Anda di halaman 1dari 39

INTRODUCTION

In present situation, consumer protection, though as old as consumer exploitation, has assumed greater importance and relevance. Consumerism is a recent and universal phenomenon. It is a social movement. Consumerism is all about protection of the interests of the consumers. According to McMillan Dictionary (1985) "Consumerism is concerned with protecting consumers from all organisations with which there is exchanged relationship. It encompasses the set of activities of government, business, independent organisations and concerned consumers that are designed to protect the rights of consumers". The Chamber's Dictionary (1993) defines Consumerism as the protection of the interests of the buyers of goods and services against defective or dangerous goods etc. "Consumerism is a movement or policies aimed at regulating the products or services, methods or standards of manufacturers, sellers and advertisers in the interest of buyers, such regulation maybe institutional, statutory or embodied in a voluntary code occupied by a particular industry or it may result more indirectly from the influence of consumer organisations" As commonly understood consumerism refers to wide range of activities of government business and independent organisations designed to protect rights of the consumers. Consumerism is a process through which the consumers seek redress, restitution and remedy for their dissatisfaction and frustration with the help of their all organised or unorganised efforts and activities. It is, in-fact a social movement seeking to protect the rights of consumers in relation to the producers of goods and providers of services. In-fact consumerism today is an all-pervasive term meaning nothing more than people's search for getting better value for their money. Consumer is the focal point of any business. Consumers' satisfaction will benefit not only business but government and society as well. So consumerism
1

should not be considered as consumers' war against business. It is a collective consciousness on the part of consumers, business, government and civil society to enhance consumers' satisfaction and social welfare which will in turn benefit all of them and finally make the society a better place to live in.

CONSUMERISM
In the good olden days the principle of Caveat emptor', which meant buyer beware governed the relationship between seller and the buyer. In the era of open markets buyer and seller came face to face, seller exhibited his goods, buyer thoroughly examined them and then purchased them. It was assumed that he would use all care and skill while entering into transaction. The maxim relieved the seller of the obligation to make disclosure about the quality of the product. In addition, the personal relation between the buyer and the seller was one of the major factors in their relations. But with the growth of trade and its globalization the rule no more holds true. It is now impossible for the buyer to examine the goods before hand and most of the transactions are concluded by correspondence. Further on account of complex structure of the modern goods, it is only the producer / seller who can assure the quality of goods. With manufacturing activity becoming more organized, the producers / sellers are becoming more strong and organised whereas the buyers are still weak and unorganized. In the age of revolutionized information technology and with the emergence of e-commerce related innovations the consumers are further deprived to a great extent. As a result buyer is being misled, duped and deceived day in and day out. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of nation, attached great importance to what he described as the "poor consumer", who according to him should be the principal beneficiary of the consumer movement.He said "A Consumer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us we are on him. He is not an interruption to our work; he is the purpose of it. We are not doing a favour to a consumer by giving him an opportunity. He is doing us a favour by giving an opportunity to serve him."

Inspite of these views consumerism is still in its infancy in our country, thanks to the sellers market and the government monopoly in most services. Consumer awareness is low due to the apathy and lack of education among the masses. No one has told them about their rights - to be informed about product quality, price, protection against unsafe products, access to variety of goods at competitive prices, consumer education etc. What consumerism lacks here is education and information resources, testing facilities, competent leadership, price control mechanism, and adequate quasi-judicial machinery. The providers of goods and services have been reluctant to give due consideration to consumer interest protection.

COMPONENTS OF CONSUMERISM There are various components of consumerism. First and foremost is selfprotection by consumers. Consumer must be aware of his rights, raise voice against exploitation and seek redressal of his grievances. Consumers' consciousness determines the effectiveness of consumerism. It is the duty of the consumer to identify his rights and to protect them. Voluntary Consumer Organisations engaged in organising consumers and encouraging them to safeguard their interests is another important element of consumer movement The success of consumerism lies in the realisation of the business that there is no substitute for voluntary selfregulations. Little attention from the business will not only serve consumers interest but will also benefit them. Some businesses in India have come together to adopt a code of conduct for regulating their own activities. Regulation of business through legislation is one of the important means of protecting the consumers.Consumerism has over the time developed into a sound force designed to aid and protect the consumer by exerting, legal, moral and economic pressure on producers and providers in some of the developed countries. Consumer in India had started its journey with a need to raise his voice against the quality of goods as back as in 1969 through housewives at Mumbai .It took a shape of revolution at later stage and one day our parliament passed an act for the welfare of consumers in 1986 .This Consumer Protection Act 1986 had further undergone many challenges,criticism and even question on its legal validity was also put before the honorable Supreme Court of India After hearing all sort of accusation and constraints from the big business houses , our apex court held this welfare act very much valid , legal and within the framework of our constitution .

