CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

SAANYA SANGHVIMBA - HM

Definition of consumer

An individual who buys products or services for personal use and not for manufacture or resale. A consumer is someone who can make the decision whether or not to purchase an item at the store, and someone who can be influenced by marketing and advertisements. Any time someone goes to a store and purchases a toy, shirt, beverage, or anything else, they are making that decision as a consumer

Consumer protection act

The Consumer Protection Act 1986 is a social welfare legislation which was enacted as a result of widespread consumer protection movement. The main object of the legislature in the enactment of this act is to provide for the better protection of the interests of the consumer and to make provisions for establishment of consumer councils and other authorities for settlement of consumer disputes and matter therewith connected

In order to promote and protect the rights and interests of consumers, quasi judicial machinery is sought to be set up at district, state and central levels. These quasi judicial bodies have to observe the principles of natural justice and have been empowered to give relief's, of specific nature and also to impose penalties for non compliance of the orders given by such bodies.

The main object of these bodies is to provide speedy and simple redressal to consumer disputes. It is one of the benevolent pieces of legislation intended to protect the consumers at large from exploitation

How the act was enacted ? The act was passed in Lok Sabha on 9th December,1986 and Rajya Sabha on 10th December, 1986 and assented by the President of India on 24th December, 1986 and was published in the Gazette of India on 26th December, 1986.

Consumer rights

•Right to safety

•Right to basic needs

•Right to be informed

•Right to choose

•Right to be heard

•Right to redress

•Right to consumer education

•Right to healthy environment

The three tier system

National Commission

(for claims exceeding 20 lakhs)

State Commission

(for claims betwwen 5 & 20 lakhs)

District Forum

(claims upto 5 lakhs)

Jago Grahak Jago

An Advertisement issued by the Government of India in public interest.

What made the government spread awareness about the consumer law?

• Rising cases of duping of consumers

• Political interest of ruling party

• Common consensus in Parliament

Deceptive Advertising

• An advertisement which is potentially misleading or literally false is deceptive.

• Potentially misleading ads are difficult to evaluate because miscomprehension may often occur.

– Miscomprehension is a problem for firms because the audience does not understand the message being delivered.

A consumer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not

dependent on us, we are on him. He is not an interruption to our work, he is the purpose of it. We are not doing a favour to a customer by giving him a

opportunity. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to serve him.

- MAHATMA

GANDHI

Thank you