在消費社會裡，由於商品的生產或服務的提供，絕大部分都是以科學技術的研究、發明，透過科技自動化生產體系大量生產、製造或提供，並透過層層的流通管道，最後到達消費者。在這樣的消費社會以及消費結構裡，（商品的）製造者或（服務的）提供者以及流通業者，亦即消保法中所稱之企業經營者，與一般廣大的消費者之間，係處於明顯對立關係而殊少有互換角色的可能。具體而言，企業經營者恆較消費者大眾具有雄厚的經濟力、資訊能力，以及（商品或服務）專業能力。以致，一般而言，消費者對商品或服務的效用、功能以及如何消費，絕大部分都得仰賴企業經營者提供專業資訊。故一旦消費者在消費商品或受服務發生權益損害時，本於現行民法所規定歸責理論進行究責時，因資訊能力、專業能力之不足以及科技專業的難以舉證，致損害賠償之請求通常將功敗垂成。另外，由於企業經營者與消費者兩極對立的結果，雙方所成立的契約，屢屢所見的都屬於定型化契約，此種契約的類型之普及化，消費者之權益亦往往遭受損害或受到極不公平的對待。儘管「每一個人都是消費者」，消費者人數眾多，看似勢力龐大，其實每個人每天都會有為數甚夥的消費，因此每個消費者都只能為消費者，但甚難就各種消費類型形成消費群體或團體，基於消費者權利之保護，自有容許公設之消費者保護團體，甚至透過公權力（行政機關）積極介入的必要。更有一點加以說明者是，消費者社會中一旦發生消費者權益受害時，為被害人之消費者往往人數眾多，但就被害之數額而言，卻多見少額，此種受害狀況如欲依現行民事訴訟體制解決消費爭議，亦往往事倍功半。基於消費社會上述所發生消費者權利保護之必要，我國在民國83年1月11日即公布施行「消費者保護法」（或稱消保法）以為因應。本法於民國92年及去（106）年各有一次之重大修正。

In a consumer society, most of the production of goods or provision of services is based on scientific and technological research and invention, mass production, manufacturing or provision through scientific and technological automated production systems, and finally reaches consumers through layers of circulation channels. In such a consumer society and consumption structure, manufacturers (of goods) or providers (of services) and distributors, also known as business operators in the Consumer Protection Act, are in an obviously antagonistic relationship with the general consumers, and there is little possibility of interchange of roles. Specifically, business operators always have stronger economic power, information capabilities, and professional capabilities (for goods or services) than the consumer public. As a result, generally speaking, consumers mostly rely on business operators to provide professional information about the effectiveness, functions and how to consume goods or services. Therefore, once a consumer's rights and interests are harmed when consuming goods or receiving services, when liability is held based on the liability theory stipulated in the current civil law, the claim for damages will usually fail due to insufficient information capabilities, professional capabilities, and difficulty in proving evidence in the technical profession. In addition, due to the polar opposition between business operators and consumers, the contracts established by the two parties are often stereotyped contracts. With the popularization of this type of contract, the rights and interests of consumers are often damaged or treated extremely unfairly. Although "everyone is a consumer" and the large number of consumers may seem to be a huge force, in fact everyone makes numerous purchases every day, so every consumer can only be a consumer. However, it is difficult to form consumer groups or groups for various consumption types. Based on the protection of consumer rights, it is necessary to allow public consumer protection groups and even the active intervention of public powers (administrative agencies). What is more illustrative is that when consumer rights are harmed in the consumer society, the number of consumers who are victims is often large, but the amount of harm is often small. In this kind of victimization situation, if you try to resolve consumer disputes according to the current civil litigation system, it will often be half the result with half the effort. Based on the above-mentioned need to protect consumer rights in the consumer society, our country promulgated and implemented the "Consumer Protection Law" (or Consumer Protection Law) on January 11, 1983 as a response. This law was significantly revised in 1992 and 106 last year.

最新修正之消保法計本法78條，施行細則計33條，合計共有111條（註1）。其內容計分總則（1~6條）、消費者權益（7~26條）、消費者保護團體（27~32條）、行政監督（33~42條）、消費爭議之處理（43~55條）、以及罰則（56~62條）共七章，本法係一兼具實體法、程序法、公法、私法等領域之複合性法律。基於立法當時之社會背景，本法係集合立法時所存在消費者權益保護之諸各國屬於獨立法律於一體之綜合性法律。因此就法律之適用與解釋而言，本法之所規定內容，時有前後難以銜接的矛盾與衝突，而關於各法律之規範亦屢見有殘缺與不足之處，是以基於使本法得以有效之施行，及切望其足以發生有效之規範作用，對於本法的理論探討及深入研究分析即益顯重要。

The latest amendment to the Consumer Protection Law includes 78 articles in this law and 33 implementing regulations, totaling 111 articles in total (Note 1). Its content is divided into seven chapters: general principles (Articles 1 to 6), consumer rights (Articles 7 to 26), consumer protection groups (Articles 27 to 32), administrative supervision (Articles 33 to 42), handling of consumer disputes (Articles 43 to 55), and penalties (Articles 56 to 62). This law is a complex law that combines substantive law, procedural law, public law, private law and other fields. Based on the social background at the time of legislation, this law is a comprehensive law that integrates the independent laws of various countries that exist at the time of legislation to protect consumer rights and interests. Therefore, as far as the application and interpretation of the law is concerned, the content stipulated in this law sometimes has contradictions and conflicts that are difficult to connect, and the norms of various laws often have defects and deficiencies. Therefore, in order to ensure that this law can be effectively implemented and that it is eager to have an effective normative effect, it is increasingly important to theoretically explore and conduct in-depth research and analysis of this law.