Relief to Consumers
After proper hearing of the case, consumer court can pass the order against the opposite party regarding one or more of the following:
a) To remove the defect in goods or deficiency in service.
b) To replace the defective product with a new one, free from any defect.
c) To refund the price paid for the product, or the charges paid for the service.
d) To pay a reasonable amount of compensation for any loss or injury suffered by the consumer, due to the negligence of the opposite party.
e) To pay punitive damages in appropriate circumstances.
f) To discontinue the unfair/ restrictive trade practice and not to repeat it in the future.
g) Not to offer hazardous goods for sale.
h) To withdraw the hazardous goods from sale.
i) To cease manufacture of hazardous goods and to stop from offering hazardous services.
Every order passed by any of the consumer forums at three levels, is deemed final if no appeal for such order is made by any of the parties involved in dispute.
Consumer Responsibilities
A consumer can take the benefit of relief under Consumer Protection Act only if he fulfils following responsibilities, while purchasing, using and consuming, goods and services.
Responsibilities, while purchasing goods and services.
(1) Be aware and make an intelligent choice of goods available in the market.
(2) Buy only standardised goods for quality assurance.
(3) Ask for cash memo for proof of purchase.
(4) Read labels attached or pasted on the product carefully to have complete information about the product.
(5) Behave like a wise consumer to get a fair dealing from the seller.
(6) Be honest and don't go for illegal activities regarding purchase of good and services.
Responsibilities while using and consuming, goods and services.
(7) Learn about the possible risks and strictly follow the instructions of the manufacturer, regarding the use of goods and services.
(8) You must file a complaint in an appropriate consumer forum, in case of exploitation even if the amount involved is small.
(9) Form consumer societies for consumer education and safety of their interests.
(10) Respect the environment and don't waste, and control pollution.
Consumer Protection – Keywords and Brief Notes