L 24 - Consumer Awareness

Question 1

Who is not a consumer?

Answer 1

A person is not a consumer if he/she purchases goods and services for resale purpose.

Question 2

Why must the consumers take the bill on purchase of a product?

Answer 2

There are two main reasons why the consumers must take the bill on purchase of a product -
1. Bill ensures that tax on the product has been paid to the government
2. If the consumer has any issues with the product, then he/she can return it or file a complaint by giving the bill as a proof of purchase before the consumer court.

Question 3

What is vat?

Answer 3

Vat stands for value added tax.it is a type of tax placed on a product whenever value is added at a stage of production and at final sale

Question 4

give the full forms of CPA, ECA, PFA, and SWMA

Answer 4

PFA stands for prevention of food adulteration act, 1954
ECA stands for essential commodities act, 1955
SWMA stands for the standard of weights and measures act, 1976
CPA stands for consumer protection act, 1986

Question 5

How can a foreign agency sell its product in India?

Answer 5

A Foreign agency can sell its products in India as long as they maintain an office in India. They have to organise the inspection of goods prior to purchase, on refund goods within 30 days.

Question 6

Name The government councils which deal with consumer grievances at national and state level

Answer 6

At national level, there is a Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) which is headed by a central minister in-charge of the consumer affairs in the central government at New Delhi.
At state level, there is a state consumer protection council (SCPC) in each state of India which is headed by a state minister in-charge of the consumer affairs in the state government.

Question 7

Name the consumer courts at national and state and district levels?

Answer 7

At the bottom is the District Consumer Forum (DCF) at the district level in the state. There are 604 District Forums in the country now.
At the mid level there is State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC). There are 35 State Commissions in the country.
Finally at the top there is an apex body known as National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) working hand-in-hand to provide cheap, speedy and simple redressal to consumer disputes in the country.

Question 8

When a complaint can be filed in the consumer court?

Answer 8

A complaint can be filed in the consumer court within 2 years of the date of purchase.

Question 9

Why is there a need for consumer awareness?

Question 10

What you must do as an aggrieved consumer to file a complaint?

Answer 10

For filing a complaint, the aggrieved consumer must -
1. always keep the cash memo, receipt or bill of the product he/she has purchased. The format to file a complaint is located on the booklet provided by consumer protection Act.
2. Then the person must select the proper category under which he/she is filing the complaint. These categories are - unfair trade practice, deficiency of service etc.
3. Then the nature of the complaint needs to be explained in simple words. The consumer should be clear about the fault and what he/ she wants as a remedy i.e a replacement or a refund or compensation in case of a service.
4. The documents like the receipt or other evidences must be attached along with the complaint. There has to be three copies of the entire set; one for the complainant, one for the other party against whom the complaint has been made and one for the consumer court.
5. Some nominal filing fees have to be paid to the court by the complainant in the form of a demand draft.

Question 11

Describe the consumer redressal system in India?

Question 12

Give the provisions of Consumer Protection Act?

Question 13

Discuss in brief the rights of consumers in India?

Answer 13

1. Right to Information - This right states that sellers and producers should always provide consumers with enough and appropriate information regarding the price, weight, company brand, manufacturing & expiry dates, quality identification marks, ingredients, contact links of the company and so on, to make intelligent and informed product choices.
2. Right to choose - The consumers have the Right to Choose regarding what to buy and what not to buy. Sometimes when you receive a service or purchase a good you cannot do so because you are forced to buy things that you may not wish to. The shopkeeper puts a condition and you are left with no choice. You as a consumer lose your right to choose.
3. Right to Safety
   This right provides protection against the marketing of goods that are unsafe to the health and life e.g. adulteration in food, medicines, electronics and so on.
4. Right to be Heard
   This right ensures that consumers’ interest will be given due consideration in the appropriate forums. This right also empowers the Indian consumers to fearlessly voice their complaints against the defective products and the producer/company /seller.
5. The Right to Seek Redressal
   In case of cheating, fraud or any other injustice as explained above the consumer can get compensation for the damage caused by the unfair and exploitative trade practices.
6. The Right to Consumer Education
   It means to have access to programs and information that help consumers make better decisions before and after purchase. Instructions and guidelines for consumers are issued by the government departments and NGOs. This helps the consumers to take right decision with regard to purchase of a commodity. to bring Trademarks and Logos authentication marks such as ISI, AGMARK, BIS and other educational campaigns done in public interest.

Question 14

What you must do as a responsible consumer?

Question 15

Explain two major challenges facing consumer movement in India?

Answer 15

(i) spreading consumer awareness in rural area of India -
On account of the globalization and liberalisation, increase in middle income and high income population in the villages our rural markets are also expanding. So companies are reaching with their products to our rural markets as well. But the rural consumers in India are generally ignorant and illiterate. So they are exploited by the manufacturers, traders and service providers. Rural consumers face problems like fake brands, spurious products, lack warranties and guarantees, imitation, unreasonable pricing, lack of varieties and so on. There is a need for spreading consumer awareness in the rural areas more seriously.

(ii) timely delivery of justice -
Unlike the civil courts, the consumer courts are quasi-judicial bodies that need to follow a simple, summary procedure for quick disposal of complaints. However repeated adjournments, delays on the part of the state government to fill up the posts of judges and unnecessary technicalities slow down the process of justice for the consumers. Delays often take away the essence of the law. The Government amended CPA in 2003 to eliminate such delays. Accordingly, consumer courts are not to give adjournments at all. In exceptional circumstances where it is given, the court has to record the reasons for it in writing and justify it.