Consumer Protection

Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent businesses from engaging in fraud or specified unfair practices in order 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 or consumer of that product. For example, government regulations may require businesses to disclose detailed information about their products particularly in areas where public health or safety is an issue, such as with food or automobiles.

Consumer protection is linked to the idea of consumer rights and to the formation of consumer organizations, which help consumers make better choices in the marketplace and pursue complaints against businesses. Entities that promote consumer protection include government organizations (such as the Federal Trade Commission in United States), self-regulating business organizations (such as the Better Business Bureaus in the US, Canada, England, etc.), and non-governmental organizations that advocate for consumer protection laws and help to ensure their enforcement (such as consumer protection agencies and watchdog groups).

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. Consumer protection can also be asserted via non-government organizations and individuals as consumer activism.

Consumer Protection Act 1986

Consumer Protection Act has been implemented(1986) or we can bring into existence to protect the rights of a consumer. It protects the consumer from exploitation that business practice to make profits which in turn harm the well being of the consumer and society.

This right help to educate the consumer on the right and responsibilities of being a consumer and how to seek help or justice when faced exploitation as a consumer. It teaches the consumer to make right choices and know what is right and what is wrong.

Practices to be followed by Business under Consumer Protection Act

• If any defect found the seller should remove the mentioned defects from the whole batch or the goods affected. For example, there have been cases where car manufacturing unit found a defect in parts of the vehicle usually they remove the defect from every unit or they call of the unit.
• They should replace the defective product with a nondefective product and that product should be of similar configuration or should be the same as the product purchased.

Objectives of Consumer Protection Act

• The right to be protected against marketing of goods which are hazardous to life and property.
• The right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices;
• The right to be assured, wherever possible, access to an authority of goods at competitive prices.
• The right to be heard and to be assured that consumers interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums.
• The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers.
• Right to consumer education.