Jacob Hembrom
World Consumer Rights Day is an annual International event. It signifies celebration and solidarity in the international consumer movement, demanding that consumer rights are to be respected and protected. The event also gives a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights.
In this materialistic world, the customer is considered as king. All marketing related activities are consumer-centric and revolve around providing the maximum satisfaction to the consumer. After economic liberalization, a myriad of consumer goods and services have flooded the Indian markets.
Oftentimes, the way in which the product is advertised can mislead us easily. Advertisements can be grouped into various categories where the intention of the advertiser is to trap consumers and have an increase in its sale and profits. Many advertisements make use of celebrities as endorsers who have a hold on the masses and have an emotional effect on the minds of the consumers. Many products such as fairness creams, chocolates, cars, mobile phones, durable products are advertised by well known faces, especially sports and Bollywood stars that are able to convince the masses to purchase the products.
As consumers, many a time we fall prey to all claims of high quality, unfair trade practices, fancy packaging, sneaky advertising, spurious goods and many times are unable to make rational judgement. The main idea of consumerism today has widened to include a multitude of group actions concerned with ethical business practices, climate change and environmental considerations over and above already identified issues such as consumer protection laws.
With the rapid development of e-commerce the Indian consumers are purchasing products online is a change in the business paradigm. With the growth of digital technologies consumers also face problems of wrong products being delivered, websites not making refunds, or warranties and guarantees not acknowledged, poor quality products, spurious goods delivered and unfair trade practices. These are some of the new challenges which consumers, in the digital world are facing where voluntary consumer organisations can play an important role in creating awareness amongst consumers, especially senior citizens and rural and semi urban consumers.
‘The enactment of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was considered to be a historic milestone in the consumer rights movement in the country. This act provides for better protection of the interest of consumers and for that purpose makes provisions for the establishment of consumer councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumers’ disputes. The objective of this act is to provide safeguards for the consumers against all means of exploitation like defective goods, unsatisfactory services and unfair trade practices’ (Sources).