Fall survey findings build on understanding of consumer issues

Here are some key findings:

• Over the previous 12 months, Oregonians report experiencing unfair and/or illegal treatment most commonly in the following consumer areas: Scams/frauds (23%); Grocery, food, and beverage (16%); Debt collection (12%); and Telecommunications (12%)
• Oregonians say that legal assistance and education on their rights as consumers would be most helpful in countering unfair treatment.
• A strong majority of Oregonians believe that state and federal agencies and individuals who have been harmed should be able to hold companies accountable when they violate the law.
• If faced with an emergency expense of $400, more than half of Oregonians would either find it challenging to pay the bill (28%) or wouldn’t be able to pay it upfront and would need to borrow money or go into debt (26%) to manage the expense.
• Fewer than one-half (47%) of Oregonians are confident that they have the information and resources they would need to understand their rights and what they would need to do if they had to go to court over a debt.
• 70% of Oregonians support legislation requiring technology and equipment manufacturers to make parts, tools, and documents publicly available so consumers can repair products from these manufacturers.
  • Every subgroup examined supports this type of legislation at a rate of 50% or higher, highlighting Right to Repair as a common-ground issue among Oregonians.

We are actively using these insights to inform our strategic planning and our advocacy, including many of the policy issues we are championing in this coming legislative session. We will go back to consumers later this spring as we continue to build upon our understanding and shape policies and programming that are responsive to the needs of Oregonians.