Consumer Rights

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy outlined what he called the Consumer Bill of Rights. Every year 15th March is observed as World Consumer Rights Day. Consumer Protection Act 1986. The four basic consumer rights are:

The right to be informed The right to choose The right to safety The right to be heard

Right to be informed:

Means right to be informed about quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods to avoid unfair trade practices.
Consumer should also insist on getting all the information about product or service before taking any decision. This will enable him to act wisely and responsibly and also desist him from falling prey to pressure selling techniques.

Examples of right to be informed:

It has come to light that most cosmetics like lipsticks, kajal and mascara are tested on animals in laboratories to see whether they have any adverse effects on them or no. There was also a controversy about how Nike shoe company was using sweat labour in South Asian countries, paying its workers abysmally low wages for manufacturing shoes. Similarly, there was a McLibel' case against McDonald's alleging that Mc Donald's generated a lot lot of unwanted waste due to its excessive packaging and harmed the environment.

Right to choose:
Means right to be assured wherever possible of access
to variety of goods and services at competitive prices. In case of monopolies it means right to be assured of satisfactory quality and service at fair price. It also includes right to basic goods and services.

This right can be better exercised in competitive

market, wher variety of goods are available at competitive prices.

Examples of right to choose:

Different interests can interpret the right to choice in different ways. For the developed world consumers, right to choice translates into more and a variety of products to choose from. For e.g. American consumers can choose from 25,000 super market items, 200 kinds of cereals, and read 11,092 magazines. These days, one can buy imported apples that cost Rs 200 a kilo and syrups, jams, sauces, drinks that are manufactured overseas.

Right to safety:
Means right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property. The purchased goods should not only meet their intermediate needs but also fulfill long term interests. Before purchasing consumers should insist on quality of the products and guarantee of the products and services. They should preferably purchase quality marked products such as ISI, AGMARK, etc.

Examples of right to safety:

For e.g. some Indian products carry the ISI mark, which is a symbol of satisfactory quality of a product. Similarly, the FPO and AGMARK symbolise standard quality of food products. The market has for long made consumers believe that by consuming packaged food or mineral water, consumers can safeguard their health. In today's scenario of globalisation, the chocolates or syrups we consume, may be manufactured in countries as far as the U.S. or Australia. Consumers in India would have no control over or knowledge of the manufacturing practices of those countries and will have to rely completely on import regulations of the Indian government and food labelling.

Right to be heard:
This means consumers interest will receive due
consideration at appropriate forums. It also includes right to be represented in various

forums formed to consider consumers welfare.

The consumers should form non political and non commercial consumer organizations. These organizations can be given representation in various commitees formed by the government and

other bodies in matters relating to consumers.

Examples of right to be heard:

For e.g. if you have been cheated in the market place or deprived of the right quality of service, your complaint should be heard and given due attention by the authorities. The right to be heard holds special significance in the Indian context because Indian consumers are largely unaware of their rights and passively accept their violation. This mainly happens in local retail shops of grains, cereals and food products.