Consumer is king! How far does this line stand true today? No matter what you go and buy from the store next door or from a mall, shopkeepers have their own tricks to lure consumers and make them pay more money for products that are not a priority. You get cheated at times, and are also refused to take back products or exchange them. So, what do you do in these conditions? Sitting aback and not raising a voice for such injustice will not help you get your rights. Instead, if you are aware of all your consumer rights, you can protest against the shopkeepers and get back your money.

But, with the increasing complexity in production, distributions and marketing of products, a consumer gets confused where to complain for their injustice. In order to help the consumers, the Consumer Protection Act (1986) was amended in the year 2002 with several other inclusions and is known as the consumer Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002. According to the act, consumers are given protection against cheaters and also the power to fight against it. Here is a brief about all the titles in the Consumer Right Act.

• Right To Safety
• Right to be Informed
• Right to Choose
• Right to be Heard
• Right to Redressal
• Right to Consumer Education

Right To Safety

Consumer has the right of being protected against all types of hazardous products that can endanger life or health. The products packaged and sold should meet with their needs and long term interests. While purchasing products from stores, consumers should insist on buying items that provide guaranteed and quality results. Prefer buying products with AGMARK or ISI marks.

Right to be Informed

Consumers have the rights of being fully informed about the purity, quality, standard, potency and price of all the goods available in the shop. This will allow them to stay away from cheaters and being tricked for unfair trade. If you are not aware of a particular product, ask the shopkeeper or attendant to guide you. This will help you buy only the best quality products at the best rates.

Right to Choose

Choose the best product from a wide variety available. This assures a consumer that you are buying the best items at good reasonable rates. When you have a choice, you compare the products for their ingredients, price and effect. This helps you know whether you are paying the right amount for the products or not.

Right to be Heard

Get your suggestions, preferences and complaints heard by knowing the right places. Take help of consumer forums that are designed to help consumers with their problems. You can form non-political and non-commercial groups that can be given authority by government for the welfare of consumers.

Right to Seek Redressal

According to this right, consumers have the right to ask for redressal during an unfair trade or immoral exploitation. The right also includes fair settlement when the consumer files a complaint against genuine issues. Sometimes, the complaint may be very small, but it may have a huge impact in the society.

Right to Consumer Education

This right allows consumers to educate themselves about the products, the consumer rights and also about consumer exploitation. You should know about every single consumer right and how they can be exercised.

So, now that you are aware about all the Consumer Rights, make sure you exercise them and make the phrase “Consumer is King” come true.