Explain the following rights of consumers:
(i) Right to be informed;
(ii) Right to safety
(i) Right to Safety: According to this act, consumer has a right to be protected against goods and services which are hazardous to life and health. For example, electrical appliances, which are manufactured with substandard products many not conform to the safety norms and might cause serious injury. Thus, consumers are educated that they should use electrical appliances which are ISI marked as this would be an assurance of such products meeting quality specifications.
(ii) Right to be Informed: According to this act, Consumers have the right to get informed all about the product he intends to buy. The information includes its ingredients, date of manufacture, price, quantity, directions for use, etc. It is because of this reason manufactures are legally required to provide all such information on the package and label of the product.
Pragya bought an iron of a reputed brand for 1,500 but it caused an electric shock while it was being used. Pragya wants to exercise her 'Right'. Identify the 'Right' under which she can be protected.
Pragya can exercise the following rights:
a) Right to Safety: Praghya has the right to be protected against goods and services which are hazardous to life and health.
b) Right to be Heard: Praghya has the right to file a complaint and to be heard. Usually reputed companies have their own consumer service and grievance cell where she can say her complaints and have the right to be heard.
c) Right to seek Redressal: Praghya has a right to get relief in this case as the product falls short of her expectations. The Consumer Protection Act provides a number of reliefs to the consumers including replacement of the product, removal of defect in the product, compensation paid for any loss or injury suffered by the consumer, etc.
State any three points of importance of consumer protection from the point of view of consumers.
The importance of consumer protection from the consumers’ point:
(i) Consumer Ignorance: Providing information to customers about his various rights and reliefs is very essential in order to get rid of the customers ignorance about their rights.
(ii) Unorganised Consumers: Union is strength. A customer alone may not be able to raise his voice against and question the mighty business enterprises. But when they are organised it makes the difference. Consumers need to be organised in the form of consumer organisations which would take care of their interests.
(iii) Widespread Exploitation of Consumers: Consumers might be exploited by unscrupulous, exploitative and unfair trade practices like defective and unsafe products, adulteration, false and misleading advertising, hoarding, black-marketing etc. Consumers need protection against such malpractices of the sellers.
Under three-tier machinery where can a legal heir or representative of a deceased consumer file a complaint when the compensation claimed is 25 Lakhs?
For compensation claims above 20 lakhs, a consumer has to approach the state commission and file the complaint. In this case, the legal heir of deceased consumer can file complaint in state commission as the compensation claim is 25 lakh.
On the eve of Diwali Ravi purchased two kilograms of sweets from Nandan Sweets. On consumption of sweets his wife fell sick and was to be hospitalized. Ravi wanted to file a case in the consumer forum but could not do so because he did not have any proof of buying the sweets from Nandan sweets. Name the document that Ravi could had obtained for filing the complaint in the consumer forum.
The document Ravi needed for filing complaint is Cash memo.