case study on consumer awareness in india

Top 10 Case Study on Consumer Rights

We know consumer laws and courts exist, but only by reading through some case law can you understand how you as a consumer can exercise your rights!

Table of Contents

On an everyday basis, we purchase products and services. From our basic necessities like food and clothing to services like banking and education, we are dependent on companies and organisations to live comfortably in the present day, and we give them our hard-earned money in return. But sometimes, companies might fail to provide quality services or products. Many know there exist consumer courts and laws that protect consumers from consumer exploitation . But have you ever wondered who goes to these courts and what types of cases are filed? You would be surprised to know how basic these cases can be. So, here are 10 interesting case study on consumer rights curated for you.

Top 10 Case Studies on Consumer Rights

1. banks can’t always escape using ‘technical difficulties’.

We have come to rely on banks so much. A recent case study on consumer rights highlighted the need for stronger regulations. More than ever, most of our transactions are digital and heavily reliant on banks for these. Have you ever had your transaction fail due to the server being down or other errors?

Dipika Pallikal, a squash champion and Arjuna awardee found herself in an awkward situation when she used her Axis Bank Debit Card in a hotel at Netherlands’ Rotterdam failed. She had had 10 times the bill amount in her account at that time. Due to this, she faced a loss of reputation and humiliation. The bank said the incident was a case of ‘ Force Majeure’ (an act of god/ something beyond control)

Apart from that, the bank had also returned a cheque of ₹1 lakh issued to her by the government of India and blamed it on a technical error.

Dipika moved the consumer court in Chennai against Axis Bank

Court Decision

The court found that there was a deficiency of service on the part of Axis Bank and directed the bank to pay a compensation of ₹5 lakh and ₹5000 as expenses.

Key Takeaway

Banks are like any other service provider. We trust them with our money and they must perform the services we were promised. They cannot hide behind ‘technical difficulties’ or ‘ force majeure ’ and let customers suffer for it.

2. You Don’t Have to Be a Celebrity to Win a Consumer Case

A humble tea vendor, Rajesh Sakre, is an example of this. He had ₹20,000 in his State Bank of India account and had withdrawn ₹10,800. On his next visit to the ATM, however, he realized all his money was gone. When he asked the bank authorities they blamed it on him. 

So, he went to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum with his grievance. He couldn’t afford a lawyer and he argued the case himself. This case study on consumer awareness presents insights into how consumers are becoming more vigilant.

The forum ruled in his favor and ordered the State Bank of India to return the ₹9,200 with 6% interest, pay ₹10,000 as compensation for mental anguish caused by the issue, and ₹2,000 for legal expenses.

It doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you have a valid case you can approach the Consumer Cases Forum. And even big companies and government entities like the State Bank of India can be made to answer for their mistakes.

3. Not All Free Items Are Welcome

Imagine you bought a bottle of Pepsi and found a packet of gutka floating in it! It happened to Rajesh Rajan from Ahmedabad when he bought Pepsi from a local store. He sent a legal notice to the company immediately and approached a Consumer Cases Dispute Redressal Forum. Every case study on consumer complaints tells a unique story of a consumer’s journey towards justice.

Moreover, he claimed that there was a deficiency in service that could have caused a health hazard to him. He demanded compensation of ₹5 lakh for the same.

The consumer forum passed an order in favor of Rajesh Rajan and directed the company to pay a total of ₹4008 (₹4000 for compensation and ₹8 for the Pepsi he purchased).

Rajesh moved the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, asking for higher compensation as ₹4008 was too low and he had spent ₹500 on sample testing itself. The State Commission passed an order asking the company to pay ₹20,000 as compensation and ₹2000 towards costs as it found Rajesh’s argument reasonable.

Free items are not all welcome! It is a deficiency in service on the part of the provider if you find anything in your food (packaged or otherwise) that isn’t supposed to be there. The Consumer Cases Forums are a good place to take them.

4. Paying More Than the MRP? You Shouldn’t.

It has become common to charge more than the maximum retail price (MRP) for packaged goods. Especially in places like theatres, food courts, railway stations, etc, we see this happen a lot and mostly ignore it. Among the prominent consumer cases last year, the MRP case stood out for its complexity

Mr Kondaiah from Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, didn’t ignore it when he noticed that Sarvi Food Court charged him ₹40 for a water bottle where the MRP was ₹20. He filed a case against them in the District Consumer cases Disputes Redressal Forum for ‘unfair trade practice’. He supported his claim by producing the bill. The MRP case study on consumer rights brought to light some gaps in the existing regulations.

The court decided in favour of Mr Kondaiah and said that a practice is not justified just because it is widely common. Mr Kondaiah was awarded a compensation of ₹20,000, ₹20 (the extra money charged) and ₹5,000 in costs. 

No authority has the power to charge above the MRP for any packaged goods. It doesn’t matter where it is sold, you are not required to pay a rupee above the MRP.

5. No MRP at All on the Product?

Baglekar Akash Kumar, a 19-year-old got a book and ₹12,500 because of the book. How? He purchased the book online and when it was delivered, he noticed that there was no MRP mentioned in it. He browsed the internet and saw that the book was sold at different prices in different places.

So, he went to the consumer cases forum and filed a case against Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd and the paper company.

The court held that not publishing MRP on the product without a valid reason is an ‘unfair trade practice’. MRP exists to ensure that a consumer is not overcharged for the product. So, it is mandatory for companies to print MRP.

The publishers were asked to print the retail price of the book and Akash was awarded ₹10,000 as compensation and ₹2,500 as costs.

It is required under law for companies to put MRP on every product. If you see a product without MRP, then it is a violation of Consumer Cases Protection Laws and you can take them to court. 

6. Medical Services Fall Within the Scope of the CPA

Do medical services fall under CPA? When there was a little confusion in this regard, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) decided to get this question resolved once and for all. The CPA case study on consumer rights brought to light some gaps in the existing regulations. The Medical Services case study on consumer complaints became a landmark case in consumer rights advocacy.

IMA approached the Supreme Court, asking them to declare that medical services are out of the scope of the CPA. They gave the following arguments to support their claim:

• Medical professionals are governed by their own code of ethics made by the Medical Council of India. 
• In the medical profession, it is hard to guarantee the end result of treatments. Many external factors which are out of the control of the professional can impact the outcome. So, allowing consumer claims will cause people to file a case whenever a treatment doesn’t work out.
• There are no medical science experts in the consumer complaints online.
• Medical service provided by government hospitals will not fall under the Act especially when the service is provided for free. 

These were decent points. After consideration, the court settled the claims in the following manner.

Medical services provided by any professional (private or government) will be covered by CPA. This means  people can file a case in a Consumer Court if the service provided is not in confirmation with the Act.

• Doctors and hospitals who treat patients for free cannot be sued by a person who availed their services for free. 
• In a government hospital, where services are provided free of charge – the Consumer Protection Act India would not apply.

Apart from these two exceptions, the Act will apply when a person gets treated in government hospitals for free, when a poor person gets treated for free, and when insurance money is used for treatment.

7. Tired of the False Claims Made by Skin and Hair Care Products Yet?

Maybe you are not tired yet or you are too tired to question. However, a 67-year-old man from Kerala’s remotest areas was tired of these consistent lies and how companies got away with them.

In 2015, K Chaathu complained against Indulekha (beauty product manufacturers) and Mammootty (an actor who was the brand ambassador of the company) for putting up misleading ads. The tagline of the soap was ‘soundaryam ningale thedi varum’ which meant ‘beauty will come in search of you. The ads also claimed that people using the soap would become ‘fair’ and ‘beautiful’ but the 67-year-old didn’t become fair or beautiful.

Funny, right?

