WRITE SHORT NOTES ON CONSUMER RIGHTS?
Introduction: -In 1962 the American president John F. Kennedy, in his Consumer message to U.S.
Kennedy declared that consumers have the right to safety, to be informed, to choose and to be heard. Consumer Movement is a Social Movement of Consumers that has come into existence to educate and unite consumers to fight for protection of their rights.
Def: - Philip Kotler & G. Armstrong define “Consumerism is an organised movement of then citizen and government to impose the rights and powers of buyers in relation to seller”.
1. Right to Choose: - A Consumer should be given open access and freedom to choose from a variety of products and services. Right of choice aims at promoting competition and discarding monopoly. Sometimes leading competitors for the sake of business purpose joint hands and allocate market among them. In order to restrict their monopoly it is necessary to get freedom of choice.
2. Right to Safety; -A Consumer has a right to be protected against the marketing of goods, which are dangerous to human health and life. Consumer has a right to receive an assurance from the producer about the quality, reliability and performance of good for products like electrical appliances, automobiles etc. considerable safety and security is required similarly food articles like sweets, fast food, colddrings etc. should be free from substances that are harmful for human consumption.
3. Right to be informed: -A Consumer has a right to be protected against fraudulent, miss leading information, advertising, labelling or other practices and to be given facts needed to make proper choice.
4. Right to be heard: - This right permits the consumer to register his dissatisfaction or complaint with the company and government. The right to heard also includes legal hearing to get redress of their complaints. This right can be exercised effectively only when the consumers are properly organised.
5. Right to redress: - Many times, it so happens that the actual performance or quality of product does not match with what is advertised or stated on package. This right enables the consumers to get his claims settled, if he becomes a victim of exaggerated claims.
6. Right to Consumer education: -This is another important right aims at supplying information and educating consumers regularly. It is a continues process and works to update consumers knowledge about the developments in business and industry, and changes made in laws affecting consumer’s rights.