Consumer rights and responsibilities

The essentials

Consumers have rights that protect them from unfair practices, and they also have responsibilities that help them get the full benefit of these rights. An aware, responsible consumer is the best safeguard against exploitation.

Key points

• Right to safety: protection against goods and services that are hazardous to life and health, such as substandard electrical appliances.
• Right to be informed: complete information about the product, such as ingredients, date of manufacture, expiry date, price and directions for use.
• Right to choose: freedom to choose from a variety of products at competitive prices.
• Right to be heard: the right to file a complaint and have it considered.
• Right to seek redressal: the right to get relief, such as replacement, refund or compensation, when there is a genuine complaint.
• Right to consumer education: the right to acquire knowledge to be an informed consumer.
• Responsibilities: be aware of the goods and services available; buy only standardised goods, such as those with the ISI mark on electrical goods, the FPO mark on food products, the Agmark on agricultural products and the Hallmark on jewellery; learn about the risks of products and follow instructions; read labels carefully; insist on a cash memo; be honest and choose only legal goods; file complaints for genuine grievances; form consumer societies; and respect the environment.

Exam tips

• A consumer complaining that a packet did not show the expiry date is using the right to be informed.
• The cash memo is important evidence for filing a complaint.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the right to be heard (to be listened to) with the right to seek redressal (to get a remedy).
• Mixing up quality marks: ISI for industrial and electrical goods, FPO for food products, Agmark for agricultural products and Hallmark for gold jewellery.