Since 1986 and after three important amendments to the act ,scenario in the market has drastically changed and consumerism in India is diverted to more of lust than limited to needs .We are now easily confusing the things with what we need and what we want Its true ,if we work hard ,we deserve nice things .But stuffing plenty of nice things which we really do not need deprive the other consumers from the things they require for their survival .Keeping four cars for four persons in the family is ultimately going to affect others and also more consumption of nations resources like petrol etc.Our sense of entitlement can muddy the waters when it comes to what you want and what you really need. The sizes of our houses are expanding as per our income and resources irrespective of the fact what we had in olden days . People were having more kids but still living in houses far smaller than were willing to settle for today Now we want a room for every child, plus a living room, family room, media room, and kids playroom. And if we have to share a television, we are very uncomfortable with the idea .. This sense of entitlement is building commercial pressure on our children.Rates of depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses have risen in the past two decades in the children .A report submitted to the inquiry by the National Consumer Council found that children in deprived areas were more obsessed with money and shopping than youngsters from better-off homes. Poorer children wanted a job with a high salary compared with children from affluent areas and they were the main victims of con-sumerism, as per the report conducted by the charity The Childrens Society Our consumption patterns are so much a part of our lives that to change them would require a massive cultural overhaul, In consumer society of the day now, people replace their goods with newer ones, use them and throw them away. The question of repair does not arise People have money to purchase goods in plenty.
6

In case, they do not do so , it leads to recession massive unemployment. The success of a consumer society is measured with the rate of production , purchase and consumption .The society is considered to be progressing if all above elements are present there . The single most important measure of economic growth is the gross national product (GNP), the sum total of goods But at the same time as per Richard Robbins, the production, processing, and consumption, of commodities requires the

extraction and use of natural resources (wood, fuels, and water); it requires the creation of factories and factory complexes whose operation creates toxic byproducts, while the use of commodities themselves (e.g. automobiles) creates pollutants and waste. Yet of the three factors environmentalists often point to as responsible for environmental pollution population, technology, and consumption consumption seems to get the least attention. One reason, no doubt, is that it may be the most difficult to change;

CONSUMERISM IN INDIA
Consumer movement is a relatively new concept in India. Markets of the developing countries like India are highly imperfect. It is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amountsConsumers are largely exploited because many of them are illiterate, ignorant and unaware. Rural population is not integrated into the main stream of consumerism.

What is Consumerism?
Consumerism is an organised movement of citizens and government to strengthen the rights and power of buyers in relation to sellers. Consumerism refers to the wide range of activities of government business and independent organisations designed to protect rights of the consumers. Consumerism is a collective consciousness on the part of consumers, business, government and civil society to enhance consumer satisfaction and social welfare which will in turn benefit all of them and finally make the society a better place to live in. The consumer is exposed to many hazardous - physical, environmental and exploitation due to unfair trade practices. The consumer needs protection against products which are unsafe for consumption such as drugs and adulterated food products and products which may cause injury such as defective electrical appliances. Consumer needs protection against mal-practices and deceit by sellers.
8

Consumer should have adequate rights and right of recourse to redressal measures against defaulting businessmen. The need for consumer protection has been widely accepted all over the world. India has also taken up the concept of consumer protection more seriously. Our markets have become consumer oriented. Government is educating the consumers in various ways like : (i) Through advertisements about consumer rights in media such as newspaper, radio, T.V., etc. (ii) Promoting consumer organizations in India. (iii) Setting up consumer courts in India. (iv) Making consumers aware about his rights by arranging seminars, workshops, etc. In our Indian system, the consumer has six rights given for his protection from exploitation from the shopkeepers or sellers. Consumer exploitation means mistreatment or cheating with consumer by adulteration, Thagi or in any other unfair form. To prevent consumer from exploitation, our government have passed many Acts from time to time. Some of them are as follows:1. Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940 2. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 3. Essential Commodity (supply) Act, 1955 4. Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969
9

5. Standard of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 6. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 .

