What does Consumer Awareness mean?

To satisfy unlimited wants people purchase goods and services at a given price. But
what to do in the case if the goods and services bought are found to be in bad
quality or overcharged or measured less in quantity etc. In such situations. the
consumers, instead of getting satisfaction, often feel cheated by the sellers who
have sold the goods and services. Here, consumer awareness plays a significant
role.Consumer awareness is nothing but an act of making sure the buyer or
consumers are aware of the information about products, goods, services, and
consumer’s rights. Consumer awareness is important so that buyers can make the
right decision and make the right choice at the right time. In this article, we will
discuss consumer awareness, and consumer rights in detail

Who is a Consumer?
 Any person who buys any goods for a consideration, which has been paid or
promised, or partly, paid and partly promised, or under any scheme of
deferred payment.
 It includes any user of such, goods when such use is made with the approval of the
buyer but does not include a person who obtains goods for resale or any other
commercial purpose.

 Any person who hires or avails of any service, for a consideration which has been
paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of
deferred payment.

 It includes any, beneficiary of services when such services are availed of with the
approval of the person concerned, but does not include a person who avails of such
services for any commercial purpose.

 Consumer Protection and Common Problems faced by a Consumer in Market Place,

Consumer awareness refers to the measures adopted to safeguard the interest and
rights of consumers and to help them in getting their grievances redressed.
 Finally, Consumer protection means, protecting the consumers from unscrupulous,
exploitative, and unfair trade practices of a seller or, a producer to maximize their
profits.

Why There is a Need for Consumer Awareness?

The need for educating consumers about product quality and product price is
significant and should not be ignored. The advancement of technology and
emergence of sophisticated gadgets in the market and aggressive marketing
strategies in the era of globalization has not only given a wide choice to consumers
but also do not defend them with a plenitude of problems associated with such rapid
changes.There is an urgent and increasing necessity to educate and motivate the
consumer to be attentive about the product's quality, and also the possible
deficiencies in the services of the growing sector of public utilities.In short, the
consumer should be educated with respect to his rights as a consumer. He should be
educated enough so that he is able to protect himself from any wrongful act on the
part of the trader. In order to help consumers to be in such a state, there is a need to
provide reliable and exhaustive information, which they can access without much
effort and expense. Considering these issues, the Government of India and the
State Government have made an effort to introduce a dispute redressal
mechanism by means of the Consumer Protection Act. Apart from this, a lot more
has to be done in the area of creating awareness. A suitable remedy should be
suggested wherever there is a need. This becomes more significant in the rural
areas, where there is widespread illiteracy.Let us now discuss six different types of
consumer rights which help consumers to protect themselves from any scams or
fraud.

The Prerequisite for Customer Protection:

 The shopper or the end consumer is the main component in business. No

business can make do without purchasers as their fulfilment is the
fundamental reason for any business activity.
  Business isn’t just with regards to money-related advantages yet additionally
updating society to a superior variant by keeping its welfare as a goal.
 The Constitution has given us the Consumer Protection act 1986 to shield the
customers from any promoting misbehaviours.
 Consumer protection rights advance a solid aggressive market that upholds
financial development. It wards off pernicious exchange practices and
deceitful entrepreneurs from harming reasonable or fair trade or exchange.
 Shoppers are an essential piece of a market structure. It is vital to secure their
privileges and rights to have a reasonable or fair market structure.

History Of the consumer movement in India:

 There was no legal system in India to protect the consumers in the marketplace
which resulted in rampant exploitation.
 Due to the shortage of food, hoarding, black marketing, and adulteration of edible
oil and food, there was rampant exploitation of consumers.
 Hence, it gave rise to the consumer movement in the 1960s. This movement was in
an organized form.
 In 1986, the Consumer Protection Act was enacted by the Government of India.
 This was a crucial step in the evolution of the consumer movement in India to
protect the rights of consumers.
 This law is usually known as Consumer Protection Act 1986 (COPRA)
 Under the provision of COPRA, a three-tier quasi-judicial system was established at
the district, national, and state levels. This was done to redress consumer
grievances.


Types of Consumer Rights:

Right to Information:
The buyer has an option to get data about the quality, amount, strength, standard,
and cost of the products or services. The buyer ought to legitimately ask for getting
all the data about the product or service prior to settling on a decision or a choice.
This will empower him to make very much educated and thoughtful choices, and
furthermore, keep himself from succumbing to high-pressure selling methods. The
right to data is utilised to protect shoppers from tricky promotions, deluding marks
and bundling, excessive costs, and so on.

Right to Choose:
This right gives admittance to all the assortment of products and services and
cutthroat costs. In a monopolistic market, the products and services ought to be of
the best quality and cost.

