Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
The responsibilities of consumers are essential in contemporary business studies. The market is formed by the union of the consumers and the sellers. Due to this, the consumers must be aware of the responsibilities of consumers. Consumers must be completely aware of the responsibilities, duties, rights, and obligations they have towards the market. A consumer should be diligent enough to follow all the rules while purchasing and consuming goods and services. The duties of the consumers are essential as well. These duties are very crucial towards the market and how business studies function.
Consumer Protection
Consumer protection is one of the most important terms related to business studies. Due to the advancement of technology and the development of skills in the market, it has become easy for consumers to fall prey to malpractices employed by sellers or manufacturers.
Due to the malpractices being employed in the market, the consumer may have to pay a higher price than usual, buy expired products, or so on. Due to these, they are cheated upon by the sellers in the market. Hence, it becomes necessary to provide ample protection to the consumers to prevent them from falling prey to such practices in the future.
Need for Consumer Protection
In terms of Consumers
It helps make more and more customers aware of the malpractices in the market. Since most consumers are oblivious to these practices, they’re easily cheated. Hence, consumer protection is needed.
The exploitation of consumers daily is widespread. It is practised at the country as well as global level. To protect against the same, consumer protection is deemed necessary.
There is a complete lack of organisation in the consumers of our country. They’re not only unaware of the responsibilities of consumers but also find it difficult to fight a problem in an organised manner. The need for consumer protection is immense here.
In Terms of Business
It is ethical and the duty of a business to protect its customers against any unfair practices or problems practised widely in the market. This will help grow the trust of the consumers towards the business and help them gain a wider reach. The need for consumer protection can be seen here.
It is one of the many responsibilities of the business to keep their customers happy and satisfied with their goods and services. Only content and satisfied customers will help grow the business’s reach.
Since a business is in constant touch with society and uses its resources for its benefit, it is responsible for giving it back to society in every way possible.
Since the business is a unit of people working together, they have a tremendous social responsibility towards the workers, owners, and consumers. This means that qualitative services or goods should be readily available to the consumers at a reasonable price.
Responsibilities of Consumers
There are several complicated responsibilities that a consumer has towards the market. These should be kept in mind while purchasing goods or services from a business or seller.
They are as follows:
A consumer should be fully aware of all the goods and services readily available in the market. This will enable them to choose the best among the goods available.
They should also consider all the demerits or forthcoming issues that are associated with a good or service.
They should try their best to get the goods or services available at the most reasonable and fair price possible.
A consumer must check all the labels that come with a product and read them carefully. They should be aware of the price, manufacturing and expiry date, net weight, and so on.
A consumer should always look for standardised products as they ensure the best-in-class quality. These include the ISI mark, Hallmark, and the FPO mark.
A consumer should always purchase legitimate goods. They should not employ black market dealings, illegal exporting, hoarding, etc.
A consumer should also file a complaint or report on the relevant department in case of malpractices or cheating. An appropriate solution is provided to the same.
They should also ask for a cash memo or bill, or receipt when purchasing anything. They should also ensure the presence of the warranty card if any.
Consumers should do everything possible to keep their surroundings clean by not littering and dumping waste in the open.
They should be associated with appropriate consumer organisations to protect their rights and duties better.
Rights of A Customer
Apart from all the duties of consumers, they must also be aware of the various rights they can exercise while buying goods. They are:
Right to Choose
A consumer can choose any good or service of their choice. There is no moral obligation to buy a specific product or service.
Right to Be Informed
A consumer can exercise this right to gain complete access to the information related to their buying product.
Right to Safety
A consumer can be protected against products or services that are dangerous to health.
Right to Seek Redressal
If the product is faulty or damaged, the consumer has full rights over the replacement or refund of the product as per Government rules.
Right to Be Heard
In case of dissatisfaction due to a good or product, the consumer can seek help by filing a complaint.
Right to Consumer Education
A consumer has the right to be made aware of duties of the consumer, need for consumer protection, and even understand the various rights exercised by them.
Conclusion
Through this article, we’ve explored the various aspects of consumer protection, the need for consumer protection, responsibilities of consumers, rights of the consumers, and so on. A consumer plays a crucial and major role in the working of the market. It is now clear that a consumer refers to a person or group who buys any products or goods for their use. It also applies to any person who is willing to accept any service. All the things mentioned above apply to all the consumers of India irrespective of age, gender, or more.
