Consumer Protection

What Consumer Protection does

Consumer Protection is a New Zealand government consumer protection agency operating as a brand and division within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It provides free, authoritative information and guidance to New Zealand consumers on their rights under New Zealand consumer law, including the Consumer Guarantees Act, the Fair Trading Act, the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, and the Privacy Act. The agency's mandate is informational and educational: it does not enforce complaints, act on behalf of individual consumers, or provide legal advice, but instead empowers consumers to resolve disputes with businesses directly. It serves three primary audiences: the general New Zealand public seeking consumer rights guidance, businesses needing compliance information under consumer legislation, and young consumers reached through Years 4-12 school curriculum resources.

The agency's core product is its public-facing website (consumerprotection.govt.nz), which functions as a digital information portal integrating interactive tools such as the Consumer Rights Finder, a Test Your Consumer Knowledge quiz, multilingual audio/visual Consumer Guarantees Act guides (in English, Māori, Samoan, and Tongan), and a Kura Rauemi resource suite in te reo Māori. Supporting products include the biennial New Zealand Consumer Survey research program and school curriculum materials covering financial decision-making, advertising literacy, and scam awareness. The technology stack is conventional government web infrastructure: standard web technologies with third-party integrations including Google Analytics, Campaign Monitor for newsletters and alerts, and Facebook for scam-alert communications. Publishing and social engagement delivered 645,661 website users, 905,843 sessions, and 1,813,000 Facebook impressions in 2023.

Consumer Protection operates on a non-commercial, publicly funded model with no revenue from product sales, fees, advertising, or subscriptions; government appropriations through MBIE fund all operations. Its go-to-market motion is informational and educational rather than sales-driven, relying on its official .govt.nz domain, search discoverability, organic social, email newsletters, and a Core partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) that channels consumers seeking in-person help to the agency's resources. Distribution channels are domestic only (New Zealand), and Crown copyright protects its content.

Name

Consumer Protection

Legal name

Consumer Protection (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment)

Website

https://consumerprotection.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Consumer Protection is a New Zealand government agency within MBIE that provides free, authoritative guidance on consumer rights under New Zealand consumer law. It serves the general public, businesses, and students via its official website, interactive tools, school resources, and a partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Consumer Protection Information Services

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Rights, Fraud Prevention & Identity Protection (EDAAAJAE)

Keywords

• Consumer rights guidance
• Consumer law information
• Government consumer protection
• Scam awareness resources
• Consumer education materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. No commercial revenue: Consumer Protection is a government information service operated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It does not generate commercial revenue. It provides free information and guidance to consumers about their rights under New Zealand consumer law. The agency does not sell products or services, does not charge fees, and does not operate on a commercial basis. Its operations are funded through government appropriations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Consumer Protection is a New Zealand government consumer protection agency under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) that provides free, authoritative consumer rights information and guidance to New Zealand residents. Its core offering is a public-facing website (consumerprotection.govt.nz) with an interactive Consumer Rights Finder tool that helps consumers understand their rights under New Zealand consumer law and resolve issues with faulty products, misleading advertising, scams, and unfair contracts. It does not sell products or services and does not act on behalf of individual consumers or provide legal advice.

Product overview

Consumer Protection is a New Zealand government information portal operated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The core offering is an informational website providing consumer rights guidance, with an interactive Consumer Rights Finder tool at its center. Supporting products include the biennial New Zealand Consumer Survey research program, School Resources curriculum materials for Years 4-12, a consumer knowledge quiz, multilingual audio-visual guides, and Māori language educational resources (Kura Rauemi). These products work together to educate consumers about their rights and help them resolve disputes with businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consumer Rights Finder Interactive online tool that helps New Zealand consumers identify and understand their specific rights when purchasing products or services, directing them to relevant guidance based on their situation. Available free via the Consumer Protection website.
• Consumer Protection Website
• New Zealand Consumer Survey Biennial research program that collects data on consumer awareness of New Zealand consumer laws and behavioural patterns when experiencing product or service problems, providing national insights on the consumer regulatory system.
• School Resources
• Test Your Consumer Knowledge Quiz
• Audio and Visual Guide to the Consumer Guarantees Act
• Kura Rauemi (Māori School Resources)

Quantifiable outcome

• 645,661 website users and 1,813,000 Facebook impressions in 2023

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer Protection supports the Citizens Advice Bureau as a key consumer channel. CAB serves as a community referral point for consumers seeking face-to-face and local consumer advice. Consumer Protection lists CAB as a primary resource consumers can access for help alongside its own online guidance. The partnership involves Consumer Protection providing information and resources that CAB volunteers and staff use to assist consumers.
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)coreOthersConsumer Protection is a brand/team within MBIE. MBIE is the parent ministry that funds, oversees, and houses the Consumer Protection function. All research reports, consumer surveys, and quarterly reports are published through MBIE's website. Consumer Protection operates as part of MBIE's Consumer & Commercial division.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• US Federal Trade Commission (FTC): US federal consumer protection agency providing consumer education, scam alerts, and guidance on consumer rights. Closest large-scale analogue globally in terms of public-facing consumer information, scam awareness campaigns, and educational resources.
• UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): UK regulator enforcing consumer protection law and providing consumer-facing guidance on rights and remedies. Comparable in mission and content offerings (consumer rights guidance, scam warnings, business compliance), though with broader competition enforcement powers.
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC): Australian federal agency enforcing consumer law (including the Australian Consumer Law) and educating consumers about their rights. Direct functional counterpart, with both enforcement powers and consumer education responsibilities analogous to Consumer Protection NZ.
• Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) New Zealand: NZ community-based consumer advice provider offering free, in-person guidance to consumers on rights and dispute resolution. Also a strategic partner of Consumer Protection; comparable in service model (free consumer rights advice) and audience.
• Consumer NZ: New Zealand consumer advocacy organisation that conducts product testing, publishes consumer advice, and lobbies for stronger consumer law. Highly comparable in target audience (NZ consumers) and remit (consumer rights guidance), though operating independently rather than as a government agency.
• Scamwatch (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission): ACC-operated scam awareness portal providing real-time scam alerts and consumer education. Closely comparable to the scam-awareness and alert function Consumer Protection delivers through its website and Facebook page.
• Commerce Commission New Zealand: New Zealand competition regulator enforcing the Fair Trading Act and Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act. Adjacent domestic regulator covering some of the same consumer-facing law Consumer Protection educates about, with overlap in target audiences.

Regional players

• BEUC (European Consumer Organisation): Pan-European umbrella consumer advocacy organisation representing national consumer groups. Comparable in mission to elevate consumer rights and produce consumer-facing research, though operating as a federation rather than a national regulator.

Broad incumbents

• Financial Markets Authority (FMA) New Zealand: NZ regulator overseeing financial markets and conduct, including consumer-facing financial education resources. Comparable as a government-backed regulator with consumer information responsibilities, but operating in a narrower financial-services domain.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): US federal agency providing consumer-facing education on financial rights, complaints, and protections. Comparable as a consumer-education focused regulator, though with financial-services specialisation and enforcement authority.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FraudInfo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Consumer Protection