CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT,1986 is an act of the parliament of India enacted in 1986 to

protect the interests of consumers in India .It makes provision for the establishment of consumer
councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumers disputes and for matters connected
therewith also. The act was passed in Assembly in October 1986.

 CITATION Act NO.68 OF 1986

 ENACTED BY Parliament of India
 DATE COMMENCED 24 DECEMBER 1986

IN regulatory jurisdictions that provide for it (comprising most or all developed countries with
free market economies),consumer protection is a group of laws and organizations designed to
ensure the rights of consumers as well as fair trade ,competition and accurate information in the
market place .The laws are designed to prevent the businesses that engage in fraud or specified
unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors . They may also provide additional
protection for those most vulnerable in society .Consumer protection laws are a form of
government may require businesses to disclose detailed information about products particularly in
areas where safety or public health is an issue ,such as food .

Consumer protection is linked to the idea of consumer rights and to the formation of consumer
organizations ,which help consumers make better choices in the marketplace and get help with
consumer complaints .

A Consumer is defined as someone who acquires goods and services for direct use or ownership
rather than for resale or use in production and manufacturing .
Consumer interests can also be protected by promoting competition in the markets which directly
and indirectly serve consumers ,consistent with economic efficiency,but this topic is treated in
competition law.Consumer protection can also be asserted via non government organizations and
individuals as consumer activism.

SAILENT FEATURES OF CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT 1986:_

 It aims at providing overall/holistic protection to the consumers .
 The act is applicable to entire except for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
  The act is applicable to all goods and services ,unless explicity stated by the Central
Government.
 The act protects against defective and hazardous services and unfair trade practices like
hoarding,black marketing ,insider trading ,monopolies.
 The act provides redressal of consumer grievances in a simple and inexpensive way.
 The most important aspect of the act is that it has a set time frame for settlement.
 Consumers having common interests and grievances can collectively file a
complaint,under “class action “provided under the act.
 The Act cover both public and private sector suppliers of goods and services.
 The Act also provides for unfair trade practices like food adulteration ,overcharging or
short weighing on fixed price items and packaged commodities etc.Such grievances can
be directly taken to District Forums directly.
 The Act is customer oriented and safeguards the interests of the consumers against unjust
and exploitative business practices like selling of defective goods ,rendering poor
services etc.

OBJECTIVES OF CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT 1986:-

It seeks to promote and to protect the rights of consumers such as protection against marketing
of goods which are hazardous to life and property ,the right to be informed about the
quality,quantity,potency,purity,standard and price of goods to protect the consumer against
unfair trade practices.