Vedaniti,
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Introduction
In the current trend of Marketing, the consumer is a lifeblood of all its functioning. The
market gets shrewd and sometimes the consumer has to suffer the brunt of it. Therefore,
consumer protection is an act of providing consumers with complete information about the
goods, services and their rights.
Consumer awareness is very important as they invest their time and money in marketing
activities and they have a right to transparent information
Misleading advertisement, unsafe products, overcharging and unweighing and other
malpractices are performed by unscrupulous businessmen. Consumer awareness is an
act of saving consumers from such delinquencies.
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Need for Customer Protection-
1. The consumer is the most important factor in business. No business can survive
without consumers as their satisfaction is the main purpose of any business
operations.
2. Business is not just about monetary benefits but also to upgrade the society to a
better version by keeping its welfare as an objective.
3. The Constitution has provided us with the Consumer Protection act 1986, to protect
the consumers from any marketing malpractices.
4. Consumer protection rights promote a healthy competitive market which supports
economic growth. It keeps away malicious trade practices and unscrupulous
business owners from damaging the fair trade.
5. Consumers are an integral part of a market structure. It is very important to protect
their rights in order to have a fair market structure.
Consumer RightsVedaniti,
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4. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1986 to
shield the interests of customers in India. As per our economy, the right amount of
demand and steady and responsible supply can assist in the growth of the economy.
Hence, in order to protect the buyers from any sort of exploitation, this act was
introduced
Let’s move on to how many types of consumer rights are there-
1. Right to Safety
This is a basic right to be protected against the marketing of such goods and services
which are hazardous to life and property. Consumption of goods or services which are not
up to the mark can have adverse effects on the consumer's health and safety. In order to
protect the consumer's interest, they have a right to receive high quality and reliable
goods. For instance- Household goods like LPG cylinders if not sealed properly can cause
immense damage to life and property, Stale food items can cause harm to buyers health,
Low-quality cosmetics can cause similar harms
2. Right to Information-
The consumer has a right to receive information about the quality, quantity, potency,
standard and price of the goods or services. The consumer should rightfully ask on getting
all the information about the product or service before making a choice or a decision. This
will enable him to take well informed and thought decision and also preventing himself
from falling prey to high-pressure selling techniques. The right to information is used to
shield consumers from deceptive advertising, misleading labels and packaging, high
prices, etc.
3. Right to Choose-
This right provides access to all the variety of goods and services and competitive prices
In monopolistic competition, the goods and services should be of the best quality and
price.
The seller should not use aggressive techniques to see the products and consumers
should have the right to alll the variety of altematives. This right requires free competition
in the market. The consumer should have a free choice in choosing any product from theVedaniti,
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4. Right to be Heard-
The above three rights are useless if there is no proper authority to listen to customer
grievances. If a buyer is dissatisfied with the product or service, then one has the right to
file a complaint against it and it has to be addressed within a set time-frame. For instance,
if a consumer buys an electronic Item and it starts malfunctioning, a consumer has all
rights to take appropriate action by returning or replacing it.
5. Right to Seek Redressal-
This right gives authority to the consumers to settle any claims and complaints against
sellers for their unfair trade practices and exploitation. The buyer has a right to redress if
the quality of the product is compromised. Consumers need to file a complaint under the
consumer protection act
6. Right to Customer Education-
A consumer must be aware of his rights and responsibilities provided by the authorities
regarding marketing practices. This is @ very important right as this lays down the
foundation for fair trade practices as a consumer is aware of his rights. The consumer has
all the authority to gain knowledge about his rights as a buyer.
Who is a Responsible Consumer?
+The responsible consumer is one who is aware of all his rights and responsibilities
during a trade practice.
* Aconsumer who checks all the required labels of the products, while purchasing, in
order to know the authenticity and quality of the product.
+The responsibility to be assertive - Which ensures that you get a fair deal as a
consumer.
* A customer should check for the standard marks which ensure the authenticity as
well as the quality of the product like the |S| mark or Hallmark ete.
Consumer Awareness In India
Consumer awareness campaign- Jago Grahak Jago is a well-established campaign which