Consumer who purchases products or services for their own use is referred to as a consumer. Consumer protection laws forbid deceptive business practices and help those who are harmed by them. The Consumer Protection Act also shields customers from being exploited, tricked, or harassed in any way during their purchases of goods and services. Every nation in the world has rules and regulations pertaining to consumer rights. There is a universal set of safeguarding consumer rules that all nations have come together upon, despite the fact that laws differ from one country to the next. These regulations are meant to guard against consumer fraud on the part of companies.

 

Consumer Rights in India

Consumer law in India is primarily governed by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (CPA), which replaced the earlier Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The CPA aims to protect the rights and interests of consumers and establish mechanisms for their redressal in case of grievances. It provides a comprehensive framework for consumer protection, covering various aspects such as consumer rights, responsibilities, dispute resolution, and remedies.

 

Consumer Rights: The CPA recognizes six fundamental rights of consumers:

 

1. Right to Safety: The right of consumers to be shielded from goods and services that endanger their well-being and security.  This involves making certain that products adhere to safety regulations, are error-free, and do not present unreasonably high hazards.

 

2. Right to Information: The right of consumers to reliable and comprehensive data about goods and services. They must be given information about the cost, caliber, quantity, structure, components, potential hazards, and other aspects of the goods or services they plan to buy.

 

3. Right to Choice: Customers enjoy the right to select from a wide range of goods and services at affordable costs. They ought to be allowed the autonomy to choose in accordance with their personal tastes and requirements, free from unfair business practices or detrimental to competition activities.

 

4. Right to Representation: To guarantee that their interests are protected, consumers have a right to be heard in consumer forums and other pertinent authorities. This enables customers to express their problems in a group setting, take an active role in making decisions, and file complaints.

 

5. Right to Redressal: Consumers are entitled to prompt and efficient solutions for any unethical business practices or flaws in goods and services. To resolve their problems and request reimbursement, credits, or other suitable reliefs, they can submit objections with consumer dispute redressal agencies like district, state, and national consumer commissions.

 

6. Right to Consumer Education: The right of consumers to knowledge about their obligations and rights exists. With information and expertise, consumers are able to make educated decisions, safeguard their needs, and successfully execute their rights. This is where consumer education comes in.

Difficulties faced by India’s Consumers

Most likely, people are aware of the numerous frauds that have recently made news. Additionally, customers need to be concerned about more than just frauds. Consumer protection laws can be broken in a plethora of ways, from defective goods to costly services. Additionally, the laws that are now in place to safeguard consumers are out-of-date. They don't go sufficiently far to safeguard consumers from being exploited. If we aim to ensure that customers are handled properly, these laws urgently need to be revised.

 

Steps to Strengthen Consumer Protection

1. Teaching consumers on their rights can be a good place to start. Many people are unaware that they are entitled to certain privileges, which is a cause for concern.  We must ensure that everyone is informed of their options if they are dissatisfied with a good or service.

 

2. A more efficient procedure for submitting grievances has to be developed. Consumers currently find it difficult to make a complaint, and this requires a change.  People must be able to make complaints through a centralized system, and the procedure should be easy to understand.

 

3. We must uphold the law as it is. Since the government doesn't properly police consumer protection rules, businesses frequently get off with breaking them. Establishing the consumer court via the internet will allow the authorities to be tougher when it relates to upholding the law.

 

4. We must enact new legislation to safeguard consumers. Many of the current regulations are outdated and inadequately shield consumers from business exploitation.  We must enact new rules that better safeguard consumers and are more pertinent to the modern world.

 

5. The penalty for businesses breaking consumer protection regulations needs to be increased. Because the fines are now too low, businesses are encouraged to violate the law.

 

Consumer Court

Consumer complaints, grievances, and disputes are resolved through consumer courts. If a customer feels duped, he or she may file a lawsuit in a consumer court suing a vendor or provider of service. In order to facilitate the method of resolving consumer disputes swiftly, consumer courts were formed in 1986.

 

Claims acceptable in Consumer Court

1. Seller offers for sale flawed items.

 

2. The price that the merchant or provider of service charges is higher than what the parties have mutually agreed upon or than what is indicated in the deal or pricing list.

 

3. Services did not meet recruitment expectations.

 

4. The service operator doesn't adhere to ethical business principles.

 

5. A vendor knows that the products she sells pose a risk to users' lives and security.

 

Redressal Forums

There are three tiers of redressal forums, based on the value of your claim.

 

1. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum: DCDRF is present in every district. If the amount you are claiming is less than one crore, you should file a complaint here. You can submit an appeal to the State Consumer Forum if you disagree with the DCDRF's decision.

 

2. State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: Every state has SCDRC. You can file a complaint here if your claim is worth between one crore and ten crores. You can challenge the SCDRC's decision to the NCDRC.

 

3. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: Delhi is home to NCDRC. You can file a complaint here if your claim is worth more than 10 crores. You can bring an appeal with the Supreme Court if you disagree with the NCDRC's decision.

 

Fees for Filing a Complaint

Given the size of the claim, there are various consumer court fees and expenses.

 

1. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum

- For cases involving claims up to ₹5 lakh claim, you do not have to pay any fee.

