Consumer Rights

Project Report

JOEL ABRAHAM GIJI

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 Index

Sr. No. Title Page

1 Introduction 3

2 Consumer exploitation 5

3 Legal Protection 6

4 Duties of Consumers 9

5 Data Analysis 11

6 Bibliography 12

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 Introduction

We engage in the market as both producers and

consumers. Our work might be in any of the following
industries: agriculture, manufacturing, or services. By
purchasing products and services, consumers participate
in the market. These are the finished commodities that
individuals utilize as consumers. For the protection of
consumers in the marketplace, rules and regulations are
essential. Individual customers are frequently placed in
vulnerable situations. When there is a complaint about a
purchased item or service, the supplier attempts to
transfer all blame to the buyer. Market exploitation occurs
in a variety of ways. For example, dealers may engage in
unfair trade practices such as weighing less than what is
required or adding unnecessary charges that are
unnecessary. In India, the consumer movement as a
"social force" arose from the need to safeguard and
promote consumers' interests against unethical and unfair
economic practices. organized  Food shortages,
smuggling, black marketing, and adulteration of food and
edible oil gave birth to an organized consumer movement
in the 1960s. They organized consumer groups to look
into ration-store store fraud and congestion in road
passenger transportation. Recently, India has seen an
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increase in the number of consumer organizations.
Because of all of these efforts, the movement was able to
put pressure on business enterprises as well as the
government to rectify corporate practices that were unjust
and against the interests of consumers in general. The
Consumer Protection Act of 1986, also known as
COPRA, was enacted by the Indian government in 1986.

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 Consumer exploitation

Consumer exploitation refers to sellers taking unfair

advantage of customers or groups of consumers for
their gain or purpose. Because customers are many,
they frequently find themselves in a vulnerable
situation, especially when there is a complaint about a
product or service. Sellers will never bear responsible
for selling defective items or any other
misappropriation. This is the foundation for consumer
exploitation. Consumers are taken advantage of in a
variety of ways. Some of them are under-weighing of
goods, poor quality goods, artificial scarcity,
adulteration and impurity, false claims, a lack of safety
devices, poor after-sales services, unfair conditions,
non-fulfillment of sales guarantees, misinformation
about the product's quality, and a lack of timely supply
of goods. Some consumers especially in rural areas get
exploited easily. All these practices end up in consumer
exploitation.

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 Legal protection for consumers

While using many goods and services, we as consumers,

have some rights. They are:
i. Right to safety
ii. Right to be informed
iii. Right to choose

Right to safety:
Consumers have the right to be protected from the
marketing of goods and services that endanger life and
property. The items and services acquired should not
only fit their current requirements but also their long-
term interests. Consumers should insist on the quality of
the items as well as the guarantee of the products and
services before making a purchase. They should ideally
choose quality-marked items such as ISI, AGMARK,
etc. 
Right to be informed:
Consumers have the right to be informed about the
quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, and price of
goods in order to defend themselves against unfair
commercial practises. Before making a choice or
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decision, consumers should obtain all relevant
information regarding the product or service. This will
allow them to behave sensibly and responsibly, and will
prevent them from succumbing to high-pressure
marketing practises.
Right to choose:
Consumers have the right to be guaranteed of access to a
wide range of goods and services at reasonable costs
whenever practicable. It also encompasses the basic right
to goods and services. This is because the minority's
unlimited right to choose might result in a denial of the
majority's fair share. This right is better exercised in a
competitive market when a wide range of items are
accessible at reasonable rates.

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 Duties of consumers

Consumers are the ones who buy or avail of

commodities or services. In the process of buying the
goods and services till the time they use those goods
and services; they have certain responsibilities as a
customer that he or she is not always aware of. This
might happen due to a lack of knowledge and
ignorance.

The following are some of the important consumer

responsibilities or duties of consumers:
 Consumers must make sure that the product they
are purchasing is of good quality, and has been
quality marked such as Agmark, ISI, Hallmark,
etc.
 Consumers should always make sure that they
have seen and understood all the information
available about a product and make an informed
choice.
 Consumers should follow the rules and not be
unlawful while purchasing commodities.
 Consumers should always insist on bills of
purchase from the seller so that if there is a
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 problem with the purchase, the issue can
immediately be sorted out.
 Consumers have the responsibility to call out
exploitative behavior and unfair trade practices on
the part of a seller.
 Consumers must form organizations that are non-
political to express consumer needs and
requirements.

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 Data Analysis

No. of households visited 6

Males 6
Females 6
Average age group 25-55yrs
Average monthly income Rs. 25,000
The average level of education Secondary

From the survey, it is clear that:

 most customers prefer to buy the brands they use
even if a new one is available.
 All customers were aware of Consumer Courts.

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 Bibliography

 https://www.extramarks.com/
 https://www.vedantu.com/

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