Chilean Consumer Law and Policy: A Brief Outlook

Abstract

Chilean consumer law and policy has a short but enthralling history. As compared with other jurisdictions such as EU countries, its bedrock is still in formation, particularly pertaining to its envisaged role in the regulatory spectrum applicable to consumer markets. However, this circumstance has not been a serious obstacle to several reforms carried out in recent years aimed at broadening its scope of action, including rethinking a proposal regarding the policy goals to be addressed by the national consumer agency, SERNAC. In that context, this article presents a brief account of the main features of Chilean consumer law, considering the current socioeconomic development level of the country, the main pieces of legislation concerning consumer protection in the Chilean legal framework—notably the Chilean Consumer Protection Act—as well as key elements of the public policy approach in this matter. A few examples of topics such as product liability and sale and purchase of consumer goods are also analysed in order to allow a comparison of the Chilean experience in consumer protection with other jurisdictions.