Explain any two rights and two responsibilities of a consumer under Consumer Protection Act.
Answer – Consumer rights
- Right to safety: protection against goods and services hazardous to life and health; buy appropriate quality-assured goods and follow safety instructions.
- Right to be informed: accurate information on quality, quantity, purity, standard, price and other relevant details enables informed decisions.
- Right to choose: access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices; sellers should not use unfair methods to restrict choice.
- Right to be heard: consumer interests should receive due consideration at appropriate forums.
- Right to seek redressal: obtain appropriate relief against unfair practices, defective goods or deficient services.
- Right to consumer education: acquire knowledge and skills for informed and responsible consumption.
The right to information helps safety, but a definition specifically describing protection against hazardous goods refers to the right to safety.
Consumer responsibilities
- Be aware of available products, alternatives and relevant rights.
- Buy suitable standardised goods and look for relevant quality marks, such as ISI, AGMARK or hallmarking where appropriate.
- Read labels, warnings, usage instructions, dates and terms carefully.
- Learn about risks and use products safely.
- Act honestly and do not make false claims or support illegal transactions.
- Ask for and preserve a cash memo, invoice or other purchase record.
- Assert rights and file a genuine complaint when necessary.
- Participate in consumer organisations and help spread awareness.
- Respect the environment through responsible purchase, use and disposal.
ISI expands to Indian Standards Institution, the historical name associated with the mark; BIS is the Bureau of Indian Standards. Hallmarking is relevant to the purity of precious-metal articles. A quality mark does not remove the need to check suitability and authenticity.