Consumer Education, Rights and Protection
Consumer education builds the knowledge and confidence to buy wisely and seek redress. The exam tests consumer rights, duties, the Consumer Protection Act and standardisation marks.
Core concepts
- A consumer buys goods or hires services for personal use.
- Rights under the Consumer Protection Act, first passed in 1986 and replaced by the 2019 Act: safety, information, choice, being heard, redressal, education and a healthy environment.
- The 2019 Act added e-commerce rules, product liability and the Central Consumer Protection Authority. Complaints can generally be filed where the consumer lives or works, within two years.
- Three-tier redress: District Commission up to ₹1 crore, State Commission from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore and National Commission above ₹10 crore.
- Duties: check date, price, quantity and quality; read labels; insist on a bill; follow instructions; complain with evidence.
- Marks: ISI or BIS for industrial goods, Agmark for agricultural produce, FPO for fruit products, Hallmark for gold, FSSAI for food and Eco Mark for environment-friendly goods.
Worked example
A sealed biscuit packet is past its expiry date. The right to safety and the right to information are violated. The consumer keeps the packet and bill, complains to the seller and then approaches the District Commission if the matter is unresolved. The reasoning is that the bill proves the transaction and the expiry date proves the defect.
Traps
Saying consumer courts charge high fees, when fees are nominal; mixing FPO with all food; forgetting the 2019 Act; claiming ISI is compulsory for every product; ignoring the bill.