consumer Authority. The authority has 30 employees in our office in Oslo.