Compensation Paid

Indulekha paid him ₹30,000 in an out of court settlement while the initial claim of Chaathu was ₹50,000. When he was asked about this, he said that this case was never about the money but about how these companies put up advertisements every day with false claims. And it is not okay to let these people get away with it.

Key Takeaways

Advertisements are made to sell the products, so exaggeration of results is too common. But this doesn’t make it okay to make false claims just for the sake of selling the products. Making false claims in violation of the CTA.

8. Homebuyers Are Consumers

Imagine you decide to buy a house (a dream come true for many). You do a lot of research, pool your hard-earned money, and pay a real estate developer to build the house for you. They promise to deliver within 42 months but 4 years later they haven’t even started construction. 

This is what happened to two people and they decided to move the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) for it. The Homebuyer’s case study on consumer rights was instrumental in changing local regulations.

NCDRC decided in favour of the homebuyers and asked the real estate developer to refund the money with a simple interest of 9% per annum. They were also awarded a compensation of ₹50,000 each.

The real estate developer challenged this in the Supreme Court, saying that the issue is covered under another Act (Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act) and therefore cannot be taken in a consumer court. But the Supreme Court denied their argument saying that as long as the other Act explicitly stops people from getting remedy under other laws, they will be allowed to do so.

Our laws are in such a way that even though there are other remedies available, in most cases where you are a buyer of a product or a service, you will have protection under the Consumer Protection Act. 

9. Insurance Claims Cannot be Rejected on Mere Technicalities

We pay the premium and get insurance to protect us from losses we can’t foresee. Sadly, many people have had bad experiences with the insurance company. Om Prakash, for example, had his truck stolen and claimed insurance for the same. The truck was stolen on 23.03.2010, the FIR was filed on 24.03.2010, and the insurance claim was filed on 31.03.2010. 

The insurance investigator was sent and he confirmed that the claim was genuine. The claim was approved for the amount of ₹7,85,000/-. But the amount was never given to Om Prakash. With the rise in consumer court cases , companies are now more cautious about their policies and practices. When he sent the insurance company a legal notice for the same, they replied saying that there was a breach of terms and conditions: 

“immediate information to the Insurer about the loss/theft of the vehicle”

Om Prakash was late to apply for insurance because he was held up by the police to try and recover his vehicle.

While the consumer courts didn’t allow his case, the Supreme Court allowed his appeal and held in favour of him. It was ruled that insurance companies cannot escape from paying the claimants on technical grounds. Especially when the claimant has valid reasons for it.

The Court directed the Respondent company to pay a sum of ₹8,35,000/- to the Appellant along with interest @ 8% per annum. He was also awarded ₹50,000 as compensation.

Over the years, many judgments have been made to ensure that insurance companies are accountable and do not escape from paying valid claims. If you experience a similar situation with your insurance provided, you can approach the consumer court.  

10. iPhone 5S Gold for ₹68 + ₹10,000

Let’s close the list with a fun one! How would it be to get an iPhone at just ₹68? In 2014, Nikhil Bansal (a student) saw this unbelievable offer on Snapdeal (a discount of ₹46,651) and ordered it immediately as any sane person would. He received an order confirmation but later he was told that the order was canceled. They claimed that the offer itself was a technical glitch. “The iPhone case study on consumer complaint showcased the challenges consumers face even in today’s digital age.

When he approached the e-commerce consumer complaints India Forum, he claimed that these kinds of offers were misleading people and it was the duty of Snapdeal to honour the order. The forum ruled in his favor and asked Snapdeal to deliver him the iPhone for ₹68 and asked him to pay a compensation of ₹2,000.

When Snapdeal appealed this order, the compensation was raised to ₹10,000! 

Key Takeaway – Case Study on Consumer Rights

E-commerce stores are just as answerable as any other shop owner under the Consumer Protection Act. So if you face any issues like this with them, consider taking it to the consumer court. Through each case study on consumer rights, we can learn more about our rights and responsibilities

Consumer forums exist to protect consumers from consumer exploitation and ensure that we are not cheated by the companies we pay for getting products or services. Knowing your rights is the first step towards becoming a conscious consumer. 

Don’t hesitate to approach the consumer court if you have a valid claim of consumer exploitation . Even if it is for an ₹ 8 product like Pepsi, a valid claim should be taken to the forum.

What is the Consumer Protection Act?

The Consumer Protection Act is a law that safeguards the interests of consumers against unfair trade practices and ensures their rights to quality goods and services.

When was the Consumer Protection Act passed?

The Consumer Protection Act was passed in 1986 and later updated with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Who is a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act?

A consumer is any individual who purchases goods or services for personal use, not for manufacturing or resale.

Who can file a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act?

A complaint can be filed by a consumer, any recognized consumer association, or the Central or State Government on behalf of a consumer.

What is a consumer rights case study?

A consumer rights case study involves analyzing a real-life scenario where a consumer faced issues with a product or service and sought legal resolution under consumer protection laws.

What are consumer cases in India?

Consumer cases in India refer to legal disputes brought by consumers against businesses for grievances related to defective goods, poor services, or unfair trade practices.

What are some examples of consumer rights?

Examples of consumer rights include the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be heard, and the right to redressal.

What is the consumer rights class 10 project?

The consumer rights class 10 project typically involves students researching and presenting on the various rights of consumers and how they are protected under the law.

Who is a consumer class 10 SST project?

In the class 10 Social Science (SST) project, a consumer is defined as an individual who purchases goods or services for personal use and is protected under consumer laws.

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The Top 10 Consumer Court cases and Trails in India – Complete List

Buying goods and services is an inevitable part of our daily lives and problems might occur from the vendors who deliver these goods and services. Below are the top 10 consumer court cases curated for the readers:

Top 10 Consumer Court Cases and Trials in India

1. Dipika Pallikal , a squash champion, and an Arjuna awardee found used her Axis Bank Debit Card in a hotel at Netherlands’ Rotterdam which failed. She had 10 times the bill amount in her account at that time. The bank said the incident was a case of ‘Force Majeure’ (an act of God/ something beyond the control) and returned a cheque of ₹1 lakh issued to her by the government of. Dipika approached the consumer court in Chennai against Axis Bank

Court judgment:

The court found that there was a deficiency of service on the part of the Axis Bank and directed the bank to pay a compensation of ₹5 lakh and ₹5000 as expenses.

2. Poonam Verma v Ashwin Patel & Ors: In this case, the respondent who is a homeopathic doctor, prescribed allopathic medicines for the treatment of a patient who did not respond to the medicine well and subsequently died. Based on the fact that the respondent was qualified and registered to practice under Homeopathy only,

It was found to be in violation of the statutory duty not to practice Allopathy under section 15(3) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Respondent’s act was held to be actionable negligence was ordered to pay a compensation of three lakhs.

3. A tea vendor, Rajesh Sakre , is an example of this who had ₹20,000 in his State Bank of India account and he withdrew ₹10,800. On his next visit to the ATM, he realized all his money was gone. When he asked the bank authorities they blamed it on him for the fault.

So, he went to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum with his grievance and as he couldn’t afford a lawyer he argued the case himself.

Court Judgement:

The forum ruled in his favor and ordered the State Bank of India to return the ₹9,200 with 6% interest also to pay ₹10,000 as compensation for mental anguish and ₹2,000 for the legal expenses.

4. Baglekar Akash Kumar who was a 19-year-old got a book online and when it was delivered, he noticed that there was no MRP printed on it. He browsed the internet and saw that the book was sold at different prices at different places after which he went to the consumer forum and filed a case against Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd and the paper company.

The court held non-publishing MRP on the product without a valid reason is ‘unfair trade practice’. MRP ensures that a consumer is not overcharged for the product. So, it is mandatory for companies to print MRP and the publishers were asked to print the retail price on the book Akash was awarded ₹10,000 as compensation and ₹2,500 as costs.

