Consumer Rights - .
is the practice of
safeguarding buyers of goods and services,
and the public, against unfair practices in
. Such laws are intended to prevent
businesses from engaging in fraud or
specified unfair practices to gain an
advantage over competitors or to mislead
consumers.
. They may also provide additional
protection for the general public which
may be impacted by a product (or its
production) even when they are not the
direct purchaser.
.Consumer protection is linked to the idea
of consumer rights and to the formation
of consumer organisation which help
consumers make better choices in the
marketplace and pursue complaints
against businesses.
What is Consumer ?
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
interests can also serve consumers,
consistent with economic efficiency, but
this topic is treated in competition law.
Types of consumer rights :
The right to satisfaction of basic need
The right to safety
The right to be informed
The right to choose
The right to be heard
The right to redress
The right to consumer education
The right to a healthy environment
CONSUMER LAW :
Consumer protection law or consumer law
is considered as an area of law that
regulates private law relationships
between individual consumers and the
businesses that sell those goods and
services.
It covers a wide range of topics, including
but not necessarily limited to product
liability, privacy rights, unfair business
practices, fraud, misrepresentation, and
other consumer/business interactions.
It is a way of preventing frauds and scams
from service and sales contracts, eligible
fraud, bill collector regulation, pricing,
utility turnoffs, consolidation, personal
loans that may lead to bankruptcy.
Consumer Protection Act .
1986 (COPRA)
.Consumer Protection Act 1986
(COPRA) was an Act by the Parliament of
India elected to protect the interests of
consumers in India. It was replaced by
the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
.It was made for the establishment of
consumer councils and other authorities
for the settlement of consumer's dispute
and matters connected with it.
. The act was passed in Assembly in
October 1986 and came into force on 24
December 1986
History behind COPRA
Consumer rights in India were historically
overlooked, leading to rampant
exploitation of consumers by businesses.
This necessitated the creation of a robust
legislation to protect consumers from
unfair practices, hence the 'Consumer
Protection Act, 1986' was introduced.
Significance of the Act
This Act is regarded as the 'Magna Carta'
in the field of consumer protection for
checking unfair trade practices, ‘defects in
goods’ and ‘deficiencies in services’ as far
as India is concerned. It has led to the
establishment of a widespread network of
consumer forums and appellate courts all
over India. It has significantly impacted
how businesses approach consumers and
have empowered consumers to a greater
extent.
Role of courts in implementation of
consumer rights
Consumer court is a special purpose
court in India. It primarily deals
with consumer-related disputes, conflicts,
and grievances. The court holds hearings
to adjudicate these disputes.
.When consumers file a case, the court
primarily looks to see if they can prove the
exploitation through evidence such as bills
or purchase memos.
.The court mostly decides its verdict based
on the violations of consumer rights (if
any).
.The point of having a separate forum for
consumer disputes is to ensure that such
disputes are speedily resolved and make it
less expensive.
History behind Consumer court.
The consumer movement a social force
originated in the 1960s with the mission of
protecting and promoting the interests of
consumers against unethical and unfair
trade practices. Rampant food shortages,
hoarding, black marketing, adulteration of
food and edible oil gave birth to the
consumer movement. In 1986 the
movement led the Indian government to
enact the Consumer Protection Act of
1986 (COPRA).
Ways to spread Consumer awareness.
To effectively spread consumer awareness,
a multifaceted approach is needed,
including leveraging various
communication channels, engaging with
consumers directly, and building strong
relationships. We can spread consumer
awareness by :
Media campaigns
Educational Materials
Direct Engagement
Digital Platform
Building Relationships