CHAPTER 5 : CONSUMER RIGHTS

1 NOTES FOR THE TEACHERThis CHAPTER proposes to discuss the issue ofconsumer RIGHTS within the context of the waysmarkets operate in our country . There are manyaspects of unequal situations in a market andpoor enforcement of rules and regulations. Hence,there is a need to sensitise learners and encouragethem to participate in the CONSUMER CHAPTER provides case histories how someconsumers were exploited in a real life situationand how legal institutions helped consumers ingetting compensated and in upholding their rightsas consumers. The case histories would enablethe students to link these narratives to their lifeexperiences. We have to enable students tounderstand that the awareness of being a well-informed CONSUMER arose out of consumermovement and active participation of peoplethrough their struggles over a long period.

2 Thischapter also provides details of a feworganisations helping consumers in differentways. Finally it ends with some critical issues ofthe CONSUMER movement in of Teaching / Sources of InformationThis CHAPTER has questions, case studies andactivities. It would be preferred that studentsdiscuss these in groups orally. Some of thesecould be answered in writing carrying out each activity you couldstart with a brainstorming session about theactivity. Similarly there are many opportunitiesfor role-play in this CHAPTER and this could be auseful way to share their experiences andunderstand the issues at a deeper level. Makingposters collectively is another way to think aboutthese issues. This lesson contains activities,which require visits visit to consumerprotection councils, CONSUMER organisations, CONSUMER court, retail shops, market places, the visits to maximise learners experience.

3 Have a discussion with them aboutthe purpose of the visit, things they need to dobeforehand and things that need to be collectedand the task (report/ project / article, etc.) theywould carry out after the visit. As part of thischapter, the learners may do letter-writing andspeaking activities. We may have to be sensitiveto the language aspect of CHAPTER contains materials collectedfrom authenticated websites, books, newspapersand magazines. For example, is a website of CentralGovernment Ministry of CONSUMER website is thewebsite of a CONSUMER organisation working inIndia for more than 20 years. It publishes avariety of materials to create consumerawareness in India. They need to be sharedamong learners so that they can also collectmaterials as part of their activities.

4 For example,case histories were taken from newspaperclippings and consumers who fought inconsumer courts. Let learners collect and readsuch materials from different sources: consumerprotection councils, CONSUMER courts 5 : CONSUMER RIGHTS7474747474 UUUUUNDERSTNDERSTNDERSTNDERSTNDERSTANDIN GANDINGANDINGANDINGANDING E E E E ECONOMICCONOMICCONOMICCONOMICCONOMIC D D D D DEVELEVELEVELEVELEVELOPMENTOPMENTOPMENTO PMENTOPMENT2015-2016 CONSUMER RIGHTSCONSUMER RIGHTSCONSUMER RIGHTSCONSUMER RIGHTSCONSUMER RIGHTSCHAPTER 5 The collage you see below containssome news clippings of consumercourt verdicts. Why did the people goto the CONSUMER court in these cases?These verdicts came about becausesome people persisted and struggledto get justice.

5 In what ways were theydenied justice? More importantly,what are the ways in which they canexercise their RIGHTS as consumers toget a fair deal from the sellers whenthey felt they had been denied a justtreatment?2015-2016We participate in the market both asproducers and consumers. Asproducers of goods and services wecould be working in any of the sectorsdiscussed earlier such as agriculture,industry, or services. Consumersparticipate in the market when theypurchase goods and services that theyneed. These are the final goods thatpeople as consumers the preceding chapters wediscussed the need for rules andregulations or steps that wouldpromote development. These could befor the protection of workers in theunorganised sector or to protectpeople from high interest ratescharged by moneylenders in theinformal sector.

6 Similarly, rules andregulations are also required forprotecting the example, moneylenders in theinformal sector that you read aboutin CHAPTER 3 adopt various tricks tobind the borrower: they could makethe producer sell the produce to themat a low rate in return for a timely loan;they could force a small farmer likeSwapna to sell her land to pay backthe loan. Similarly, many people whowork in the unorganised sector haveto work at a low wage and acceptconditions that are not fair and arealso often harmful to their health. Toprevent such exploitation, wehave talked of rules and regulationsfor their protection. There areorganisations that have struggledfor long to ensure that these rules CONSUMER IN THE MARKETPLACEL ikewise, rules and regulations arerequired for the protection of theconsumers in the consumers often findthemselves in a weak there is a complaintregarding a good or service that hadbeen bought, the seller tries to shiftall the responsibility on to the position usually is If youdidn t like what you bought, pleasego elsewhere.

7 As if the seller has noresponsibility once a sale iscompleted! The CONSUMER movement,as we shall discuss later, is an effortto change this in the marketplacehappens in various ways. Forexample, sometimes traders indulgein unfair trade practices such as whenshopkeepers weigh less than whatthey should or when traders addcharges that were not mentionedbefore, or when adulterated/defectivegoods are do not work in a fairmanner when producers are few andpowerful whereas consumerspurchase in small amounts and arescattered. This happens especiallywhen large companies are producingthese goods. These companies withhuge wealth, power and reach canmanipulate the market in variousways. At times false information ispassed on through the media, andother sources to attract example, a company for yearssold powder milk for babies all overTHEY PURPOSELY MADE ITSO IT WOULD FALL APARTAFTER A FEW MONTHS SOTHAT I WILL BUY A NEW ONE!

8 2015-20167777777777 CCCCCONSUMERONSUMERONSUMERONSUMERONSUMER R R R R RIGHTSIGHTSIGHTSIGHTSIGHTS1. What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?2. Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some cheating in the market. Discuss in the do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?LET S WORK THESE OUTthe world as the most scientificproduct claiming this to be betterthan mother s milk. It took years ofstruggle before the company wasforced to accept that it had beenmaking false claims. Similarly, along battle had to be fought withcourt cases to make cigarette-manufacturing companies accept thattheir product could cause , there is a need for rules andregulations to ensure protection MOVEMENT quality of goods and services on India, the CONSUMER movementas a social force originated with thenecessity of protecting and promotingthe interests of consumers againstunethical and unfair trade food shortages, hoarding,black marketing, adulteration of foodand edible oil gave birth to theconsumer movement in an organisedform in the 1960s.

9 Till the 1970s, CONSUMER organisations were largelyengaged in writing articles andholding exhibitions. They formedconsumer groups to look into themalpractices in ration shops andovercrowding in the road passengertransport. More recently, Indiawitnessed an upsurge in the numberof CONSUMER CONSUMER movement arose outof dissatisfaction of the consumersas many unfair practices were beingindulged in by the sellers. There wasno legal system available toconsumers to protect them fromexploitation in the marketplace. Fora long time, when a CONSUMER wasnot happy with a particular brandproduct or shop, he or she generallyavoided buying that brand product,or would stop purchasing from thatshop. It was presumed that it wasthe responsibility of consumers to becareful while buying a commodityor service.

10 It took many years fororganisations in India, and aroundthe world, to create awarenessamongst people. This has alsoshifted the responsibility of ensuringEVERYONE KNOWSTOBACCO KILLS PEOPLE,BUT WHO CAN SAY THATTOBACCO COMPANIESSHOULD NOT BE FREETO SELL TOBACCO? could have been the steps taken by CONSUMER groups? may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? S WORK THESE OUTC onsumers InternationalIn 1985 United Nations adoptedthe UN Guidelines for ConsumerProtection. This was a tool fornations to adopt measures toprotect consumers and forconsumer advocacy groups topress their governments to doso. At the international level, thishas become the foundation forconsumer movement.