In any consumer court case, the bills and similar legal paperwork are the most powerful and useful weapons for lawsuits. This is why it’s important that you keep hold of the bills carefully. For this you can ask for our agents’ help who are experts in preparing, managing, and overtaking legal paperwork. At DailyFiling, we have consultants who are experienced with all sorts of lawsuits like income tax consultants , GST consultants , company registration agents, and more.

5. Mr. Kondaiah from Andhra Pradesh noticed that Sarvi Food Court charged him ₹40 for a water bottle where the MRP was actually ₹20. He filed his case against them in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum for ‘unfair trade practice’. He supported his claim by producing the bill of the bottle.

The court decided in favor of Mr. Kondaiah and said that the practice is unjustified and Mr. Kondaiah was paid a compensation of ₹20,000, ₹20, and ₹5,000 for the costs.

6. Rajesh Rajan from Ahmedabad bought a Pepsi from a local store and found a gutka floating in it. He sent a legal notice to the Pepsi company immediately and approached a Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum and demanded compensation of ₹5 lakh for the same.

Court Decision

The consumer forum passed an order in favor of Rajesh Rajan and directed the company to pay a total of ₹4008 which on being low was later paid ₹20,000 as compensation and ₹2000 towards costs.

7. In the year 2015, K Chaathu complained against Indulekha (beauty product manufacturers) and Mammootty (an actor who was the brand ambassador of the company) for displaying misleading ads. The ads claimed that people using the soap will become ‘fair’ and ‘beautiful but the 67-year-old didn’t become fair or beautiful.

Indulekha paid Chaathu ₹30,000 in an out-of-the-court settlement while the initial claim of Chaathu was ₹50,000.

8. A person bought a house after researching and pooling hard-earned money and paid to the developer who promised to deliver within 42 months but even after 4 years the construction wasn’t started. So the two people decided to move the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) for it.

The real estate developer was asked to refund the money with a simple interest of 9% per annum. They were awarded a compensation of ₹50,000 each.

You might also read “ How to have a mutual divorce in India ?”

9. 10 iPhone 5S Gold for ₹68 + ₹10,000 LIn 2014, Nikhil Bansal (a student) saw this unbelievable offer on the Snapdeal on iPhone which was quoted for Rs68000 (a discount of ₹46,651) and ordered it immediately. Upon receiving an order confirmation later the order was canceled stating it to be a technical glitch.

The court ruled in his favor and asked Snapdeal to deliver him the iPhone for ₹68 and asked to pay a compensation of ₹2,000 and when Snapdeal appealed this order, the compensation got raised to ₹10,000.

10. Om Prakash’s truck was stolen , and he filed a claim for compensation. The truck was taken on March 23, 2010, the police report was submitted on March 24, 2010, and the insurance claim was filed on March 31, 2010.

The insurance investigator was dispatched to verify the authenticity. The claim for Rs. 7,85,000/- was approved, however the money was never provided to Om Prakash. When he inquired about it, the insurance company responded that there had been a breach of terms and conditions:

“immediate notification of the vehicle’s loss or theft to the insurer”

While the consumer courts rejected his claim, the Supreme Court ruled in his favour. It was decided that insurance companies cannot avoid paying claimants if they have a valid justification for doing so, and the company was ordered to pay the Appellant a payment of Rs. 8,35,000/- plus interest at 8% per annum, as well as a compensation of Rs. 50,000.

These were a few cases to educate us to get rid away of the hesitation of approaching the court for a wrongful act and avail for our right as informed consumers.

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E-Commerce and Consumer Protection in India: The Emerging Trend

• Original Paper
• Published: 09 July 2021
• Volume 180 , pages 581–604, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

• Neelam Chawla   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2161-1102 1 &
• Basanta Kumar   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3339-7481 2  

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Given the rapid growth and emerging trend of e-commerce have changed consumer preferences to buy online, this study analyzes the current Indian legal framework that protects online consumers ’  interests. A thorough analysis of the two newly enacted laws, i.e., the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 and literature review support analysis of 290 online consumers answering the research questions and achieving research objectives. The significant findings are that a secure and reliable system is essential for e-business firms to work successfully; cash on delivery is the priority option for online shopping; website information and effective customer care services build a customer's trust. The new regulations are arguably strong enough to protect and safeguard online consumers' rights and boost India’s e-commerce growth. Besides factors such as s ecurity, privacy, warranty, customer service, and website information, laws governing  consumer rights protection in e-commerce influence customers’ trust. Growing e-commerce looks promising with a robust legal framework and consumer protection measures. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on e-commerce and consumer rights protection by elucidating the key factors that affect customer trust and loyalty and offering an informative perspective on e-consumer protection in the Indian context with broader implications.

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Study Background

The study context, which discusses two key aspects, namely the rationale for consumer protection in e-commerce and its growth, is presented hereunder:

The Rationale for Consumer Protection in E-commerce

Consumer protection is a burning issue in e-commerce throughout the globe. E-Commerce refers to a mechanism that mediates transactions to sell goods and services through electronic exchange. E-commerce increases productivity and widens choice through cost savings, competitiveness and a better production process organisation Footnote 1 (Vancauteren et al., 2011 ). According to the guidelines-1999 of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), e-commerce is online business activities-both communications, including advertising and marketing, and transactions comprising ordering, invoicing and payments (OECD, 2000 ). OCED-1999 guidelines recognised, among others, three essential dimensions of consumer protection in e-commerce. All consumers need to have access to e-commerce. Second, to build consumer trust/confidence in e-commerce, the continued development of transparent and effective consumer protection mechanisms is required to check fraudulent, misleading, and unfair practices online. Third, all stakeholders-government, businesses, consumers, and their representatives- must pay close attention to creating effective redress systems. These guidelines are primarily for cross-border transactions (OECD, 2000 ).

Considering the technological advances, internet penetration, massive use of smartphones and social media penetration led e-commerce growth, the OECD revised its 1999 recommendations for consumer protection in 2016. The 2016-guidelines aim to address the growing challenges of e-consumers’ protection by stimulating innovation and competition, including non-monetary transactions, digital content products, consumers-to-consumers (C2C) transactions, mobile devices, privacy and security risks, payment protection and product safety. Furthermore, it emphasises the importance of consumer protection authorities in ensuring their ability to protect e-commerce consumers and cooperate in cross-border matters (OECD, 2016 ). The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its notes-2017, also recognises similar consumer protection challenges in e-commerce. The notes look into policy measures covering relevant laws and their enforcement, consumer education, fair business practices and international cooperation to build consumer trust (UNCTAD, 2017 ).

E-commerce takes either the domestic (intra-border) route or cross-border (International) transactions. Invariably, six e-commerce models, i.e. Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Business-to-Business (B2B), Consumer-to-Business (C2B), Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C), Business-to-Administration (B2A) and Consumer-to-Administration (C2A) operate across countries (UNESAP and ADB, 2019 ; Kumar & Chandrasekar, 2016 ). Irrespective of the model, the consumer is the King in the marketplace and needs to protect his interest. However, the focus of this paper is the major e-commerce activities covering B2B and B2C.

The OECD and UNCTAD are two global consumer protection agencies that promote healthy and competitive international trade. Founded in 1960, Consumer International Footnote 2 (CI) is a group of around 250 consumer organisations in over 100 countries representing and defending consumer rights in international policy forums and the global marketplace. The other leading international agencies promoting healthy competition in national and international trade are European Consumer Cooperation Network, ECC-Net (European Consumer Center Network), APEC Electronic Consumer Directing Group (APECSG), Iberoamerikanische Forum der Konsumer Protection Agenturen (FIAGC), International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Agencies (Durovic, 2020 ).

