Rights of Consumers

John F, Kennedy, the former USA President, in his message to consumer had given six rights to consumers.

These rights are:

  1. Right to safety
  2. Right to be informed
  3. Right to choose
  4. Right to be heard
  5. Right to redress
  6. Right to represent

These rights had paved the way for organised consumer movement in the USA and later it spread all over the world. In India, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 has also provided for the same rights to consumers.

1. Right to Safety

It is the right of the consumers to be protected against goods and services which are hazardous to health or life. For example, defective vehicles could lead to serious accidents. The same is true of electrical appliances with substandard material. Only recently, there were mass protests and boycott of soft drinks due to presence of hazardous pesticides beyond permissible limits.

Thus, right to safety is an important right available to the consumer which ensures that the manufacturers shall not produce and sell sub-standard and dangerous products.

2. Right to be Informed

The right to be informed is an important component of consumer protection. The consumer must be provided with adequate and accurate information about quality, quantity, purity, standard and the price of the goods and services. Now-a-days the manufacturers provide detailed information about the contents of the product, its quantity, date of manufacturing, date of expiry, maximum retail price, precautions to be taken, etc. on the label and package of the product.

Such information helps the consumers in their buying decision and use of the product.

3. Right to Choose

The right to choose provides that the consumer must be assured, whenever possible, access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices. If the market has enough varieties of products at highly competitive prices, the buyers have an opportunity of wide selection. However, in case of monopolies like railways, postal service and electricity supply etc. it implies a right to be assured of satisfactory quality of service at a fair price.

4. Right to be Heard

The rights to safety, information and choice will be frivolous without the right to be heard. This right has three interpretations. Broadly speaking, this right means that consumers have a right to be consulted by Government and public bodies when decisions and policies are made affecting consumer interests.

Also, consumers have a right to be heard by manufactures, dealers and advertisers about their opinion on production, marketing decisions and any grievances of the consumers. Now-a-days, most of the top manufacturers and firms have set up consumer service cells to attend to consumers’ complaints and take appropriate steps for their redressal. Thirdly, consumers have the right to be heard in legal proceedings in law courts dealing with consumer complaints.

5. Right to Seek Redressal

The consumers have been given the right of redressal of their grievances relating to the performance, grade, quality etc. of the goods and services. If required, the product must be repaired or replaced by the seller or manufacturer. The Consumer Protection Act has duly provides for a fair settlement of genuine grievances of the consumers. It has also set up a proper mechanism for their redressal at district, state and national levels.

6. Right to Consumer Education

It means the right to receive knowledge and skill to become informed consumer. In this direction the consumer associations, educational institutions and the policy makers can play an important part. They are expected to impart information and knowledge about:

  1. The relevant laws which are aimed at preventing unfair trade practices
  2. The ways and means which dishonest traders and producers may adopt to deceive the consumers
  3. Insistence on a bill or receipt at the time of purchase
  4. The procedure to be followed by consumers while making complaints

Effective consumer education leads to an increased level of consumer awareness and help them to enforce their rights more effectively, and protect themselves against fraudulent, deceitful and grossly misleading advertisement, labelling, etc.