ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW

This Protection Act covers all goods and services of all public, private, or cooperative sectors, except those exempted by the central government. The act provides a platform for a consumer where they can file their complaint, and the forum takes action against the concerned supplier and compensation is granted to the consumer for the hassle he/she has encountered.

Statement of Objects and Reasons

1. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 seeks to provide for better protection of the interests of consumers and for the purpose, to make provision for the establishment of Consumer councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumer disputes and for matter connected therewith.
2. It seeks, inter alia, to promote and protect the rights of consumers such as:

(a) The right to be protected against marketing of goods which are hazardous to life and property:

(b) The right to be informed about the quality quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices;

(c) The right to be assured, wherever possible, access to an authority of goods at competitive prices;

(d) The right to be heard and to be assured that consumers interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums:

(e) The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers; and

(f) Right to consumer education.

3. These objects are sought to be promoted and protected by the Consumer Protection Council to be established at the Central and State level.
4. To provide speedy and simple redressal to consumer disputes, a quasi-judicial machinery is sought to be set up at the district, State and Central levels. These quasi-judicial bodies will observe the principles of natural justice and have been empowered to give relief of a specific nature and to award, wherever appropriate, compensation to consumers. Penalties for non-compliance of the orders given by the quasi-judicial bodies have also been provided.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, the customer can raise a complaint in writing if:

• Adoption of any unfair trade practise or a restrictive trade practice by any trader or service provider;
• The goods bought by him or agreed to be bought by him suffer from one or more defects;
• The services hired or availed of or agreed to be hired or availed of by him suffer from a deficiency in any respect;
• Trader or the service provider, as the case may be, has charged for the goods or for the services mentioned in the complaint, a price in excess of the price:
  • Fixed by or under any law for the time being in force;
  • Displayed on the goods or any package containing such goods;
  • Displayed on the price list exhibited by him by or under any law for the time being in force;
  • Agreed between the parties;
• Offering goods for sale to the public which will be hazardous to life and safety when used.
• Offering services which will be hazardous to life and safety of the public when used.