ICPEN, in the new form, started functioning in 2002 and is now a global membership organisation of consumer protection authorities from 64 countries, including India joining in 2019 and six observing authorities (COMESA, EU, GPEN, FIAGC, OECD and UNCTAD). While it addresses coordination and cooperation on consumer protection enforcement issues, disseminates information on consumer protection trends and shares best practices on consumer protection laws, it does not regulate financial services or product safety. Through econsumer.gov Footnote 3 enduring initiative, ICPEN, in association with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), redresses international online fraud. Footnote 4 Econsumer.gov, a collaboration of consumer protection agencies from 41 countries around the world, investigates the following types of international online fraud:

Online shopping/internet services/computer equipment

Credit and debit

Telemarketing & spam

Jobs & making money

Imposters scam: family, friend, government, business or romance

Lottery or sweepstake or prize scams

Travel & vacations

Phones/mobile devices & phone services

Something else

Online criminals target personal and financial information. Online trading issues involve scammers targeting customers who buy/sell/trade online. Table 1 on online cross-border complaints of fraud reported by econsumer.gov reveals that international scams are rising. Total cross-border fraud during 2020 (till 30 June) was 33,968 with a reported loss of US$91.95 million as against 40,432 cases with a loss of US$ 151.3 million and 14,797 complaints with the loss of US$40.83 million 5 years back. Among others, these complaints included online shopping fraud, misrepresented products, products that did not arrive, and refund issues. Figure  1 shows that the United States ranked first among the ten countries where consumers lodged online fraud complaints based on consumer and business locations. India was the third country next to France for online fraud reporting in consumer locations, while it was the fifth nation for company location-based reporting. Besides the USA and India, Poland, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, Spain, and Mexico reported many consumer complaints. Companies in China, the United Kingdom, France, Hong Kong, Spain, Canada, Poland and Turkey received the most complaints. The trend is a serious global concern, with a magnitude of reported loss of above 60%.

Source: Data compiled from https://public.tableau.com/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/eConsumer/Infographic , Accessed 7 October 2020

Online shopping-top consumer locations and company locations.

The international scenario and views on consumer protection in e-commerce provide impetus to discuss consumer protection in e-business in a regional context-India. The reason for this is that India has become a leading country for online consumer fraud, putting a spotlight on electronic governance systems-which may have an impact on India's ease of doing business ranking. However, to check fraud and ensure consumer protection in e-commerce, the government has replaced the earlier Consumer Protection Act, 1986, with the new Act-2019 and E-Commerce Rule-2020 is in place now.

E-commerce Growth

E-commerce has been booming since the advent of the worldwide web (internet) in 1991, but its root is traced back to the Berlin Blockade for ordering and airlifting goods via telex between 24 June 1948 and 12 May 1949. Since then, new technological developments, improvements in internet connectivity, and widespread consumer and business adoption, e-commerce has helped countless companies grow. The first e-commerce transaction took place with the Boston Computer Exchange that launched its first e-commerce platform way back in 1982 (Azamat et al., 2011 ; Boateng et al., 2008 ). E-commerce growth potential is directly associated with internet penetration (Nielsen, 2018 ). The increase in the worldwide use of mobile devices/smartphones has primarily led to the growth of e-commerce. With mobile devices, individuals are more versatile and passive in buying and selling over the internet (Harrisson et al., 2017 ; Išoraitė & Miniotienė, 2018 ; Milan et al., ( 2020 ); Nielsen, 2018 ; Singh, 2019 ; UNCTAD, 2019a , 2019b ). The growth of the millennial digital-savvy workforce, mobile ubiquity and continuous optimisation of e-commerce technology is pressing the hand and speed of the historically slow-moving B2B market. The nearly US$1 Billion B2B e-commerce industry is about to hit the perfect storm that is driving the growth of B2C businesses (Harrisson et al., 2017 ). Now, e-commerce has reshaped the global retail market (Nielsen, 2019 ). The observation is that e-commerce is vibrant and an ever-expanding business model; its future is even more competitive than ever, with the increasing purchasing power of global buyers, the proliferation of social media users, and the increasingly advancing infrastructure and technology (McKinsey Global Institute, 2019 ; UNCTAD, 2019a , 2019b ).

The analysis of the growth trend in e-commerce, especially since 2015, explains that online consumers continue to place a premium on both flexibility and scope of shopping online. With the convenience of buying and returning items locally, online retailers will increase their footprint (Harrisson et al., 2017 ). Today, e-commerce is growing across countries with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% between 2014 and 2020; it is likely to grow at 25% between 2020 and 2025. Further analysis of e-commerce business reveals that internet penetration will be nearly 60% of the population in 2020, and Smartphone penetration has reached almost 42%. Among the users, 31% are in the age group of 25–34 years old, followed by 24% among the 35–44 years bracket and 22% in 18–24 years. Such a vast infrastructure and networking have ensured over 70% of the global e-commerce activities in the Asia–Pacific region. While China alone accounts for US$740 billion, the USA accounts for over US$$560 billion (Kerick, 2019 ). A review of global shoppers making online purchases (Fig.  2 ) shows that consumers look beyond their borders-cross-border purchases in all regions. While 90% of consumers visited an online retail site by July 2020, 74% purchased a product online, and 52% used a mobile device.

Source: Data compiled from https://datareportal.com/global-dig ital-overview#: ~ :text = There%20are%205.15%20billion%20unique,of%202.4%20percent%20per%20 year and , Accessed 12 October 2020

Global e-commerce activities and overseas online purchase.

The e-commerce uprising in Asia and the Pacific presents vast economic potential. The region holds the largest share of the B2C e-commerce market (UNCTAD, 2017 ). The size of e-commerce relative to the gross domestic product was 4.5% in the region by 2015. E-commerce enables small and medium-sized enterprises to reach global markets and compete on an international scale. It has improved economic efficiency and created many new jobs in developing economies and least developed countries, offering them a chance to narrow development gaps and increase inclusiveness—whether demographic, economic, geographic, cultural, or linguistic. It also helps narrow the rural–urban divide.

Nevertheless, Asia’s e-commerce market remains highly heterogeneous. In terms of e-commerce readiness—based on the UNCTAD e-commerce index 2017, the Republic of Korea ranks fifth globally (score 95.5) while Afghanistan, with 17 points, ranks 132 (UNCTAD, 2017 ). According to a joint study (2018) by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asia is the fastest-growing region in the global e-commerce marketplace. The region accounted for the largest share of the world’s business-to-consumer e-commerce market (UNESCAP and ADB, 2019). World Retail Congress (2019) brought out the Global E-Commerce Market Ranking 2019 assessing the top 30 ranking e-commerce markets on various parameters-USA, UK, China, Japan and Germany were the first top countries. India figured at 15 with a CAGR of 19.8% between 2018 and 2022. The report suggests that companies need to enhance every aspect of online buying, focusing on localised payment mode and duty-free return. Footnote 5 The observation of this trend implies online consumers’ safety and security.

Figure  3 explains that global cross-border e-commerce (B2C) shopping is growing significantly and is estimated to cross US$1 Trillion in 2020. Adobe Digital Economic Index Survey-2020 Footnote 6 in March 2020 reported that a remarkable fact to note is about steadily accelerated growth in global e-commerce because of COVID-19. While virus protection-related goods increased by 807%, toilet paper spiked by 231%. Online consumers worldwide prefer the eWallet payment system. The survey also revealed an exciting constellation that COVID-19 is further pushing overall online inflation down.

Source: Authors’ compilation from https://www.invespcro.com/blog/cross-border-shopping/ , Accessed on 15 October 2020

Global cross-border e-commerce (B2C) market. *Estimated to cross US$ 1 Trillion in 2020.

