Consumer's Right

Who is a Consumer
Any individual who purchases products or services for his
personal use and not for manufacturing or resale is called a
consumer. A consumer is one who is the decision maker
whether to buy an item at the store, or someone who is
influenced by advertisement and marketing. Every time
someone goes to a store and buys a shirt, toy, beverage or
anything else, they decide as a consumer. Consumer refers
to any person who purchases some goods for a
consideration that has been either paid or promised to pay
or partly paid and partly promised.
 Duties of a Consumer
• Consumers must know rights and should exercise them. They should keep themselves updated about the
Various schemes related to consumer rights.
• Consumers should question about the quality and guarantee about the product they want to buy From the
retailer.
• Consumers should not purchase goods from the black market.
• They must insist for a cash memo, duly signed , stamped, dated by the retailer.
• The same goes for the warranty or guarantee card, so that if there’s a defect in the product they can return it .
• Consumer should spread awareness about the consumer rights.
• Consumers must make complaint giving details of the defect in the goods.
• Consumers should be careful while purchasing to not to fall for any deceiving schemes or advertisements.
 Consumer Exploitation
Consumer exploitation refers to taking undue advantage of consumers or a
group of consumers by the sellers for their own benefit or purposes. Since
consumers are large in numbers and are segregated, they often find themselves
in a weak position especially when there is a complaint regarding a good or
service. Sellers never accept the responsibility of selling bad quality goods or
any other misappropriation. This is the basis of consumer of consumer
exploitation. There are various forms through which consumers are being
exploited. Some of them are under weighing of goods, poor quality of goods,
duplicate articles, high prices, artificial scarcity etc. Some consumers
especially of rural areas, who are illiterate and lack information, get exploited
easily. The other reasons for consumer exploitation are ignorance,
superstitions, social factors, shortage of goods and services, etc. Sellers indulge
in unfair trade practices like black marketing, artificial high pricing,
adulteration, hoarding etc. All these practices end up to consumer exploitation.
 Safeguard against Malpractices

Knowledge to the Consumer

Representation of Consumers
Need of Publication Unjust Practices

Consumer Encouragement to Business Community

Movemen Assistance in Legal Matters

Improving the Marketing System

t Creating Association

To Discourage Antisocial Activities

To Awaken the Government

 Consumer’s Rights
Right to safety means right to be protected against the marketing of goods
and services, which are hazardous to life and property. The purchased goods
and services availed of should not only meet their immediate needs, but also
fulfil long term interests. Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the
quality of the products as well as on the guarantee of the products and
services. They should preferably purchase quality marked products such as
ISI, AGMARK, etc.
 Consumer’s Rights
Right to choose means right to be assured, wherever possible of access to
variety of goods and services at competitive price. In case of monopolies, it
means right to be assured of satisfactory quality and service at a fair price. It
also includes right to basic goods and services. This is because unrestricted
right of the minority to choose can mean a denial for the majority of its fair
share. This right can be better exercised in a competitive market where a
variety of goods are available at competitive prices
 Consumer’s Rights
Right to be informed means right to be informed about the quality,
quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods to protect the
consumer against unfair trade practices. Consumer should insist on getting
all the information about the product or service before making a choice or a
decision. This will enable him to act wisely and responsibly and enable him
to desist from falling prey to high pressure selling techniques.
 Consumer’s Rights
Right to consumer education means the right to acquire the knowledge and
skill to be an informed consumer throughout life. Ignorance of consumers,
particularly of rural consumers, is mainly responsible for their exploitation.
They should know their rights and must exercise them. Only then real
consumer protection can be achieved with success.
 Consumer’s Rights
Right to be heard means that consumer's interests will receive due
consideration at appropriate forums. It also includes right to be represented
in various forums formed to consider the consumer's welfare. The
Consumers should form non-political and non-commercial consumer
organizations which can be given representation in various committees
formed by the Government and other bodies in matters relating to
consumers.
 Consumer’s Rights
• Right to Seek redressal means right to seek redressal against unfair trade
practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers. It also includes right
to fair settlement of the genuine grievances of the consumer. Consumers
must make complaint for their genuine grievances. Many a times their
complaint may be of small value but its impact on the society may be very
large. They can also take the help of consumer organizations in seeking
redressal of their grievances.
 Consumer’s Responsibilities
Ask Yourself!
• Have you faced any problems as a consumer?
• Have you ever complained when you have had such a problem?
• Do you know that you could seek the assistance of a consumer group to
protect your interests?
 Consumer’s Responsibilities
Be Critically Aware
• The responsibility to be more alert and to question more – about prices,
about quantity and quality of goods bought and services used.
 Consumer’s Responsibilities
Practice Sustainable Consumption
• The responsibility to be aware of the impact of your consumption on other
citizens, especially the disadvantaged or powerless groups; and to
consume based on needs – not wants.
 Consumer’s Responsibilities
Be Responsible to the Environment
• The responsibility to be aware and to understand the environmental
consequences of our consumption. We should recognize our individual
and social responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect the
earth for future generations.
 Consumer Protection Act
It was thought that passage of the Consumer Protection Act in India
in 1986 would encourage consumers to stand up for their rights and
lead to an overwhelming number of disputes in consumer
courts. Although a consumer movement has yet to get going in
India, existence of the act has stimulated the creation of many
consumer organizations across the country. The number has such
organizations has more the doubled in the last few years so
that there are now 600-800 organizations in the voluntary sector. It
advocates for the rights of consumers, especially when those rights
are actively breached by the actions of corporations, governments,
and other organizations which provide products and services to
consumers. Consumer movements also commonly advocate for
increased health and safety standards, honest
information about products in advertising, and
consumer representation in political bodies.
 Conclusion
• We should have a broad knowledge on how consumers and business
responds towards our marketing programs.
• This is very crucial to help marketers in managing the marketing efforts of
the organisation.
• Knowledge about who is consumer, what they buy, who buy, how they
buy and what makes they buy is very important to marketers in
understanding the consumer behaviour as well as the behaviour of the
business costumers.
 Presented by:
• Akhilesh Panigrahi
• Ansh Mohan
• Dakshita Sancheti
• Karunya Varshney
• Swastika Lall
• Yash Sharda