Consumer Awareness

Definition Consumer awareness is making the consumer aware of His/Her rights. Consumer awareness it a marketing term. It means that  consumers note or are aware of  Ã‚  products or services, its characteristics and the other marketing P's (place  to buy, price,and promotion). Usually commercials and ads increase consumer awareness, as well  as â€Å"word of mouth†(a comment from someone you know about a product or service). 1 Need : we need it so we  will not be misled by producers,it explains if what we  buy is worth toour money.. nd not harmful to us and to environment . Many people are ignorant of  their rights to get protected against the exploitation by somany others. So when there is a  forum for such redress of grievances there seems to beno such exploitation by many; and becomes a rare one. So in order to get a clear pictureof the level of exploitation of  consumers, the awareness is required.2. Role of producers proper labeling, full information, hea lth warnings, handling information, expiration date,etc. eep to requirements, norms, standards label  products according requirements,  providing true facts They have to produce  and deliver the goods/services of right qualityat right price at right time at right place  at right quantity with right faceIf they are providing a service they should carry it out with due skill and care. They mustalso make sure that any materials they provide as part of this service are fit for the purpose. It is also illegal for a supplier to cut off, or threaten to cut off, supply to areseller (wholesale or retail) because they have been  discounting goods or advertisingdiscounts below prices set  by the supplier.Some of the common methods of exploitation are 1. Under weight and under  measurements –not measured or weighed correctly2. Substandard Quality  Ã¢â‚¬â€œdefective home  appliances and medicines beyond expirydate3. High prices—charging above the retail price4. Du plicate  Articles—selling fake items in the name of the original5. Adulteration and Impurity—is done  to get  higher  profits6. Lack of safety  Devices—absence of inbuilt  safe guards in appliances7. Artificial  Scarcity—hoarding and black  marketing8. False and  Incomplete Information—misleading information on quality, durability,and safety. . Unsatisfactory after sales Service—high cost items like electronics and carsrequire constant and regular service. 10. Rough behavior and Undue conditions—harassment in getting LPG connection or  a telephone connection.. Factors causing exploitation of Consumers. 1. Limited Information—providing full and correct information will help in thechoice2. Limited Supplies—when goods and services are in short supply then price shootsup3. Limited Competition. —single producer may manipulate the market in terms of  Ã‚  price and stocks. 4. Low Literacy. —i lliteracy leads to exploitation.Hence Consumer Awareness isessential. Rise  of  consumer Awareness Kautilya was one of the earliest to write in  his Arthashastra about the need for Consumer  awareness and protection. With the growth of private sector there is a greater need  for  discipline and regulation of the market. Consumers must be aware of the sale and  purchase of goods, the health and security aspects also. Ensuring the safety of food itemssold in the market is essential these days. Legal measures for consumer safety and consumer awareness must be uniform, andtransparent in terms of prices, quality of goods, and  stocks.Consumers must have thetools to combat malpractices and protect their rights. Rights and Duties of Consumers As codified under the Indian Laws the  Consumers have the following Rights 1. Right  to  Safety—to  protect against  hazardous goods2. Right  to be  Informed—about price,  quality, purity3. Right to Choose —access to a variety  of goods and services at competitive prices. 4. Right to be Heard—consumers interest and welfare  must be taken care of  5. Right to seek Redressal—protection against unfair trade practicesand settlinggenuine grievances. 6. Right to Consumer Education. Kowledge about goods  and issues related toconsumers. Duties 1. Get a bill  for every important purchase and also the  Warranty card2. Check the ISI mark or  Agmark on the goods3. Form  consumer awareness groups4. Make a complaint on genuine grievances. 5. Consumers must know to exercise their rights. Consumer protection Measure 1. Legislation concerning Consumer Rights. The Consumer Protection Act 1986 provides for consumer disputes redressal at the stateand national level. With the help of this law the agencies  can solve grievances in aspeedy, simple  and inexpensive  manner.A separate department of  consumer affairs wasset up at the state and  central government. A  three tier system of consumer courts at the  National, State and District levels were set up. These agencies have done good work byhandling lakhs of cases. 2. Public Distribution System .To protect the poor from price  rise and black marketing the government  food security tothe poor by supplying essentials through the ration or Fair price shops. 3. Standardisation of Products .These are done to assure the  quality of products.The ISI stamp on goods is placed  by theBureau of Indian standards. This caters to industrial and consumer goods. These goodscan be  trusted to confirm to  specific standards. Agmark is meant for Agricultural  products. At the International level the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) locatedin Geneva sets common standards. The FAO and WHO provide food standards. 4. Legal formalities for filing a complaint .The complaint can be  written on plain paper. The supporting documents like the warrantycard must be  attached. A lawyer is not required. We can argue our case