According to UNCTD’s B2C E-Commerce Index 2019 survey measuring an economy’s preparedness to support online shopping, India ranks 73rd with 57 index values, seven times better than the 80th rank index report 2018 (UNCTAD, 2019a , 2019b ). The E-commerce industry has emerged as a front-runner in the Indian economy with an internet penetration rate of about 50% now, nearly 37% of smartphone internet users, launching the 4G network, internet content in the local language, and increasing consumer wealth. Massive infrastructure and policy support propelled the e-commerce industry to reach US$ 64 billion in 2020, up by 39% from 2017 and will touch US$ 200 by 2026 with a CAGR of 21%. Footnote 7 Now, India envisions a five trillion dollar economy Footnote 8 by 2024. It would be difficult with the present growth rate, but not impossible, pushing for robust e-governance and a digitally empowered society. The proliferation of smartphones, growing internet access and booming digital payments and policy reforms are accelerating the growth of the e-commerce sector vis-a-vis the economy.

Analysis of different studies on the growth of e-commerce in India shows that while retail spending has grown by a CAGR of 22.52% during 2015–2020, online buyers have climbed by a CAGR of 35.44% during the same period (Fig.  4 ). The government’s Digital India drive beginning 1 July 2015-surge using mobile wallets like Paytm, Ola Money, Mobiwik, BHIM etc., and the declaration of demonetisation on 9 November 2016 appears to be the prime reasons for such a vast growth in the country’s e-commerce industry. The Times of India (2020 October 12), a daily leading Indian newspaper, reported that India's increase in digital payments was at a CAGR of 55.1% from March 2016 to March 2020, jumping from US$ 73,90 million to 470.40, reflecting the country's positive policy environment and preparedness for the digital economy. The government's policy objective is to promote a safe, secure, sound and efficient payment system; hence, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the national financial and fiscal regulating authority, attempts to ensure security and increase customer trust in digital payments (RBI, 2020 ).

Source: Data compiled from https://www.ibef.org/news/vision-of-a-new-india-US$-5-trillion-economy , http://www.ficci.in/ficci-in-news-page.asp?nid=19630 , https://www.pwc.in/research-insights/2018/propelling-india-towards-global-leadership-in-e-commerce.html , https://www.forrester.com/data/forecastview/reports# , Accessed 12 October 2020

E-Commerce growth in India during 2015–2020.

The massive growth of e-commerce in countries worldwide, especially in India, has prompted an examination of the legal structure regulating online consumer protection.

Literature Review and Research Gap

Theoretical framework.

Generally speaking, customers, as treated inferior to their contracting partners, need protection (Daniel, 2005 ). Therefore, due to low bargaining power, it is agreed that their interests need to be secured. The ‘inequality of negotiating power’ theory emphasises the consumer's economically weaker status than suppliers (Haupt, 2003 ; Liyang, 2019 ; Porter, 1979 ). The ‘inequality in bargaining power’ principle emphasises the customer's economically inferior position to suppliers (Haupt, 2003 ). The ‘exploitation theory’ also supports a similar view to the ‘weaker party’ argument. According to this theory, for two reasons, consumers need protection: first, consumers have little choice but to buy and contract on the terms set by increasingly large and powerful businesses; second, companies can manipulate significant discrepancies in knowledge and complexity in their favour (Cockshott & Dieterich, 2011 ). However, a researcher such as Ruhl ( 2011 ) believed that this conventional theoretical claim about defining the customer as the weaker party is no longer valid in modern times. The logic was that the exploitation theory did not take into account competition between firms. Through competition from other businesses, any negotiating power that companies have vis-a-vis clients is minimal. The study, therefore, considers that the ‘economic theory’ is the suitable theoretical rationale for consumer protection today.

The principle of ‘economic philosophy’ focuses primarily on promoting economic productivity and preserving wealth as a benefit (Siciliani et al., 2019 ). As such, the contract law had to change a great deal to deal with modern-age consumer transactions where there is no delay between agreement and outcomes (McCoubrey  & White, 1999 ). Thus, the ‘economic theory’ justifies the flow of goods and services through electronic transactions since online markets' versatility and rewards are greater than those of face-to-face transactions. The further argument suggests that a robust consumer protection framework can provide an impetus for the growth of reliability and trust in electronic commerce. The ‘incentive theory’ works based on that argument to describe consumer protection in electronic transactions (McCoubrey & White, 1999 ).

Online shopping needs greater trust than purchasing offline (Nielsen, 2018 ). From the viewpoint of ‘behavioural economics, trust (faith/confidence) has long been considered a trigger for buyer–seller transactions that can provide high standards of fulfilling trade relationships for customers (Pavlou, 2003 ). Pavlou ( 2003 ) supports the logical reasoning of Lee and Turban ( 2001 ) that the role of trust is of fundamental importance in adequately capturing e-commerce customer behaviour. The study by O'Hara ( 2005 ) also suggests a relationship between law and trust (belief/faith), referred to as ‘safety net evaluation’, suggesting that law may play a role in building trust between two parties. However, with cross-border transactions, the constraint of establishing adequate online trust increases, especially if one of the parties to the transaction comes from another jurisdiction with a high incidence of counterfeits or a weak rule of law (Loannis et al., 2019 ). Thus, the law promotes the parties' ability to enter into a contractual obligation to the extent that it works to reduce a contractual relationship's insecurity. The present research uses the idea of trust (faith/belief/confidence) as another theoretical context in line with ‘behavioural economics’.

As a focal point in e-commerce, trust refers to a party's ability to be vulnerable to another party's actions; the trustor, with its involvement in networking, sees trust in the form of risk-taking activity (Mayer et al., 1995 ; Helge et al.,  2020 ). Lack of confidence could result in weak contracts, expensive legal protections, sales loss and business failure. Therefore, trust plays a crucial role in serving customers transcend the perceived risk of doing business online and in helping them become susceptible, actual or imaginary, to those inherent e-business risks. While mutual benefit is usually the reason behind a dealing/transaction, trust is the insurance or chance that the customer can receive that profit (Cazier, 2007 ). The level of trust can be low or high. Low risk-taking behaviour leads to lower trustor engagement, whereas high risk-taking participation leads to higher trustor engagement (Helge et al.,  2020 ). The theory of trust propounded by (Mayer et al., 1995 ) suggests that trust formation depends on three components, viz. ability, benevolence, and integrity (ABI model). From the analysis of the previous studies (Mayer et al., 1995 ; Cazier, 2007 ; Helge et al.,  2020 ), the following dimensions of the ABI model emerge:

Precisely, ability, benevolence and integrity have a direct influence on the trust of e-commerce customers.