10

CHARACTERISTICS OF CONSUMERISM
It is a social movement of consumers. It provides balance between power and responsibility relationship. It involves large number of organised consumer groups. It aims to protect the rights of people as consumers in the society. It is' the movement of people supported by government through suitable legislations. It acts as a check on all kinds of economic activities. It is a movement of volunteers.

11

OBJECTIVES OF CONSUMERISM
"Consumerism" is also used to refer to the consumerist movement, consumer protectionor consumer activism, which seeks to protect and inform consumers by requiring such practices as honest packaging and advertising, product guarantees, and improved safety standards. In this sense it is a movement or a set of policies aimed at regulating the products, services, methods, and standards of manufacturers, sellers, and advertisers in the interests of the buyer. To enforce the rights of people as consumers against exploitation like poor quality, over charging, etc. To ensure fair trade practices in the society. To ensure the avoidance of unrestricted trade practices. To ensure co-operation between government and producers. To create a self-help support system where consumers voluntarily form an association for their self-protection. To build the confidence of MNC's for investing in developing countries. To create healthy competition among producers. To promote consumer organisations in society like Consumer Guidance Society of India. To build the confidence of international organisations like United Nations by passing the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 according to their guidelines. To introduce the consumer to remedial organisations like consumer courts, forums, commissions, etc.
12

ORIGIN OF CONSUMERISM
Consumerism has weak links with the Western world, but is in fact an international phenomenon. People purchasing goods and consuming materials in excess of their basic needs is as old as the first civilizations. A great turn in consumerism arrived just before the Industrial Revolution. In the nineteenth century, capitalist development and the industrial revolution were primarily focused on the capital goods sector and industrial infrastructure (i.e., mining, steel, oil, transportation networks, communications networks, industrial cities, financial centers, etc.). At that time, agricultural commodities, essential consumer goods, and commercial activities had developed to an extent, but not to the same extent as other sectors. Members of the working classes worked long hours for low wages as much as 16 hours per day, 6 days per week. Little time or money was left for consumer activities. Further, capital goods and infrastructure were quite durable and took a long time to be used up. Henry Ford and other leaders of industry understood that mass production presupposed mass consumption. After observing the assembly lines in the meat packing industry,Frederick Winslow Taylor brought his theory of scientific management to the organization of the assembly line in other industries; this unleashed incredible productivity and reduced the costs of all commodities produced on assembly lines. While previously the norm had been the scarcity of resources, the Industrial Revolution created an unusual economic situation. For the first time in history products were available in outstanding quantities, at outstandingly low prices, being thus available to virtually everyone. So began the era of mass consumption, the only era where the concept of consumerism is applicable.

13

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE CONSUMERISM?


Consumerism is appreciated in Western economies since a persons standard of living is valued by his or her material possessions. There are certain positive effects such as: Positive Consumerism Effects: Primary positive consumerism effects are: More industrial production. A higher growth rate economy. More goods and services available. More advertising since goods manufactured have to be sold. Increased production will result in more employment opportunities. A variety ofchoice for goods and services More comforts for a better living style.

Negative Consumerism Effects: Top negative consumerism effects are: The main cause of the current environmental crisis is human nature More specifically, all were doing is what all other creatures have ever done to survive, expanding into whatever territory is available and using up whatever resources are available and one day it may result into a death in their own waste. The University of Colorado at Boulder likened the expansion of human cities to the growth and spread of cancer, predicting death of the Earth in about 2025. Since
14

the human population has quadrupled in the past 100 years and at this rate will reach a size in 2025 that leads to global collapse . One is in a rat race to earn more and is forced to cope up with stress and other work related tensions. Material wealth is the deciding factor about whether a society is highly developed or not. Our ethical and spiritual values are left unimportant under the circumstances . Over-dependence on labor saving devices. A car for each individual would mean gradual erosion of public transport. Crime rate also increases as wants to possess expensive gadgets increase. Thefts become common and daylight robberies take place. Personal relationships also get affected as people are busy trying to earn more to maintain their standard of living. Cheaper goods are Todays consumption which also affect environ mental resource Consumerism has also resulted in ecological imbalances. The natural habitat is being destroyed to create more goods and build more buildings affecting the weather. Global warming will eventually result in health problems. Industrial pollution is affecting people rather than focusing on simplicity.

