Increased liberalization and globalization across the country has enabled customers to realize their important role in the society and state. Because of low literacy in our country, consumers are not aware of their important status in the society. The article will bring into focus on the importance and role of customers in the society and the immediate need to protect these rights. Ensuring consumer welfare is the responsibility of the State. Accepting this fact, policies have been structured. To protect consumer rights Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was introduced. A separate Department of Consumer Affairs was also created in the Central and State Governments to exclusively focus on ensuring the rights of consumers as enshrined in the Act. The Act has been regarded as the most progressive, comprehensive and unique piece of legislation. Our Government has assigned us certain civil liberties and certain Consumer Rights. Government has amended six rights for the customers. The six rights are
- Right to Safety
- Right to Information
- Right to Choice
- Right to be heard
- The Right to Redress
- The right to consumer education
These rights are of utmost importance to us. Under the consumer protection Act, a consumer can make a complaint on issues related to violation of consumer rights. A consumer is a person who buys any goods or hires any service for a price. If these above laws are not legally followed by any consumer or an organization then one can file a consumer complaint. A is a legal way of accomplishing one’s demand. Complaints can be made against unfair trade practices by which complainants suffer loss or damage; goods that suffer from one or more defects and deficient service and even callous or reckless behaviour of any organization or a person concerned. The violation of rights need immediate complains.
Online consumer complaints forum are also available nowadays. Consumer Forum is a platform which enables a person to make complaints and offers solution to a problem. This is an easy way to file one’s complaints. Nowadays no one has time to visit a lawyer and file one’s complaints and even the process is quite expensive as the lawyers will have to be paid heavy dues for their service, but in consumer Forum, you will have to just fill an application citing your complaint. Your complaint will be revised by a group of experts who will provide you guidelines to proceed the matter. Your complaints can be heard and viewed by other customers and infact your experience will help them to make their expenses in a better way.
Consumer Forums facilitate the customers towards making well informed decisions before making expenses. Consumer Forum imparts knowledge to consumers of taking autonomous decisions. Earlier the facilities were not available and so the customers fall prey to the deceptive behaviour of organizations and person concerned. But liberalization and globalization has brought some positive changes in the marketing scenario and even for the welfare of the consumers. The rights and laws need to be thoroughly implemented so that no one is victimized.