Gaining the trust of consumers and developing a relationship has become more challenging for e-businesses. The primary reasons are weak online security, lack of effectiveness of the electronic payment system, lack of effective marketing program, delay in delivery, low quality of goods and services, and ineffective return policy (Kamari  & Kamari, 2012 ; Mangiaracina & Perego, 2009 ). These weaknesses adversely impact business operations profoundly later. Among the challenges that are the reasons for the distrust of customers and downsides of e-commerce is that the online payment mechanism is widely insecure. The lack of trust in electronic payment is the one that impacts negatively on the e-commerce industry, and this issue is still prevalent (Mangiaracina  & Perego, 2009 ). The revelation of a recent study (Orendorff, 2019 ) and survey results Footnote 9 on trust-building, particularly about the method of payment, preferred language and data protection, is fascinating. The mode of payment is another matter of trust-building. Today’s customers wish to shop in their local currency seamlessly. In an online shoppers’ survey of 30,000 respondents in 2019, about 92% of customers preferred to purchase in their local currency, and 33% abandoned a buy if pricing was listed in US$ only (Orendorff, 2019 ). Airbnb, an online accommodation booking e-business that began operations in 2009, has expanded and spread its wings globally as of September 2020-over 220 countries and 100 k + cities serving 7 + billion customers (guests) with local currency payment options. Footnote 10

Common Sense Advisory Survey Footnote 11 -Nov. 2019-Feb. 2020 with 8709 online shoppers (B2C) in 29 countries, reported that 75% of them preferred to purchase products if the information was in their native language. About 60% confirmed that they rarely/never bought from an English-only website because they can’t read. Similarly, its survey of 956 business people (B2B) moved in a similar direction. Whether it is B2B or B2C customers, they wanted to go beyond Google translator-this is about language being a front-line issue making or breaking global sales. Leading Indian e-commerce companies like Amazon Footnote 12 and Flipkart Footnote 13 have started capturing the subsequent 100 million users by providing text and voice-based consumer support in vernacular languages. These observations suggest trust in information that the customers can rely upon for a successful transaction.

Data protection is probably the most severe risk of e-commerce. The marketplaces witness so many violations that it often seems that everyone gets hacked, which makes it a real challenge to guarantee that your store is safe and secure. For e-commerce firms, preserving the data is a considerable expense; it points a finger to maintaining the safety and security of the e-commerce consumers’ data privacy in compliance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) across countries. Footnote 14

PwC’s Global Consumer Insight Survey 2020 reports that while customers’ buying habits would become more volatile post-COVID 19, consumers’ experience requires safety, accessibility, and digital engagement would be robust and diversified. Footnote 15 The report reveals that the COVID-19 outbreak pushed the popularity of mobile shopping. Online grocery shopping (including phone use) has increased by nearly 63% post-COVID than before social distancing execution and is likely to increase to 86% until its removal. Knowing the speed of market change will place companies in a position to handle the disruption-74% of the work is from home, at least for the time being. Again, the trend applies to consumers’ and businesses’ confidence/trust-building. The safety and security of customers or consumer protection are of paramount importance.

Given the rationale above, the doctrine of low bargaining power, exploitation theory and the economic approach provides the theoretical justification for consumer protection. Economic theory also justifies electronic transactions and e-commerce operations as instruments for optimising income. The trust theory based on behavioural economic conception also builds up the relationship between the law and customer trust and thus increases confidence in the online market. These premises form the basis for this research.

Need and Instruments for Online Consumer Protection

The law of the land guides people and the living society. Prevailing rules and regulations, when followed, provide peace of mind and security in all spheres, including business activities (Bolton et al., 2004 ). Previous research by Young & Wilkinson ( 1989 ) suggested that those who have more legally strict contracts face more legal problems in contrast to trust-related issues (Young & Wilkinson, 1989 ). Time has changed; people going for online transactions go with the legal framework and feel safe and secured (Bolton et al., 2004 ). An online agreement is a valid contract. Most UNCTAD member countries, including India, have adopted various laws concerning e-governance/e-business/e-society, such as e-transaction laws, consumer protection laws, cyber-crime laws, and data privacy and protection laws. The trend indicates that the law is vital in establishing trust in online transactions.

A review of literature on e-commerce and consumer protection suggests that over the years, consumer protection in e-commerce has received significant attention, particularly from the regulatory authorities-government agencies, trade associations and other associated actors (Belwal et al., 2020 ; Cortés, 2010 ; Dhanya, 2015 ; Emma et al., 2017 ; Ibidapo-Obe, 2011 ; ITU, 2018 ; Jaipuriar et al., 2020 ; Rothchild, 1999 ; Saif, 2018 ). The OECD ( 2016 ), UNCTAD ( 2017 ), and World Economic Forum ( 2019 ) guidelines on e-commerce have facilitated countries to have regulations/laws to provide online customers with data privacy, safe transaction and build trust. Table 2 explains policy guidelines on consumer protection based on a summary of online consumer challenges and possible remedies at different purchases stages.

Research Issue and Objective

The research gap identification involves reviewing the literature on various aspects of e-commerce and consumer rights protection issues spanning two decades. An objective review of 36 highly rated (Scopus/Web Services/ABDC Ranking or the like) e-commerce related publications from over 100 articles published in the last 20 years (2000–2020) suggests that the vast majority of earlier studies in this field have been conceptual/theoretical and generic. Regarding the legal framework of e-commerce and consumers’ rights protection, six current papers exclusively in the Indian context were available for analysis and review. The observations are that while the focus on consumer privacy and rights protection concerns is too general, the legal framework's scrutiny has limited its scope. A review of selected studies on trust and consumer rights protection in e-commerce, as shown in Table 3 , reveals that application aspects, particularly legal issues, are lacking. Indian experience in e-commerce consumer rights protection through jurisprudence is nascent. Review studies show the research of a combination of management and law-related analysis in e-commerce and consumer rights protection is lacking. This scenario showed a gap in exploring a more comprehensive research opportunity in the Indian context.

While e-commerce and electronic transactions have evolved as a global trend, it is noteworthy that Indian customers are still reluctant to place complete confidence and trust in commercial online transactions. Compared to conventional offline customers, online customers face greater risk in cyberspace because they negotiate with unknown vendors and suppliers. Footnote 16 The common issues Footnote 17 related to e-commerce are data privacy and security, product quality, uncertain delivery, no/low scope of replacement, the jurisdiction of filing complaints, and inconceivable terms and conditions (Lahiri, 2018 ). “Country of origin” of the product is a significant issue in e-commerce, particularly in cross-border transactions (Bhattacharya et al., 2020 ). The inadequacy of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and other associated laws has surged the insecurity and lack of trust among online customers. The significance of digital payments pursued by the Government of India's essential demonetisation policy-2016 has pushed for online transaction security and consumer protection in e-commerce activities. Therefore, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 Footnote 18 replaced the Consumer Protection Act 1986 and became effective with effect from 20 July 2020, Footnote 19 while on 7 July 2020, the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 Footnote 20 came into force to address the e-commerce challenges. Nevertheless, it was evident that to attract additional investment and to engage with the global market, India, as an emerging country, had to gain the confidence of e-consumers.

These two legislations primarily govern domestic e-commerce businesses. Therefore, the research focuses on these two legal infrastructure strands-new laws enacted during 2019 and 2020 and discusses their implications for online consumer security to increase customers' interest and trust in India's electronic transactions. Like the  ABI model , the study also examines the factors influencing e-commerce customers' confidence in the present research context.

Methodology

The research initially depended on the rigorous review of the consumer protection guidelines released from time to time by various bodies, such as the OECD and UNCATD, accompanied by an analysis of the Indian consumer protection legal structure. The Indian Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 were the review and analysis subjects. The study used e-commerce driver data collected from secondary sources-published material; the survey reported e-commerce growth and trends and consumer protection and conducted an online survey of 432 online consumers during August and September 2020.

Analysing the arguments of Zikmund ( 2000 ), Bryman ( 2004 ), Saumure & Given ( 2008 ), Bill et al., ( 2010 ) and Bornstein et al. ( 2013 ) about the representative of convenience sampling and bias, we consider it is similar to that of the population, and there is no harm with due care. Regarding inherent bias in convenience sampling, data collection from different sources with different respondents’ inclusion provides more data variability and considerably reduces prejudice (Sousa et al., 2004 ; Edgar and Manz, 2017 ). Therefore, the respondents included in the research were students, professors, advocates, doctors, professionals, and homemakers, avoiding excluding family, relatives and friends to ensure bias-free. Their contact details sources were various channels, including public institution websites, social networking sites, and the authors’ email box. Assuming that more respondents feel fun filling out online questionnaires and providing truthful answers (Chen & Barnes, 2007 ; Saunders et al.,  2007 ), the study used an online survey. Furthermore, because people in the digital age are more computer/smartphone savvy, they are more likely to follow a similar trend. Besides, such a technique was convenient during the COVID-19 pandemic condition because of its timeliness, inexpensive methods, ease of research, low cost (no support for this research), readily available, and fewer rules to follow. The respondents' contact details sources were various channels, including public institution websites, social networking sites, and the authors' email box.

