CONSUMER

PROTECTION AND
AWARENESS
YEAR 9 LESSON
A consumer is defined as someone who acquires goods or services for direct use
or ownership rather than for resale or use in production and manufacturing.
Consumer can also see as the final user in the process of production. Before the
mid-twentieth century, consumers were without rights with regard to their
interaction with products and producers.
What Is Consumer Protection?
Consumer protection is a method of making sure that consumer enjoy maximum
satisfaction from the goods and services that they purchase and that, they are not
cheated or exploited by the producers and middlemen.
The Need for Consumer Protection
1. To ensure that the consumer enjoys to the maximum the goods and services
they have purchased with their hard earned money.
2. To ensure that they are protected from buying sub-standard and low quantity
of goods.
3. There is need to reduce price caused by artificial scarcity.
4. High quality goods and services are made available to the consumers.
5. To ensure there is constant supply of essential goods and services to the
consumer.
6. Consumers are protected from dangerous goods which are harmful or fake
and have dates of expiration.
7. Manufacturers do not use deceptive weights and measure in selling some
commodities to consumers.
8. The consumer is protected from false advertisement claims, false credit
facilities, sale of artificial goods, false claims on functions of goods, false claims
on promotion of foods and services etc.
Rights of the consumer:
1. Right to Safety
The assertion of this right is aimed at tother than automobile vehicles, he
defense of consumers against injuries caused by products
and implies that products should cause no harm to their users if such use is
executed as prescribed.
2. Right to Be Informed
This right states that businesses should always provide consumers with enough
appropriate information to make intelligent and informed product choices.
3. Right to Choose
The right to free choice am of options provided by different companies from
which to choose.
4.Right to Be Heard product offerings states that consumers should have a
variety
This right asserts the ability of consumers to voice complaints and concerns about
a product in order to have the issue handled efficiently and responsively.
5.Right to Satisfaction of Basic Needs
To have access to basic, essential goods and services: adequate food,.
clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water, and sanitation.
6.The Right to Redress
To receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for
misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.
7.Right to Consumer Education
To acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices
about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and
responsibilities and how to act on them.
8.Right to a Healthy Environment
To live and work in an environment which is non-threatening to the well-being of
present and future generations.
Agencies/Organs of consumer protection
Agencies/Organs of consumer protection can be categorized into three distinct
grouping as follows:
1. Government organizations
2. Legislations on consumer Issues
3. Independent organizations.
Under Government Organization we have the following agencies:
1. National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC)
2. Consumer Protection Council (cpc)
3. Standard Organization of Nigeria (son)
4. National Electricity Regulatory Council
5. National Wages and Salaries Commission
6. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
7. National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person and Other Related Matters
8. National Universities Commission(NUC)
9. Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC)
The following are under Legislation on consumer issues:
1. Rent Edict
2. Sale of Goods Act 1893
3. NAFDAC Act 1993
4. Weights and Measures Act 1974
5. Hire Purchase Act 1965
Topic: How to make complaint
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction which could be oral, written,
justified or unjustified. It could be a statement that a situation is unsatisfactory or
unacceptable to the complaint. Failure to provide a service can form the basis of a
complaint. A complaint is a description of your dissatisfaction and all the
procedures you have followed in order to resolve the issue before reaching the
point where you no longer know what to do.
Types of Complaint
Justified complaint is one where the council have investigated and have evidence
that supports the allegation and / or had to take action to resolve the issue.
Unjustified complaints are complaints that are baseless and unreasonable. These
complaints come from people who think a company did something wrong but not
actually so
STEPS TO TAKE WHEN LODGING COMPLAINTS
1. Verbal complaint
2. Making a phone call
3. Sending mail
4. Writing a letter

Verbal complaint: This is when the complaints comes face to face with a
representative of the business to lodge his or her complaint.

Making a phone call: Some complaints can be made by phone, which is almost
instant. You can call a company’s number dedicated to receiving complaints and
talk about the problem or dissatisfaction to a representative of the organization
offering that product or service.
Sending mail: A complaint could be made by e-mail. In this case, a link is
selected and the complaint made. The advantage here is that the complaint is
written and there is evidence that a complaint was made about the issue. The
response to the complaint may be immediate, depending on the nature of the
complaint.
Writing a letter: A complaint could be made by writing a letter. The letter should
be addressed appropriately to the organization, signed and, if required, supported
with relevant documentation.