Consumer Rights

As consumers or buyers, it is crucial to be aware of your rights. Consumer rights provide customers with the necessary information about the goods and services they buy. They also promote consumer awareness, which helps people make the right decisions while purchasing a product or service. 

Consumer rights also allow customers to fight against unfair practices. The rights and responsibilities of consumers fall under the Consumer Protection Act 2019. The law also ensures that businesses follow fair practices and provide goods and services up to the standards of the consumer. 

There are different categories of rights that help prevent malpractice by businesses.

Right to safety

It is one of the most important aspects of consumer rights that protect consumer safety. According to the right of safety, a product or service must not compromise the overall safety of the consumer. This right protects consumers against the marketing and sale of goods and services that are hazardous to physical and mental health. It takes into consideration the long-term interest and safety of the consumer. Products must have safety quality marked with hallmarks like ISI, AGMARK etc.

Right to information

• This right ensures that consumers are informed about the product or service through accurate and true labelling.
• The right entitles the consumer to be aware of the quality, quantity, standard, purity, and price of goods.
• This includes mandatory labelling with all information about the product so that the consumer has the necessary information to make an informed decision or choice.
• The right ensures that businesses follow fair practices and customers do not fall prey to unsuitable products or services.

Right to choose 

The right to choose is a crucial consumer right that gives the consumer access to various goods and services at a competitive price. However, if the product or service is a monopoly, the consumer right assures satisfactory quality and service at a fair price. This is to ensure that the price is competitive and fair for the majority of the consumers.

Right to be heard

The right to be heard enables the consumer to voice their concerns and ensure that the issue is addressed with due consideration in various forums. 

The committee is formed by the government but is a non-political and non-commercial consumer organisation to address the matters voiced by the consumers.

Right to seek redressal

• The right to seek redressal consumer rights allows customers to redress against unfair trade practices and seek action against unfair consumer exploitation.
• It also allows the customers to get a fair settlement for grievances. This consumer right provides consumers with the chance to make a complaint about genuine grievances.

Right to consumer education

• The right to consumer education enables consumers to gain the knowledge and skills required to become informed consumers.
• The rights make sure everyone, including the rural population, exercise their rights after gaining appropriate knowledge.

Importance of consumer rights 

The Consumer Protection Act 2019 protects consumer rights and prevents businesses from indulging in unfair practices. This ensures that the consumers know the product or service, ensure safety, and provide a medium to even seek redressal and address the grievances.

• Consumer rights protect the consumer’s safety by providing reliable, high quality, and high performing products and services. Safety is ensured through certification and safety hallmarks.
• Some Indian consumers are informed and aware, and others are ignorant. Consumer rights require brands or businesses to provide the right market awareness to exploit the consumers.
• Consumer rights help in the prevention of monopoly practices.
• They prevent the consumer from getting influenced due to buying pressure.
• The rights enable fair trade practices and protect consumers from unlawful malpractices.
• The Act prohibits businesses from falsely advertising a product or service. Many companies indulge in deceptive advertising practices and hence can lead to exploitation of the consumers.
• The Act provides the basic consumer right to education and creates awareness about their right to address concerns and complaints.

Conclusion

The consumer rights and responsibilities are categorised under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, which prevents consumer exploitation. Consumers must know their rights and make sure they make the right buying decision. There are six categories under the consumer rights to provide consumer safety, right to information, right to choose, right to be heard, seek redressal, and right to consumer education. This ensures that the consumer knows the product. It requires the companies to provide accurate information, prevents false advertising and enable customers to be informed and make better buying decisions.