This study set out to improve the quality and consistency of assessing personal consumer detriment by developing a simple, consistent state-of-the-art methodology to identify, measure and quantify its incidence and magnitude. Protecting consumers, especially the vulnerable ones, against significant personal detriment is a matter of fairness. In addition, this can also improve overall market functioning, as consumers confident enough that they have some protection against unforeseeable negative outcomes may be more willing to engage actively in markets, by e.g. switching to new suppliers or products, or signalling problems in the marketplace through their complaints.
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