Key Notes: Consumer Protection - Commerce PDF Download

Consumer 

A consumer is generally understood as a person who uses consumer goods or avails any service.

Consumer Protection 

It means protecting consumer from the clutches of fraud producers or sellers.

Who Can File a Complaint?

(i) A consumer
(ii) Any registered consumer association
(iii) The Central Government or any State Government
(iv) One or more consumers, on behalf of numerous consumers having the interest
(v) A legal heir or representative of a decreased consumer

Three Tier Judicial Machinery to Provide Protection to Consumers

(i) District forum
(ii) State commission
(iii) National commission

Consumer Rights

(i) Right to safety
(ii) Right to be informed
(iii) Right to choose
(iv) Right to be heard
(v) Right to seek redressal
(vi) Right to consumer education

Consumer Responsibilities

(i) Consumer must exercise his right
(ii) Consumer must be conscious
(iii) Filling complaints for the redressal of genuine grievances
(iv) Consumer must be quality cautious
(v) Do not be carried away by advertisement
(vi) Insist on cash memo

Ways and Means of Consumer Protections

(i) Self regulations by business
(ii) Business association
(iii) Consumer awareness
(iv) Consumer organisation
(v) Government

Relief Available

(i) Removal of defects from the goods
(ii) Replacement of the goods
(iii) Refund of the price paid
(iv) Compensation of loss or injury suffered
(v) Removal of deficiency in service
(vi) Discontinuance of unfair trade practices
(vii) Stopping the sale of hazardous goods
(viii) Withdrawal of hazardous goods from market

Rule of Consumer Organisations 

In India, several consumer organisations and non-governmental organisations have been set up for the protection and promotion of consumers interest. These associations are performing following functions
(i) Bringing out brochures, journals etc
(ii) Spreading consumer awareness
(iii) Collecting data of different product
(iv) Filing suits or complaints on behalf of customers
(v) Educating the consumer to help themselves
(vi) Educating women regarding consumerism

Rule of Press 

A part from publishing articles, columns etc newspapers have tried to provide protection to harassed consumers by including a consumer complaint column.

Rule of Universities and Press

IGNOU has made a beginning by developing a complete syllabus which provides a framework for the universities to develop a curriculum for consumer education CBSE has published a teacher’s manual on consumer education.