The study used a structured questionnaire comprising seven questions with sub-questions except the 7th one being open-ended, consuming about 8–10 min, designed based on the insights gained from responding to customer surveys of different e-commerce companies last year. Pretesting the questionnaire with 17 responses from the target group supported modifying the final questionnaire partially. The first four questions were background questions-gender, age, respondent's attitude towards internet purchasing. Question number five with sub-questions, being the focused question, provided the answer to some trust-building factors found in the literature review. Following previous research (McKnight et al.,  2002 ; Corbit et al.,  2003 ; Pavlou,  2003 ) tested the Likert-scale, this question's solicited response relied on a five-point Likert-rating scale (1 = Not important at all, 2 = Less important, 3 = Somewhat important, 4 = Important, 5 = Very important). The query six asked was about the consumer protection issues in e-commerce/online transaction-scam/fraud and grievance settlement. The final question seven was open-ended for any remark the respondent wanted to make. The questionnaire was reliable on a reasonable basis with greater internal consistency on overall internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.829) at a 1% level of significance. The Zoho Survey technique was used to solicit required information. The response rate was 76% (327) of the total emails sent (432). The retained responses were 290, i.e. 88.69% of the replies received, completed in all respects and satisfying the research requirement. The research applied statistical instruments like percentage, weighted mean and multiple regression analysis using SPSS-26 for analysis and interpretation.

Figure  5 highlights the research framework and process.

Research framework and process

Deficiency in Act, 1986 and Key Feature of the New Act Governing E-Commerce Consumer Protection

The rapid development of e-commerce has led to new delivery systems for goods and services and has provided new opportunities for consumers. Simultaneously, this has also exposed the consumer vulnerable to new forms of unfair trade and unethical business. The old Act, 1986, has severe limitations regarding its applicability and adjudication processes in consumer rights protection in e-commerce. The new Act, 2020 brings fundamental changes regarding its scope of application, penalty and governance; and envisages CCPA and vests regulating and controlling powers. Table 4 explains the comparative picture between the old Act, 1986 and the new Act, 2019.

The Act, 2019 applies to buying or selling goods or services over the digital or electronic network, including digital products [s.2 (16)] and to a person who provides technologies enabling a product seller to engage in advertising/selling goods/services to a consumer. The Act also covers online market places or online auction sites [s.2 (17)].

Necessary definition/explanation connected to e-commerce provided by the Act are:

Consumer: Meaning

If a person buys any goods and hires or avails any service online through electronic means, the person would be a consumer of the Act [Explanation b to s.2 (7)].

Product Seller: Electronic Service Providers

The electronic service providers are the product sellers under the Act and have the same duties, responsibilities, and liabilities as a product seller [s.2 (37)].

Unfair Trade Practice: Disclosing Personal Information

Unfair trade practice under the Act [s.2 (47) (ix)] refers to electronic service providers disclosing to another person any personal information given in confidence by the consumer.

Authorities: Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

The Act, 2019 provides, in addition to the existing three-tier grievance redress structure, the establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority [CCPA] [s.10 & 18] to provide regulatory, investigative or adjudicatory services to protect consumers’ rights. The CCPA has the powers to regulate/inquire/investigate into consumer rights violations and/unfair trade practice  suo motu  or on a complaint received from an aggrieved consumer or on a directive from the government. The specific actions it can take include:

Execute inquiries into infringements of customer rights and initiate lawsuits.

Order for the recall of dangerous/hazardous/unsafe products and services.

Order the suspension of unethical commercial practises and false ads.

Impose fines on suppliers or endorsers or publishers of false advertising.

The power of CCPA is categorical regarding dangerous/hazardous/unsafe goods and false/misleading advertisements. The CCPA has the authority to impose a fine ranging from Rs 100 k to Rs 5 million and/imprisonment up to life term for the violators depending on the type of offences committed by them (Table 5 ).

Redress Mechanism

The provisions laid down in Sect. 28 through Sect. 73 deal with various aspects of the consumer dispute redress system. The new Act has changed the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum terminology to the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. The pecuniary jurisdiction of filling complaints in the three-tier consumer courts at the District, State and National level has increased (Table 5 ). For better understanding, Fig.  6 shows a diagrammatic picture of the judicial system of dispute settlement.

Grievance redress mechanism

The Act, 2019 provides a dispute settlement mechanism through the mediation process in case of compromise at the acceptance point of the complaint or some future date on mutual consent (Sec 37). A mediation cell would operate in each city, state, national commission, and regional bench to expedite redress. Section 74 through 81 of the Act lays down the detailed procedure. Section 81(1) maintains that no appeal lies against the order passed by Mediation, implying that the redress process at the initial stage would be speedy, impacting both the consumers and service providers.

Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 on 23 July 2020, aims to prevent unfair trade practices and protect consumers' interests and rights in e-commerce.

Applicability (Rule 2)

The Rules apply to:

Both products and services acquired or sold through automated or electronic networks;

All models of e-commerce retail;

All the e-commerce entities, whether they have inventory or market place model. The inventory-based model includes an inventory of goods and services owned by an e-commerce entity and directly sold to consumers [Rule 3(1) f]. In the marketplace model, an e-commerce entity has an information infrastructure platform on a digital and electronic network that facilitates the consumer and the seller. [Rule 3(1)g];

All aspects of unfair trading practise in all models of e-commerce; and

An e-commerce entity is offering goods or services to consumers in India but not established in India.

General Duties of E-commerce Entities (Rule 4)

The duties of e-commerce entities are:

An e-commerce entity must be a company incorporated under the Companies Act.

Entities must appoint a point of contact to ensure compliance with the Act.

They have to establish an adequate grievance redress mechanism; they would appoint a grievance officer for this purpose and display his name, contact details, and designation of their platform. He would acknowledge the complaint's receipt within 48 h and resolve the complaint within a month from receipt of the complaint.

If they are offering imported goods, the importers’ names and details from whom the imported goods are purchased, and the sellers’ names are to be mentioned on the platform.

They cannot impose cancellation charges on consumers unless they bear similar costs.

They have to affect all payments towards accepted refund requests of the consumers within a reasonable period.

They cannot manipulate the goods' prices to gain unreasonable profit by imposing unjustified costs and discriminating against the same class of consumers.

Liabilities of Marketplace E-commerce Entities (Rule 5)

The liabilities of marketplace e-commerce entities include the following:

The marketplace e-commerce entity would require sellers to ensure that information about goods on their platform is accurate and corresponds with the appearance, nature, quality, purpose of goods.

They would display the following information prominently to its users at the appropriate place on its platform:

Details about the sellers offering goods-principal geographic address of its headquarters and all branches and name and details of its website for effective dispute resolution.

Separate ticket/docket/complaint number for each complaint lodged through which the user can monitor the status of the complaint.

Information about return/refund/exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, payment modes and dispute/grievance redress mechanism.

Information on the methods of payment available, the protection of such forms of payment, any fees or charges payable by users.

They would make reasonable efforts to maintain a record of relevant information allowing for the identification of all sellers who have repeatedly offered goods that were previously removed under the Copyright Act/Trademarks Act/Information Technology Act.