- If the claim is from ₹5 Lakh to ₹10 lakh, it is ₹200

- From ₹10 lakhs to ₹20 lakhs-₹400

- From ₹20 lakhs to ₹50 lakhs- ₹1,000

- Above ₹50 lakhs to ₹1 crore- ₹2,000

 

2. State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

- If your claim value is from ₹1 crore to ₹2 crores, you have to pay a fee of ₹2,500.

- If the claim is from ₹2 crores to 4 crores, the fee is ₹3000

- From ₹4 crores to ₹6 crores-₹4,000

- From ₹6 crores to ₹8 crores- ₹5,000

- Above ₹8 crores to ₹10 crores- ₹6,000

 

3. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

- If your claim value is above ₹10 crores, you have to pay a fee of ₹7,500.

 

You must pay the consumer court costs when you file your grievance. The President of the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum must be the recipient of a properly crossed demand draft from a nationalized bank for the sum to be paid.

 

Steps For Filing a Complaint with the Consumer Court

A complaint may be filed in person. You have two options: hire a consumer lawyer or consumer advocate to represent you, or file an internet complaint. Within two years of receiving goods or services from the party, file a complaint.

1. You have to give the party a consumer notice in the appropriate manner via certified mail.  It ought to include the complaints' justifications. Within a certain timeframe, it permits the resolution of complaints outside of the consumer forum. You will file a case in the consumer court if the other party does not comply with this requirement.

 

2. Consumer file an official complaint in the consumer court if the other party ignores the notification.

 

This information should be included in the complaint.

• Names and addresses of the complaint and the opposing party
• Arguments and details with time and date
• Specifics of any relief or compensation you've requested

• Validation and confirmation by you or your designated legal counsel (consumer rights lawyer, consumer advocate, etc.)

• Include any supporting documentation and proof

• If the goods were ordered online, the proof of booking, a duplicate of the invoice, and the shipping receipt.
• A copy of the notification issued with a delivery confirmation to the party
• An affidavit affirming that, to your understanding, the data and claims mentioned are accurate.

 

3. Select the forum based on the value of your claim

 

4. Use a demand draft to pay the court charge

Both the parties must make a statutory deposit of $25,000 or 50% of the award, whichever is smaller, when bringing a claim in a state court. Following the conclusion of the hearing, the consumer forum restores this deposit. In the district or national consumer forum, you are not required to make such a deposit.

 

Online Complaint Procedure for Consumer Court

The procedures for filing a lawsuit in a consumer court are as follows:

- To file a complaint, visit the official website.

- As prompted, enter personal information.

- Establish your username and password after registering.

- Online suggestion and complaint submission.

- Choose the sort of service provider or business that sells services or products.

- Describe the pertinent information, supporting documentation, and any problems with the delivered goods or services.

- Once the form is submitted, the complaint has been handled.

 

Client Filing a Complaint

If the following criteria are satisfied, customers, descendants, representatives, or non-profit consumer organizations may file an official complaint:

 

- A grievance requires sufficient legal authority  to be filed, that is, be sound, financially viable, and important, in order to be acceptable.

- The statute of limitations of two years from the date of the cause of action has not yet run out.

 

If you fall under the category of "Consumer," you must specify the basis upon which you can file a "Complaint." Any written allegation made by the complainant is referred to as a "complaint" in this context.

 

Issues Affecting Customers Mostly

We buy products and services on a regular basis. We rely on businesses and organizations to live peacefully in the contemporary world, so we pay them with our hard-earned dollars for all things from basic necessities including groceries and clothing to facilities like finance and schooling. 

 

But occasionally, businesses might be unable to provide high-quality services or products. The existence of legislation and a consumer court to safeguard consumers in these situations is widely known.

 

Here are some examples:-

 

Credits Cards

Problems with accounts and invoicing, unexpected hikes in interest rates, late fees, and overcharging were some of the complaints. The category's low ranking on the list is the sole unexpected factor. In the past, one of the top three complaints had been related to credit cards. Recent legislative legislation that limits credit card firms' ability to charge high fees and rates of interest may benefit the corporation.

 

Internet based bidding

The issues raised included incomplete or delayed delivery of the products, goods of lesser value than stated, and failing to give all relevant information regarding the item in question or the conditions of the transaction. This is regarded as a "Craigslist or eBay scam".

 

Fraud using imposters

Conmen impersonate government officials or the victims' family to lure victims into participating in a lottery fraud overseas.

 

Mobile Phone Services and Telecommunications

Among the issues raised by customers were the cost of calls to toll-free lines, unauthorized service switching (slamming), and deceptive marketing for prepaid phone cards. We believe there will be a lot more grievances regarding exorbitant cancellation costs, which are unhappily legal, even though the FTC doesn't take them into account.

 

Web-Related Services

Trial offers, account troubles, hidden costs, spyware, adware, malware, and social media platforms are just a few of the challenges that Internet service providers (ISPs) face. We believe that the biggest issue for clients dealing with online enterprises is the dearth of physical locations where they may lodge a complaint.

Debt Recovery

Collection agencies have been accused of engaging in an assortment of unethical and illegal actions, including making repeated contacts, exaggerating a debt's amount or status, neglecting to give the proper notice, and even using foul language.

 

Kicking somebody who is down is harsh and, in many situations, against the law. If you're getting harassed, find out about the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and make use of it as a reference the next time someone phones you. You'll get better sleep, overall.