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RIGHTS TO CONSUMER
By Shaikh Zoya Sajid
SYBMS B—112
RIGHTS TO CONSUMER
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RIGHTS TO CONSUMER
INTRODUCTION TO RIGHTS TO CONSUMER-
A Consumer is the one who purchases the product for his/her own
need and uses or consumes it. A consumer cannot resell the good,
product or service but can consume it to earn his/her livelihood and
self-employment.
Consumer Rights are protection that give consumers the power to
make informed decisions about the products and services they
purchase. It also means right to be informed about the quality,
quantity, potency, purity, standard, and price of goods so as to
protect the consumer against unfair trade practices. Consumer
should insist on getting all the information about the product or
services before making a choice or a decision.
Consumer is also known as a KING OF THE MARKET.
As consumer is king of the market they have certain rights to protect
themselves from malpractices of the market.
The Consumer Protection Bill,1986 was passes by both the Houses of
Parliament and it received the assent of the President on 24 th
December, 1986 It came on the Statues Book as THE CONSUMER
PROTECTION ACT, 1986.
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RIGHTS OF CONSUMER
Every consumer should know about their right. as it protects them
from any malpractices of the businessman. Advertisement is the
source from where consumer get to know about any product or
services that is offered by the business. But not every advertisement
is true some may provide fake information about the product or
services. the consumer has to double check the information of the
product. They can take actions against misleading advertising of the
company.
Here are some CONSUMER RIGHTS that are under CONSUMER
PROTECTION ACT 1986:
Right to safety
Right to choose
Right to be informed
Right to be heard
Right to redress
Right to consumer education
1. Right to safety- The right to safety means the right to
be protected against the production process which are
not safe to our health or life. Before buying, a consumer
can insist on the quality and guarantee of the goods. They
should ideally purchase a certified product like ISI or
AGMARK.
Consumers have the right to protection against damage to their
property and person.
Products should not pose any physical danger, health risks, or
cause difficulties due to failure.
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Policies should be in place to ensure that if manufacturers or
distributors become aware of unforeseen risks after a product
is on the market, they promptly inform the relevant authorities
and the public.
Governments should also explore ways to ensure that
consumers are properly notified of such hazards.
2. Right to choose-The "Right to Choose" is a
fundamental consumer right that ensures every consumer
has the freedom to choose and buy products or services
of their preference from a variety of options available in
the market.
o Consumers should have access to a wide variety of goods
at competitive prices.
o The trader or seller cannot limit the consumer’s choice by
offering only one product or restricting them to buy a
specific brand.
o It assures the consumer can select products based on
their quality, price, and preferences without undue
influence or pressure.
3. Right to be Informed- The Buyers should be
informed with all the necessary details of the product,
make him/her act wise, and change the buying decisions.
Consumers can obtain information from various sources. Depending
on the type of product or service the source of information may
differ. The major sources of information are-
Labels
Advertisements
Print media
Electronic media
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4. Right to Heard- This means the consumer will get due
attention to express their grievances at a suitable forum.
Institutions offering consumer services should establish
grievance redressal cells to address complaints promptly and
ensure product safety.
Utilize media to raise awareness and mobilize consumers.
Create consumer forums to discuss and address various
consumer-related issues.
5. Right to Redress- Redress means to ‘put things right’.
When consumers have a problem with goods or services
they have paid for, they have a right to seek redressal. The
consumer can seek redressal for various kinds of
grievances. A consumer can launch a complaint in the
appropriate consumer forum if
a trader adopts unfair or restrictive trade practice
goods bought are defective
services of any kind suffer from deficiency
goods which are hazardous to life and safety are being offered
for sale
Services hazardous to life are being offered for sale
6. Right to consumer education- The right to
consumer education ensures the opportunity to gain
knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions
as a consumer throughout life and it includes the right to
acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to take actions
and influence factors impacting consumer decisions. Aim
of Consumer Education The aim of consumer education is
to-
increase consumer awareness
develop confidence
assist in making sound decisions
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realize the role of consumer in market economy
Understand legal system that helps consumer exercise their
rights.
assist consumer to become a wise buyer
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SUGGESTION
Many consumers are still unknown from their rights so, government
as well as companies should arrange campaign for the consumer.
And even as consumer they should educate themselves on this topic.
Nowadays the technology is very updated and almost every person
has access to the internet so it is to study about anything. As
everything is available on google and there are many people who
make videos on youtube and they are available in almost every
language.
By learning Right of Consumer it will be easy for a person to defend
themselves from any malpractices of the market. It is very important
to learn about the right as it will benefit them.
There is even some organisation that protect the consumer rights
such as-
Lok Adalat (Peoples Court)
Public Interest Litigation (Janahit Yachika)
Redressal Forums
Awareness programme
Consumer Organization
Consumer Welfare Fund (CWF)
Legislative Measures
As a consumer they should have some responsibilities before buying
any products or services such as-
Consumer should know about his rights
Cautious consumer
Filing of complaint
Quality conscious
Beware of exaggerate advertisements
Demand of Invoice and Guarantee, Warrantee Card
Pre-Planned buying
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Organised Efforts
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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, consumer rights are fundamental to ensuring fairness,
transparency, and accountability in the marketplace. This study has
highlighted the critical rights that consumers are entitled to, such as
the right to safety, the right to information, the right to choose, and
the right to be heard. These rights are essential in protecting
consumers from exploitation, misinformation, and unsafe products.
Despite progress in consumer protection laws, challenges remain,
especially in the digital age, where issues like data privacy and online
fraud are increasingly prevalent.
To strengthen consumer protections, there is a need for continued
advocacy, stricter enforcement of regulations, and greater awareness
among consumers of their rights. Furthermore, as technology and
markets evolve, consumer rights should be adapted to address new
risks and ensure that all individuals, regardless of their
socioeconomic status, have access to safe and fair market practices.
Ongoing research and policy development will be essential in
ensuring that consumers' interests are safeguarded in an ever-
changing global economy.
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REFERENCE
https://byjus.com/commerce/what-is-the-consumer-protection-act/#:~:text=Right%20to%20be
%20informed%2D%20The,Ignorance%20can%20cost%20them%20more.
file:///C:/Users/shabn/Downloads/Chapter-24.pdf
https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/organisation-and-units/division/consumer-protection-unit/consumer-rights
RIGHTS TO CONSUMER