The dealer ought not to utilise forceful methods to see the items, and buyers ought
to reserve the privilege to all the assortment of choices, substitutions, and
alternatives. This right requires free competition in the market. The customer ought
to have a free decision in picking a product from the market.

Right to be Heard:
The other rights are pointless in the event that there could be no appropriate power
to pay attention to client complaints. Assuming a purchaser is disappointed with the
service or a product, then, at that point, one has the option to document a grievance
against it, and it must be tended to inside a set time period. For example, assuming
that a shopper purchases an electronic item and it begins breaking down, a customer
has all privileges to make a fitting move by returning or supplanting it.

Right to Seek Redressal:

This right gives power to the buyers to settle any cases, complaints, and claims
against dealers for their out-of-line exchange practices and double-dealing or
exploitation. The purchaser has the privilege to review in case the nature of the item
is compromised. Buyers need to document an objection under the Consumer
Protection Act.

Right to Customer Education:

A purchaser should know about his freedoms and obligations given by the
authorities with respect to advertising and marketing practices. This is a vital right
as this sets out the establishment for reasonable exchange or trade practices as a
customer knows about his freedoms or rights. The customer has all the positions
and authority to acquire information about his privileges and rights as a purchaser.

Right to Safety:
This is a fundamental right to be ensured against the advertising of such products
and services, which are perilous to life and property. Utilisation or consumption of
products and services which are not up to standard can effectively affect the
shopper’s wellbeing and security. To secure the shoppers’ interest, they reserve an
option to get top calibre and dependable merchandise. For example, household
products like LPG cylinders, if not fixed as expected, can cause massive harm to
life and property; stale food products can hurt purchasers’ wellbeing; low-quality
beauty care products can cause comparative damages.

Responsibilities of a Consumer

The consumer has a certain responsibility to carry as an aware consumer can

bring changes in the society and would help other consumers to fight the unfair
practice or be aware of it.

 They should be aware of their rights under the Consumer Protection Act and
should practice the same in case of need.

 They should be well aware of the product they are buying. Should act as a
cautious consumer while purchasing the product.

 If in case a product is found of anything false or not satisfactory a complaint

should be filed.

 The consumer should ask for a Cash Memo while making a purchase.

 A customer should check for the standard marks that have been introduced for
the authenticity of the quality of the product like ISI or Hallmark etc
Consumer Awareness in India

One of the most important and successful Consumer Awareness campaign in recent
times has been the “Jago Grahak Jago” campaign. You must have certainly come
across it. It is a great example of successful consumer awareness.Learn more
about Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (COPRA) here.

Main Features of Jago Grahak Jago Programme

Jago Grahak Jago is a government-sponsored program that raises consumer

awareness through print, media advertisements, audio campaigns, and video
campaigns. Through such campaigns, the government raises public awareness about
common shopping mistakes and encourages people to shop wisely.
Jago Grahak Jago means “Wake up consumers, know your rights when purchasing
a product, and check the authenticity.” We have discussed the five characteristics of
this government campaign below:

(1) To prevent the consumer against unfair trade practices by informing about the
quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, and price of goods

(2) The consumer has the right to be assured and access to the authority of goods at
competitive prices

(3) Right to consumer education

(4) The consumer has the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices

(5) The consumer has the right to be assured that his/her interests will receive due
consideration in an appropriate forum
The Consumer Protection Act, 1986
After including the amendments made vide the Consumer Protection (Amendment)
Act, 2002 [62 of 2002] which was passed by Rajya Sabha on 11.4.2002, Lok Sabha
on 30.7.2002{with some amendments} and again by Rajya Sabha on 22.11.2002
and the President of India gave assent on 17. 12.2002 and the notification was issue
on 18.12.2002.The provisions of the Act are being brought into force w.e.f.
15.3.2003. Amendments are shown in bold & italic form The Consumer Protection
Act, 1986 (68 of 1986)
How to File a Complaint?

 Within two years of purchasing the product or services, the complaint should
be filled.
 In the complaint, the consumer should mention the details of the problem.
This can be an exchange or replacement of the product, compensation for
mental or physical torture. However, the declaration needs to be reasonable.
 All the relevant receipts, bills should be kept and attached to the complaint
letter.
 A written complaint should be then sent to the consumer forum via email,
registered post, fax or hand-delivered. Acknowledgement is important and
should not be forgotten to receive.
 The complaint can be in any preferred language.
 The hiring of a lawyer not required.
 All the documents sent and received should be kept.

Conclusion

At last, it is concluded that consumer awareness means being aware of having the
knowledge about the several consumer production laws, rectified techniques, and
consumer rights which include the right to protection of health and safety from
goods and services that consumers purchase, right to be informed about the price,
quality, quantity, potency, and standard of goods.