15

CONSUMERISM LEADS TO STRESS IN KIDS If you thought stress is something that is associated with elders, then you are wrong. With rising consumerism among children in the age group of six-twelve, stress in children is becoming common, say child psychologists. "Children start expressing from the age of five-six. Since, in the present time, parents tend to buy everything branded for their kids, the kid becomes brand conscious earlier than before. It can be anything from branded high end shoes to even jazzy mobile phones. I blame the parents for rising consumerism among kids since they are the ones who first inculcate such behaviour in the children. And when the child's wishes are not fulfilled, stress starts creeping in them," says Dr Ekta Sharma, a child psychologist based in the Capital. She adds, that on an average, 40-45 per cent of her clients have stress syndrome. "Usually, they come with other problems but during the course of examination, one realises that the problems have risen primarily because of stress," Says Dr Sharma. Deepak Raheja, Psychiatrist, AIIMS too agrees to increasing number of stress in children and point out that it is a double edged-sword. "If a child's friend is using a Nike water bottle which might cost Rs 1000, he too wants it since his friends are using it. A parent might not be having a lifestyle to afford such a bottle but would still give in because; parents feel they owe him the bottle. This leads to over gratification and the child ends up being confused and is caught between two different lifestyles vis-a-vis the one he leads in school and at home," the doctor says.

16

M S UNIVERSITY, NGO HOLD NATIONAL SEMINAR ON CONSUMERISM IN INDIA

A national seminar on 'Consumerism in India: Prospects and Challenges' was organized on Thursday at Prof CC Mehta Auditorium by the Faculty of Social Work of the M S University (MSU) and NGO Jagrut Grahak Mandal working in the fields of consumer activism and awareness. While speaking at the seminar economist and consumer movement activist Dr B L Gupta explained the importance of creating sustainable development in India and illustrated practical ways to achieve sustainable consumptions, which can help India grow economically. He felt that needless and superfluous consumption promoted by modern western economies is the root cause of high debt, recession and economic crises that the world is facing today. Gupta said that equating high consumption with high growth is a false assumption. Excessive loans given by banks and extensive use of credit cards for buying various goods and services is not good for the health of the economy in the longer run, he added. Gupta added that definition and calculation of GDP in modern economics does not take care of qualitative aspects of life and is a mere indicator of total amount of goods and services produced irrespective of their moral or social impact. MSU vice chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh said that 'repair' is better and more economical than 'replacement'. He said that the 'use and throw' culture of the west was not good for the Indian economy.

17

WHAT ARE THE BIG TRENDS IN NETWORKING I can see three large trends. The first is the consumerization of IT - giving people access to corporate resources on their personal devices like mobile phones. The network has to do it intelligently; it has to provide the right resources to the right people, and not everything to everybody. That's a big challenge. The second trend is the movement to cloud computing. Whether it's private or public, it is really starting to change the dynamics of the network. The third piece is the shift from physical networks to virtualized networks. What this means is that organizations don't have to build separate networks for each department or function. You can have one large network, and provision separate, secure virtual networks for each department or function. This is a part of software defined networks. We've been hearing a lot lately about software defined networks. Is Avaya's approach different? We go beyond software defined networks, we allow applications themselves to control the network assets, what we call application defined networks. For instance, we have an application called identity (ID) engine that lets you set a policy based on who the person is, what device they use, what operating system is running on that device. Say you are an employee in the engineering group, you are offsite and are on your iPhone and you want to connect to the corporate network. The tool will recognize who you are, what device you have and that you are coming in wirelessly. It will give you access but it will limit that access to may be just email. That same person logs in from his/her laptop, and the policy ID engine will say, 'You're an engineer, you're on your corporate laptop, you're coming in on

18

a wired connection, I'm going to give you full access to everything that you're allowed to get'. Which areas are your Indian teams working on? We have a team in Pune that is working on ID engines. The team in Bangalore is responsible for writing all the software to support virtual networks, not quite as glamorous as the ID engines but far harder and far more challenging. We've had quite a bit of success with deploying these virtualized fabrics worldwide. Our philosophy for the R&D teams in India is that we give them leading edge technology and they get full responsibility. They lead projects from cradle to the end, and it has been very successful for us. India is our fastest growing R&D centre. While we have R&D centres around the world, in terms of the economics and access to talent, this is the best area for us.

