Consumer Awareness

Who is a “Consumer”?

A consumer is a person or group of people who are the final users of products and or services generated within a social system.

A consumer do not resale any service or goods and keep them for personal use

Means of exploiting a

“Consumer”? Incorrect weighting. Sub-standard Quality.Duplicate Articles.Adulteration and

Impurity. Lack of Safety Devices. False or Incomplete

Information.Unsatisfactory after-sale

Service.Rough Behavior and

Undue Conditions.

Factors responsible for exploitation of a

“Consumer”?Limited information.Wrong information.Shortage of supply.Limited competition.Illiteracy of a consumer.Ignorance of a consumer.Few sellers.No markets.

What do You mean by “Consumer Awareness”?

Consumer awareness is making the consumer aware of His/her rights.

It means that consumers note or are aware of products or services, its characteristics and the other marketing P's (place to buy, price, and promotion).

Need for

”Consumer Awareness”• It encourages critical thinking, which helps

consumers function more efficiently in the marketplace.

• Enhances citizen awareness.

• It promotes self-confidence and independence.

• It imparts life skills which contribute to success in everyday living.

• It increases sales.

Need for

”Consumer Awareness”• It improves the quality of life as well as

environment.

• Promotes a stable society.

• It satisfies customers.

• It fosters values such as distinguishing between needs and wants, paying bills, saving money, planning and budgeting.

Consumer Rights• Right to safety.• Right to information.• Right to choose.• Right to heard.• Right to redressed .• Right to consumer

education.• Right to healthy

environment.• Right to basic needs.

Importance of Consumer Rights.

• Consumers are entitled to rights as consumers, and these rights provide protection to consumers.

• It protects consumer against products, production processes and services which are hazardous to health or life

• To be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labeling.

• To receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.

Responsibility of a Consumer.

• Action The responsibility to assert ourselves by acting to ensure that we get a fair deal As long as we remain passive consumers we will continue to be exploited and manipulated.

• Critical Awareness The responsibility to be more alert and questioning about the price and quality of goods and services we consume.

• Social concernThe responsibility to consider the impacts of our consumption patterns and lifestyles on other citizens especially the poor disadvantaged or powerless consumers whether they be in the local national or international community.

• SolidarityThe responsibility to come together and organize consumers in order to enhance the strength and influence required to promote and protect our interests.

Consumer movements.

Consumer movement is an effort to promote consumer protection through an organized social movement which is in many places led by consumer organizations.

Need of “Consumer movements”

Providing consumer education. Providing consumer protection. Building pressure on government . Arranging consumer protection. programmes.

Organizing public opinion. Providing guidance to consumer. Fight against marketing system . Consumer awareness.

Consumer courtThese courts look into the

grievances and complaints of the consumers against the traders and manufacturers.

These courts are required to dispose off each complaint within 3 month.

These courts reduce burden on other courts.

Different level of consumer courts are set for different amount of money.

Consumer protection Act 1986

Consumer Protection Act of 1986 is an act of Parliament of India enacted in 1986 to protect interests of consumers in India. It makes provision for the establishment of consumer councils and other authorities for the settlement of consum ers' disputes and for matters connected therewith.

StandardizationUnder standardization of products government lays minimum standard for the

products .

• Through standardization of products the government tries to protect the consumers from lack of quality.

• The government of India has established two agencies to check the qualities of products.

• If any consumer is dissatisfied with the quality of a certified product , he/she can complain to the nearest regional office of BIS.

BIS Mark(Bureau of Indian standards)

Bureau Of Indian Standards has the responsibility of laying down the standards for industrial and consumer goods on a scientific basis and certifying the goods that meet the standards and the prescribed quality.

AGMark

It is implemented under the agricultural Produce Act ,1937, as amended in 1986. This scheme is run by the Director of Marketing and intelligency(DMI) in the ministry of agriculture, government of India. Products, such as honey, masala and spices carry such marks.

Duties of a well informed customer

• While purchasing the goods, consumer should look at the quality of the product, the marked price, guarantee or warrantee period.

• Consumer should preferably purchase standardize products which contain seal of ISI or Agmark.

• A consumer should ask for a cash-memo and warrantee card.

• Consumer must be aware of his rights and duties.• He should know the method of how to proceed, if he is

cheated.

Conclusion• A consumer is a integral part of an

economy .It all start from a consumer and end on a consumer.

• Thus, consumer should be given all due respects and should never be exploited.

• Also a consumer must also know all his right and be a aware consumer who can fight for his right and, be cautious on Shopping each time.

Made By

Varinder Jit Mann