THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR WAYS IN WHICH CONSUMER PROTECTION MEASURES MAY INCREASE THE COSTS INVOLVED IN MANUFACTURING AND MARKETING, BUT IT IS FASHIONABLE FOR CONSUMER ADVOCATES TO DISMISS THESE COSTS AS NONEXISTENT OR MINOR. TO BE ACCURATE, CONSUMER GROUPS SHOULD REALIZE THAT THERE ARE EXTRA COSTS TO THE TAXPAYER TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO RUN GOVERNMENT ADVISORY ORGANIZATIONS AND TESTING PROGRAMS. SECOND, DEMANDS THAT FIRMS PRODUCE MORE 'RELIABLE' PRODUCTS RESULT IN INCREASED MANUFACTURING COSTS WHETHER OR NOT THE 'IMPROVEMENTS' ARE APPRECIATED BY CONSUMERS. THEN THERE ARE THE MAN-HOURS OF WORK EXPENDED IN DEALING WITH INACCURATE AND WASTEFUL COMPLAINTS. (THESE WERE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 200 MILLION POUNDS PER ANNUM IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.) FINALLY, THERE ARE INCREASED MANUFACTURING AND MARKETING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MEETING VARIOUS CONSUMER REGULATIONS. IF THE ULTIMATE RESULT IS GREATER CONSUMER SATISFACTION AND SAFETY, THEN THE COSTS ARE JUSTIFIED. HOWEVER, THE MOVEMENT IS NOT SERVED BY ASSUMING THAT THESE COSTS DO NOT EXIST. CONSUMER GROUPS HAVE ALSO SPENT LARGE SUMS OF MONEY FOR MARKET RESEARCH WHICH DUPLICATES THAT DONE BY BUSINESS. GREATER COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRIES WOULD ELIMINATE THIS WASTE OF MONEY. FINALLY, CONSUMERISM IS A MIDDLE-CLASS PHENOMENON. LITTLE EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO DISTINGUISH THE NEEDS OF POOR CONSUMERS OR THE VARYING NEEDS OF DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CONSUMERS. UNTIL THE MOVEMENT CAN TRULY REPRESENT ALL CONSUMERS, ITS PROGRAMS WILL CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE COSTS OF ALL CONSUMERS WHILE BENEFITING ONLY ONE SEGMENT OF THE BUYING PUBLIC. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)