19

CHECK ON CONSUMERISM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN ECONOMY Senior BJP leader and chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Murli Manohar Joshi wants to know if the central government had any formula or policy to overcome the economic crisis. "The Prime Minister has gone to attend the G-20 meet to discuss the global economic scenario, but he (PM) did not spell out the policy or formula to bring improvement in global economy," said Joshi while talking to reporters here on Tuesday. "When the government claimed that the country's GDP was improving, it should also clarify why poverty was increasing", said Joshi adding that very base of the economic policy was wrong. The central government was yet to decide who would be the next finance minister. No improvement in economy would be possible until there was a check on consumerism, he said adding that weakening economy had also posed a threat to internal security. "A strong economy is essential for internal security as well as development," said Joshi and added that the central government should clarify what would be the model of nation's economy. BJP is serious on this issue and would fight for this purpose, he said and added that the BJP would go for jail bharo andolan on June 22 across the nation except Uttar Pradesh in protest against the rising price.

20

'CONSUMERISM, LACK OF LOVE LEADING TO TEEN CRIME SPURT' A class VIII student of a south Kolkata school stole a motorcycle a few months ago from a parking lot at Shasmal Huda Road in the Karaya police station area. The student, after his arrest, confessed that he was lured by a group which promised him big money. In December 2002, a boy from an east Kolkata school was found to be involved in a series of robberies in Tiljala and Park Circus areas. Arrest of the boy revealed that he acted as a 'tipper' to the gang about probable targets and received his share of booty. The arrest of two teenagers in connection with this week's Ballygunge Place robbery may have disturbed many, yet the reality, say city police officers, is that there is a spurt of juvenile delinquency in Kolkata in re-cent years.

"Whatever comes to light is only a small fraction of the reality. The actual picture is far worse. There are many teenagers, including some from educated and rich families, who are engaged in crime," said Child Wel-fare Committee chairman and noted child psychologist Hiranmoy Saha. Sociologists say there is an effort on the part of law-enforcers, lawyers and parents of delinquent juveniles to suppress facts out of sympathy. This prevents a reflection of the true picture. Social scientist Pradip Chakraborty feels, "An all pervasive consumerism has led to a social imbalance. The needs of a child in the 1970s cannot be matched with those of a child now. A teenager now wants motorcycle, topbrand sunglasses and designer wear. If parents ignore the child's need or fail to fulfil it, he or she takes a route which often leads to the path of crime."

21

Deputy commissioner (detective department) Soumen Mitra, too, feels that the world of crime is often seen by some teenagers as something glamorous. "Daily media coverage often portrays crime as an adventure. And often, if either the family or the law does not catch them at an early stage, like a terminal disease, these children never really come back to the right path again," he said. Coupled with a strong wave of consumerism, there is a sharp erosion of values which has blurred the barrier between good and bad, said another psychologist. "Corrupt practices which were inconceivable earlier, have gained acceptance in our daily life. There is a cascading effect on children," Chakraborty explained.

22

CAN CONSUMERISM MAKE US HAPPY Current research into what makes people happy has uncovered some interesting facts. Certain goals, such as getting rich or earning a raise, don't turn out to make much difference in a person's level of happiness. In general, we aren't good predictors of what will make us happy in the future. Other findings tend to be just as gloomy and debunking. The new field of so-called "positive psychology" is better at erasing myths than in creating a new basis for happiness.

And yet the need for a new kind of happiness grows every day. The world's supply of material goods grows slimmer and yet billions of people in India and China want them. As traditional society crumbles, the rise of materialism fills the vacuum, making it more likely that rampant consumerism will keep spreading. Yet consumerism, although it provides little fixes of pleasure, is one of the worst ways to achieve lasting happiness. The other reason we need a new kind of happiness is the epidemic of depression and anxiety we see all around us, with record numbers of prescriptions being written for drugs to fight these conditions. Such drugs, although touted by big pharma, have been shown to be ineffective in around 50 per cent of cases, and in some studies, they were no more effective than the placebo effect.

23

ADVERTISING & CONSUMERISM

24

CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, 1986


The Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 1986. Amendments were made in 2002. The Act applies to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional protection for the weak and those unable to take care of themselves. Consumer Protection laws are a form of government regulation which aim to protect the rights of consumers. For example, a government may require businesses to disclose detailed information about productsparticularly in areas where safety or public health is an issue, such as food. Consumer protection is linked to the idea of "consumer rights" (that consumers have various rights as consumers), and to the formation of consumer organizations which help consumers make better choices in the marketplace. This ACT is a milestone in the history of socio-economic legislation in the country. The first ever legislation in India of its kind which solely aimed at the grief striken consumers who were the victims of the unfair trade practices and sub standard services rendered to them.

