Consumer Rights in India

Believe it or not, we are all consumers in one way or the other. From the time we step out to buy just about anything from any shop or person, we become consumers. When you enroll your kid into a playschool, you are a consumer of the playschool’s services. When you go to a doctor for a check-up, you are a consumer. When you buy a pressure cooker, you again become a consumer of goods supplied by the specific retailer or manufacturer. Being aware of consumer rights is important for your well-being and your family' s too.

Top Reasons Why Consumer Rights are Not Exercised Fully in India

In nearly every moment of every day, you are a consumer of so many products and services. Being aware of consumer laws will protect us in case we are deceived or given faulty or damaged products. 

Here are some common reasons why consumer rights are still not exercised properly in India:

• Low literacy or lack of awareness among consumers that they have rights they can exercise while buying goods and services
• Limited information about product quality, standards and pricing norms
• Exploitative market conditions wherein manufacturers and traders do not divulge correct details of their products and try to create artificial scarcity
• Low level of confidence among consumers to exercise their rights and demand better quality and so on.

Purpose of Consumer Rights

The field of law that protects consumers with legal rights is known as consumer laws. Consumer rights in India ensures several

legal rights such as the right to consumer education, the right to be fully informed about the quality and performance of all goods and services, just to mention a few.

Also, safety issues are given considerable importance in consumer laws. Next time you visit a pharmacy, check whether the medicines that are being sold to you have crossed the expiry date. The same applies for canned food items in provision stores. Every time you buy a food item, check whether the nutritional information is properly listed on it. The product labels should have correct information about the manufacturer of the product and there should be a contact number or address on which consumers can make their complaints known.

Scope of Consumer Rights

There is so much more that is covered under consumer laws and consumer rights in India. Topics like return policies, warranties, and service agreements are clearly covered in consumer laws.

To protect consumers in India, the Consumer Protection Act 1986 came into force. However, these laws are of no use unless we, as consumers, are aware of them and we know exactly how to exercise our rights to our advantage.