We discuss the impact of consumer protection policies on consumer incentives to become informed of the best deals available in the market. In a market with costly consumer search, we find that imposing a cap on suppliers' prices reduces the incentive to engage in search, with the result that...

This paper summarizes some of my recent work on consumer protection. I present three theoretical models which illustrate the merits and drawbacks of a number of common consumer protection policies, namely: policies which prevent firms from setting unduly high prices; policies which prevent firms...

There is growing evidence that low-quality customer service prevails in the mobile telecommunications industry. In this paper we provide theoretical support to this empirical observation by using simple game theoretical models where inefficient low-quality service levels are part of an...

We all know that the European Commission's strategic vision is aiming to maximize consumer participation and trust in the market by reinforcing consumer safety, enhancing knowledge, stepping up enforcement and securing redress, aligning consumer rights and policies to changes in society and in...

Within the framework of the well-known European Commission's strategic vision (aiming to maximize consumer participation and trust in the market by reinforcing consumer safety, enhancing knowledge, stepping up enforcement and securing redress, aligning consumer rights and policies to changes in...

This paper surveys models of markets in which some consumers are "savvy" while others are not.  We discuss when the presence of savvy consumers improves the deals available to non-savvy consumers in the market (the case of search externalities), and when the non-savvy fund generous deals for...

Studies on private pension provision products have been focusing increasingly on the level of information among consumers. With the aid of a representative panel survey, this essay looks at more extensive approaches to an explanation for restraints on the demand side that may obstruct preference...

This paper surveys models of markets in which some consumers are "savvy" while others are not. We discuss when the presence of savvy consumers improves the deals available to non-savvy consumers in the market (the case of search externalities), and when the non-savvy fund generous deals for...

As could be expected, the global financial crisis is on everybody’s mind and causing a lot of worries. The current crisis has reached the consumers globally and intensified conversations about consumer protection. It has threatened their wealth as people have lost their assets, savings and...

Contingent charges for financial services, such as fees for unauthorized overdrafts, are often controversial. We study the economics of contingent charges in a stylized setting with naive and sophisticated consumers. We contrast situations where the naive benefit from the presence of...