25

OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the act is to provide for the better protection of consumers. The act is intended to provide simple, speedy and inexpensive redressal to the consumers' grievances, and relief of a specific nature and award of compensation wherever appropriate to the consumer. It is known as Poor mans litigation User friendly and Cost effective tool.- Suits can be filed for both defective goods and deficient services. Only a nominal fees has to be paid by the consumer. There is no need to send any legal notice to opposing party. A simple letter to consumer forum would initiate legal action. No requirement of lawyer if the consumer can represent himself.

26

METHODS OF CONSUMER PROTECTION


There are four main methods of protecting the interests of consumers: -

1. Business Self-regulation: Businessmen can regulate their own behavior and actions by adopting higher ethical standards. Trade associations and chambers of commerce can check unfair trade practices used by some businessmen. 2. Consumer Self-help: Every consumer must be alert as self-help is the best help.

He should educate himself and know his rights and should not allow unscrupulous businessmen to cheat him

3. Consumers' Associations: Consumers should form voluntary associations. These associations can educate and awaken consumers. They can take organized action and put pressure on businessmen to adopt fair trade practices. 4. Government Regulations: The State can ensure consumer protection through legislative, executive and judicial actions.

27

The laws enacted by the Government must be strictly enforced by the executive. Government of India has enacted several laws to protect the interests and rights of consumers.

28

COSTS OF CONSUMER PROTCTION


Consumer protection costs may be defined in 3 ways:1. Economic costs. 2. Social costs. 3. Opportunity costs.

ECONOMIC COSTS: Connected with the defending charges of regulatory agencies and cost of manufacturing consumer safety devices. Passed on to the consumers through increased prices of goods and services SOCIAL COSTS: The social costs are the sum total of all costs to individuals in society, regardless of whether the costs are paid by the person who decides whether they will be incurred. Social costs are the sum of private and external costs. OPPORTUNITY COSTS: Opportunity cost is the cost (sacrifice) incurred by choosing one option over the next best alternative (which may be equally desired). Arise from the ordering of social priorities.

29

CONSUMER RIGHTS RECOGNIZED IN INDIA


Consumer rights were recognized broadly in many ancient Hindu, Islamic and Christian religious scriptures; however, no literary work formalized them into a concise set until the 1960s. Consumer rights in India and the modern world owe their origin to the consumer revolution of the pre-60s in the United States of America. Under Section 6 of the Act.It enshrines the following rights of consumers: Right to safety :- Right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to health, life and property of the consumer. Specifically significant in areas such as healthcare, food processing and pharmaceuticals, this right spans across any domain that could have a serious impact on the consumers health or well being such as Automobiles, Travel, Domestic Appliances, Housing etc.

Right to be informed :- Right to be provided all those information on the basis of which consumer decides to buy goods or services about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices. This right should ideally ensure that all consumable products are labeled in a standard manner which

30

contains the cost, the ingredients, quantity, and instructions on how to safely consume the product. Right to be heard :- According to the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the right to be heard and to be assured that consumer's interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums is referred to as the right to be heard. This right is supposed to empower Indian consumers to fearlessly voice their complaints and concerns against products and companies to ensure their issues are handled efficiently and expeditiously. Right to choose :- Consumer Protection Act 1986 defines this right as the right to be assured, wherever possible, to have access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices. Competition, invariably, is th e best regulator of a market place. Existence of oligopolies, cartels and monopolies are counterproductive to consumerism.. Right to Seek redress :- The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers is defined as the right to redressal in the Consumer Protection Act 1986. The Indian Government has been slightly more successful with respect to this right. Consumer courts such as District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums at the district level, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions have been established through the consumer protection act. Each of these consumer grievance redressal agencies has fiduciary and geographical

31

jurisdictions to address consumer cases between consumers and businesses.

Right to consumer education :- The right of each Indian citizen to be educated on matters related to consumer protection and about his/her rights is the last right given by the Consumer Protection Act 1986. This right simply ensures that the consumers in India have access to informational programs and materials that would enable them to make better purchasing decisions. Consumer education may mean both formal education through school and college curriculums and also consumer awareness campaigns run by both governmental and non governmental agencies (NGO).Consumer education refers to educate the consumer constantly with regards to their rights.

