1. What do you mean by Consumer Protection ? What are the needs for these protection ?
Ans - A consumer is exposed to many hazards physical, environmental and exploitation due to unfair trade practices. He should be protected from the consumption of unsafe product such as adulterated eatables , spurious medicines etc. The consumer should be provided full information about the proper decision whether to go for a product or not .
Needs -
1. Unorganised Consumer - India is a vast country where the consumers are so widely spread that it is not possible to organise them for a cause for consumer protection .
2. Illiteracy and ignorance - A large chunk of Indian consumers are illiterate so they do not understand their rights etc. , thus they need a system which can protect them .
3. Deceptive Advertising - Some producers give wrong information about quality , utility and safety of goods through advertisements . There should be certain measures which can prevent misleading advertisement .
4. Malpractices of Businessman - The consumer expects products of good quality at reasonable prices. In many cases they are exploited by selling to them goods which are defective . Hence they need protection against such malpractices.
5. Production of Duplicate Product - It is difficult for the consumer to distinguish between a genuine and a duplicate between a genuine and a duplicate product. Thus a mechanism for consumer protection is essential to identify the exploitation of consumers.
2. What are the Rights of Consumer ?
Ans - 1. Right to Choose - A consumer has a right to choose from available goods. This right will exercised only if a variety of goods is available .
2. Right to buy quality goods- Consumer has a right to get good quality products and right services.
3. Right Against Exploitation - Consumer have right against exploitation from malpractices and misleading advertisement.
4. Right to Information - Consumer has a right to be informed of the quality, price and other relevant facts about the products.
5. Right to Safety- Consumer has a right against those goods which are unsafe or injurious to health.
6. Right to After Sale Services- Consumers have a right to get satisfactory after sale services if it was guaranteed by the businessman.
7. Receive Proper Satisfaction - Consumer has a right to receive proper satisfaction from goods and services.
8. Redressal of Grievances - In case the consumer feels aggrieved then their should be a machinery where he is heard.
3. What are the responsibilities of a consumer?
Ans - 1. Consumer to exercise rights - A consumer has been given various rights like right to choose , right to safety etc . It is the responsibility of a consumer to exercise his rights properly .
2. Wise buying - A consumer should try to know the terms of sell , quality , warranty etc. before he makes a purchase , so that he can purchase wisely .
3. Must be quality conscious - A consumer should be quality conscious when he makes his purchase . The quality makes such as ISI mark, AGMARK , ISO etc are some of the marks which consumer should see before making purchases.
4. Insist of Cash memo - While making purchase a consumer must insist on getting a cash memo for the goods and services.
5. Get the genuine grievances redressed- The consumers are not particular about getting their grievances redressed. In case the consumer is supplied wrong or duplicate product , he must file a complaint with the grievance redressal authority .
6. Careful Evaluation of Advertisement - The advertisement offenly includes the features and quality of product. Thus advertising is the main media of promoting goods. The consumer should carefully evaluate the features and quality of product before they make the purchases.
4. What are the different consumer disputed redressal machinery / forum ?
Ans - The Act provides for three- tier Quasi - Judicial redressal machinery at the district , state and national levels for redressal of consumer disputes and grievances -
1. District Forum - A state government is empowered to establish a consumer disputed redressal agency at the district level . The district forum will consists of one president and two members, one of whom shall be a women . This forum can entertain complains where the value of goods and services doesn't exceeds Rs. 20 lakh .
2. State Commission - A state government is empowered to establish state commission for the redressal of consumer complaints . The commission shall consists of one president and not less than two members , one of whom will be a women. The state commission shall consists of one president and not less than two members , one of whom will be a women . The state commission can entertain complains where the value of goods or services is between 20 lakhs and 1 crore.
3. National Commission - The National Commission consists of a President and four members , one of whom shall be a women . The commission can certain complaints where the value of goods and services exceeding Rs. 1 crore . The commission also hears appeals against the order of state commission .
5. What are the importance of Consumer Protection from Consumer point of view ?
Ans - 1. Consumer Ignorance - Consumer protection provides information to the ignorant customers regarding rights and remedies available to them . It spreads awareness so that consumer can know about the various redressal agencies where they can approach to protect their interests .
2. Unorganised Consumers - In developing country like India , consumers are not organised . There are very few consumer organisations which are working to protect the interests of consumers. Consumers protection encourages establishment of more consumer organisations. Consumer protection provides power and rights to these organisations as these organisations can file case behalf of customers .
3. Widespread Exploitation of consumers - Although nowadays consumer is the king pin of market but then also there is lot of exploitation of consumers as businessmen use various unfair trade practices to cheat and exploit consumers . Consumer protection provides safeguard to consumers from such exploitation .
6. What are the importance of Consumer Protection form Business point of view ?
Ans - 1. Long term Interest of Business - After the liberalisation and globalisation the level of competition has increased so much that not only internal but business has to face international competition . In the race of competition the businessmen can win and capture a big share in the market only when they can satisfy their customers by giving them safe products at reasonable prices.
2. Business Uses Society's Resources - Businessmen use the resources of society . They earn profit by supplying goods and services to the members of society so it must do something for society . Businessmen are merely trustee of resources , they must use these resources for the benefits of society .
3. Social Responsibilities - A businessman has social obligations towards various group and customers is one of the important groups . It is responsibility of businessmen to provide quality goods at reasonable price. '
4. Government Intervention - If businessmen want to avoid intervention of government then they should not involve in unfair trade practices . Government intervention may spoil the image of the business . Business should voluntarily involve in the activities which protect the interest of consumer .
