How Many Rights Does A Consumer Have Under The Consumer Protection Act 1986

Introduction

The Customer Protection Act is a law that is in favour of the customers, where their interests are being considered and given importance. This law was amended in 2019 to replace the existing law, which was amended back in 1986, thereby enabling customers with such rights to practice them in their daily lives. According to the meaning of "consumer rights," the main purpose behind enacting this law is to provide consumers with remedies or quick solutions to their problems. This law has some special acts that are meant for consumers and through which the higher officials can resolve the problems that are faced by the consumers.

What is the Consumer Protection Act?

The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 defined it as a law for taking care of the rights of consumers and solving the various problems related to consumers as and when they occur. This law enables the establishment of an authority, which is called the Central Consumer Protection Authority or CCPA. The Central Consumer Protection Authority observes unfair trade practises and advertisements that reflect or show misleading information and any other illegal or unethical work. CCPA will take essential actions and provide solutions to address the grievances of consumers whichthat are arising due to such bad practices. It should be noted that the Consumers Protection Act 1986 was firstly introduced by the Parliament of India. The Consumer Protection Act allows an authoritative body to punish those who violate or break the law also with a penalty.

Consumer Rights

• Right to safety

The right which is protected against the marketing of any type of services and goods which are dangerous for life and property. The goods and services that are available should not only meet their current requirements but also fulfil their long term needs. Before purchasing the products, consumers should insist on the guarantee as well as on the quality of the products and services. They should have to purchase quality brand products like ISI,AGMARK, etc brands.

• Right to choose

This right allows and assures the possible access of a variety of goods and services at the prices which are in the market at that time. In the case of monopolies, this means the right to be assured of satisfactory quality and service at a good price. It also contains the right to basic goods and services. This right can be better practiced in the competitive market where various types of goods and services are available at the market prices.

• Right to be informed

This right means the right to be informed about the quantity, potency, quality, purity, standard level, and price of goods and services so as to protect the customer against unfair trade practises. The consumers should insist on getting all types of information about the goods or services before making a decision. This will allow them to act wisely and responsibly and also allow them to resist falling due to the high pressure sales techniques of the sellers.

• Right to consumer education

This means the right to acquire the skill, knowledge, and art necessary to be an informed consumer throughout their life. The ignorance of the consumers, especially of the rural consumers, is responsible for their destruction. They should know all their rights and must practice them. Only then real consumer protection can achieve the success towards its goal.

• Right to be heard

This right means that the consumer's interests will be considered at the appropriate forums. It also contains the right to be represented in different forums that are formed to consider the welfare of the consumers. The Consumers should make a non-political and non-commercial organization of consumers which can be given representation in different committees formed by the Indian Government and in any other bodies in the matters related to the consumers.

• Right to Seek redressal

This means the right to seek redressal against wrong trade exercises of the consumers. It also contains the right to a fair settlement of the real grievances of the consumers. The consumers must file complaints for their grievances. Several times their complaint would have little value but its effect on the society as a whole may be very big. They can also seek help from the consumer organisations for their genuine grievances.

As the markets are expanding over the globe, the direct link between the seller and the final consumer is getting distant. For these cases, Consumer disputes redressal agencies, also known as the Consumer Courts , are established under the Act at District, at State and at the National level to provide quick, simple, and inexpensive redressal against the complaints of consumers. The District court deals with complaints of consumers that have the compensation value is less than twenty three lakhs. This limit of the court is generally known as the ‘pecuniary jurisdiction’ of the Consumer Redressal Court. The State Court deals with the complaints of consumers that contain the value of the goods and services and the value of compensation that does not exceed one crore rupees, and the National Forum deals with the complaints of consumers where the total value of the services or goods and the value of compensation are claimed to be more than one crore rupees.

• Consumer Protection Act

The Consumer Protection Act is "an Act which provides the protection of the interests of consumers and for purpose, to establish authorities for effective administration and

"solution of disputes between consumers and for the matters connected therewith," according to Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

According to the Consumer Protection Act of 1986 , “An Act which provide for the better protection of consumer's interests and for the purpose to make provision for the making of consumer councils and different authorities for the settlement of disputes of the consumers and for the cases connected therewith."

Consumer Responsibilities

Ask Yourself

• Have you ever faced any difficulties as a consumer?

• Have you ever complained when you have had any of the problems?

• Do you know that you could take the assistance of a group of consumers to protect the interests of your choice?

Be Critically Aware

• The responsibility to be alert and to question about the prices of the goods , about quantity and quality of goods you have bought and about the services you have used.

Be Involved

• The responsibility to be positive – to ensure that you have got a fair deal of those goods as a consumer. Remember, if you are negative, you will be exploited.

Be Organized

• This is your responsibility to join both hands and raise voices high against bad goods, as the consumers to fight against the collective sellers and to make the strength and to protect consumer interests.

Practice Sustainable Consumption

• The responsibility to be aware yourself of the effect of consumption of goods on the other citizens and especially the powerless groups and to be aware about the consumption that is according to the needs and not according to the wants.

Be Responsible to the Environment

• This is the responsibility to be aware about the environment and to understand the environmental sources of our consumption on daily basis. We should have to recognize our particular and social responsibilities to protect natural resources and to protect the earth for the future generations.