32

CONSUMER RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Consumer should exercise his right. 2. Cautious consumer/ Do not buy blindly. 3. Filing complaint for the redressal of genuine grievances. 4. Consumer must be quality conscious/Do not compromise on quality. 5. Advertisements often exaggerate/Beware of false advertisement. 6. Do not forget to get Receipt and Guarantee/warrantee card. 7. Do not buy in hurry.

Relief Available To Consumers


Depending on the facts and circumstances, the Redressal Forums may give order for one or more of the following relief : Removal of defects from the goods . Replacement of the goods Refund of the price paid. Award of compensation for the loss or injury suffered. Removal of defects or deficiencies in the services. Discontinuance of unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices. Withdrawal of the hazardous goods from being offered to sale. Award for adequate costs to parties.

33

STRUCTURE
To provide simple, speedy and inexpensive redressal of consumer grievances, the Act envisages a three- tier quasi-judicial machinery at the National, State and District levels. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission - known as "National Commission". Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions - known as "State Commission". Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums - known as "District Forum". 1. District Forums have the Jurisdiction to entertain complaints: If the cost of goods or services and compensation asked for is up to Rs. 20 lacs. 2. State Commission has the Jurisdiction to entertain complaints: It can hear cases involving sum exceeds Rs.20 Lacs and up to Rs.1 Crore. The State Commission also has the jurisdiction to entertain appeal against the orders of any District Forum within the State. 3. National Commission has jurisdiction to entertain complaints: It has a Jurisdiction to hear complaints amounting more than Rs.1 Crore. The National Commission besides entertaining the original complaints also has jurisdiction to entertain appeals against the orders of any State Commission.

34

GROWTH OF CONSUMERISM IN INDIA


Consumerism is gaining momentum in India. Consumers have formed voluntary organizations, consumer clubs, etc. Government has enacted various legislations for protecting the interest of consumers. Various Legislations which directly or indirectly favour consumerism are : Sale of Goods Act, 1930 Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marketing) Act, 1937 Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1968. Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, 1969. Standard of Weights and Measure Act, 1976.. Consumer Protection Act 1986. Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.

Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.

35

MEASURES TO PROMOTE CONSUMERISM


1. Spreading of awareness and conciousness among the consumers about their rights through consumer education. 2. Use of mass-media like newspaper, television, ratio, etc. to create moral fear among traders indulging in unfair or restrictive trade practices e.g. T.V advertisement 'Jago Grahak Jago' has created a lot of awareness among consumers. 3. There are about 500 consumer organizations which spread and protect the consumer's interest in the country. Some of the main consumer organizations are: -Consumer Guidance Society of India, Mumbai. -Citizens Action Group, Mumbai. -Consumers Action Forum, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai.
4. Setting up of consumer clubs in educational institutes .

5. Opening of National consumer Helpline from landline phones and BSNL/MTNL on the toll-free number 1800-11-4000 all over the country. 6. A website www.core.nic.in has been created for consumers' help 7. Setting up of Consumer Online Research and Empowerment (CORE) centre 8. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issues certificates for those goods whose quality is properly assessed by it. 9. Central government has introduced National Awards to encourage participation of consumer organizations and youth in the field of consumer protection.
36

10. Consumers week is celebrated every year throughout the country from 15th to 21 st March. All over the world 15th March is celebrated as Consumers Rights Day.

37

Consumer Groups in India


Voluntary Organization in Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) Consumer Care Society Bombay Telephone Users' Association Citizen consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) Grahak Sahayak Consumer Guidance Society of India All India Chamber of Consumers (AICOC) Consumer Coordination Council Akhil Bhartiya Upbhokta Congress Consumer Unity and Trust Society Consumer Rights Education & Awareness Trust (CREAT) Rajkot Saher/Jilla Grahak Suraksha Mandal Upbhokta Sanrakchhan & Kalyan Samiti Upbhokta Margdarshan Samiti "UMAS"

38

INDEX
Sr.No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Introduction Consumerism Components Of Consumerism Consumerism In India Objectives Of Consumerism Origin Of Consumerism Consumerism Leads To Stress In Kids Advertising & Consumerism Methods Of Consumer Protection Title Page No

10. Costs Of Consumer Protection 11. Consumer Responsibilities 12. Structure 13. Growth Of Consumerism In India 14. Measures To Promote Consumerism 15. Consumer Groups in India

39

Anda mungkin juga menyukai