Sellers’ Duties on the Marketplace (Rule 6)

The duties of sellers on the market encompass:

The seller would not adopt any unfair trade practice while offering goods.

He should not falsely represent himself as a consumer and post-product review or misrepresent any products' essence or features.

He could not refuse to take back goods purchased or to refund consideration of goods or services that were defective/deficient/spurious.

He would have a prior written contract with the e-commerce entity to undertake sale.

He would appoint a grievance officer for consumer grievance redressal.

He would ensure that the advertisements for the marketing of goods or services are consistent with the actual characteristics, access and usage conditions of goods.

He will provide the e-commerce company with its legal name, the primary geographic address of its headquarters and all subsidiaries/branches, the name and details of the website, e-mail address, customer contact details such as faxes, landlines and mobile numbers, etc.

Duties and Liabilities of Inventory E-commerce Entities (Rule 7)

As in the inventory-based model, inventory of goods and services is owned and sold directly to consumers by e-commerce entities, so inventory e-commerce entities have the same liabilities as marketplace e-commerce entities and the same duties as marketplace sellers.

The Act 2019 has several provisions for regulating e-commerce transactions with safety and trust. Since the Act is new, it would be premature to comment on its operational aspects and effectiveness. In a recent judgement in Consumer Complaint No 883 of 2020 ( M/s Pyaridevi Chabiraj Steels Pvt. Ltd vs National Insurance Company Ltd , the NCDRC Footnote 21 has proved the Act's operational effectiveness by deciding the maintainability of a claim's jurisdiction based on the new Act's provisions. However, it is inevitable that "beware buyer" will be replaced by "beware seller/manufacturer"; the consumer will be the real king. The Rules 2020 strike a balance between the responsibilities of e-commerce business owners and on-the-platform vendors. Contravention, if any, of the new regulation/rules would invite the provisions of the Act 2019. The observation is that limited liability partnerships are missing from the e-commerce entities. However, with the Act and Rules' operational experience, the judiciary or legislature will address this issue sooner or later.

Nevertheless, the Rules 2020 provide a robust legal framework to build consumers' trust in e-commerce transactions and protect their rights and interests, thereby proving the notion, "consumer is the king". The COVID-19 impact has pushed the government to adopt and encourage online compliant filling procedures through the National Consumer Helpline. Using various APPs is likely to expedite the adjudication process and benefit the aggrieved consumer and build trust in the governance system.

Reading the Rules, 2020, with the Act, 2019, the observation is that by making smartphones the primary target of the new legislation, the Act, 2019 is hailed as an all-inclusive regulatory regime that would raise customer interest investment in e-commerce. To safeguard consumers' rights in all modern-day retail commerce models, the Act, 2019 attempts to turn the jurisprudence pervading consumer protectionism from a caveat emptor to a caveat seller. In addition, the Act formally incorporated e-commerce within its limits and entered the realm of B2C e-commerce. One crucial takeaway benefit for consumers is simplifying the complaint filing process, enabling consumers to file complaints online and redress grievances.

E-commerce has become a gift to all customers in the COVID-19 pandemic's aftermath. The E-Commerce Rules, 2020 follow the stringent consumer protection regime under the new Act, 2019. In the raging pandemic, the timing of the E-Commerce Rules, 2020 is beneficial considering the current limitations on customers' freedom of travel and increased reliance on e-commerce. The grievances redress mechanism as provided in the Rules, 2020 is indubitably a calibrated step ensuring neutrality in the e-commerce market place, greater transparency, stringent penalties and a striking balance between the commitments of e-commerce firms and vendors in the marketplace. The mandatory provisions of appointing a consumer grievance redress officer and a nodal contact person or an alternative senior appointed official (resident in India) with contact details, acknowledging consumer complaints within 48 h of receipt with a ticket number, and resolving complaints within 1 month of receipt are unquestionably beneficial to consumers. Although each e-commerce company has its refund policy, all refund claims must have a timely settlement. However, anxiety abounds as daily online fraud and unethical trading practices have made consumers fearful of exposing themselves to unscrupulous vendors and service providers. Moreover, the regulations' effective enforcement would dissuade unethical retailers and service providers, thereby building consumer trust, which time will see.

Practical Contributions

The practical contributions of the paper emerge from survey findings. Concerning the primary survey, the male–female ratio is nearly 1:1, with an average age of 36 years in the age range of 20–65. As regards profession, 67% were working professionals, and 22% were students. While all of the respondents were computer/tablet/mobile-savvy, 96% had at least a five-time online shopping experience during the last 7 months between January–July 2020. The desktop with 61% response is still the preferred device for online shopping. The pricing with cash on delivery, shipping convenience, and quality reviews determined online shopping factors. About 57% of them agreed that COVID-19 impacted their online purchase habits and pushed for online transactions even though they feared insecurity about online shopping. The primary concerns were low-quality products at a high price, a refund for defective products, and a delay in settlement of wrong/excess payments. The top five leading e-commerce platforms reported were Amazon, Flipkart, Alibaba, Myntra, and IndiaMart. Netmeds was also a leading e-commerce business platform in the pharmaceutical sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, JioMart was very popular for home-delivery food products, groceries and vegetables in the metro locality. The customer feedback system was found robust on Amazon.

The respondents' trust in online shopping reveals that a secure and reliable system was essential for 93% of the respondents. For nearly the same proportion, information about how e-business firms work provided security solutions was a priority factor. Choosing a payment option, 76% of the respondents prioritised “cash on delivery-online transfer at the doorstep. Regarding the privacy of personal information shared by online shoppers, 52% said that they cared about this aspect. Factors like warranty and guarantee (67%) and customer service (69%) were important factors of trust-building with the e-entities. Information on the websites (easy navigation/user friendly and reviews) was either important or very important, with 77% of the respondents’ confidence building to buy online. Information about the product features and its manufacturer/supplier was essential to 86% of the respondents for trust-building on the product and the supplier (manufacture) and e-commerce entity. Along with the ABI model discussed above, the presumption is that security, privacy, warranty/guarantee, customer service, and website information factors positively influence e-commerce customers' trust.

Multiple regression analysis suggests that as the  P  = value of every independent variable is below 0.05% level of significance, the independent variables security, privacy, warranty, customer service, and website information are all significant. Alternatively, the overall  P value of 0.032 with R 2 0.82 supports the presumption that security, privacy, warranty/guarantee, customer service, website information factors have a combined influence on e-commerce customers' trust.

Given this backdrop, Table 6 summarises the micro findings on respondents' online shopping behaviour, their trust and safety aspects, and understanding of the provisions of the new Act, 2019 and Rules, 2020. The higher mean value for a sub-factor implies higher importance attached to the factor by the respondents. P value at a 5% level of significance explains an individual element's contribution to trust-building behaviour for online buying.

Managerial Insights

The first observation from the data analysis is that, comparatively, the younger generation is prone to online shopping; it goes along with Xiaodong and Min ( 2020 ). Secondly, the respondents of all age groups have online buying experience even in a pandemic situation forced by COVID-19, compromising their safety and security concerns. The third observation is that factors like “cash on the delivery option (COD)”, adequate information on the e-commerce entity corporate website, and effective grievance/complaint redress mechanism are the three crucial factors that build consumers’ trust in e-commerce transactions. The reason probably is that this Act and Rules are new and significant dispute (s) could yet be reported seeking invoking the relevant provisions of the Act and Rules in an appropriate legal forum.

Further, the logical observation of the COD option being a perceived influential factor in trust-building emanates from the fact that protection and security are the essential elements that make customers hesitant toward utilizing other e-payment options. The studies by Mekovec and Hutinski ( 2012 ), Maqableh ( 2015 ) and Ponte et al.( 2015 ); have similar views. However, post-demonetization (2016), India is growing with more digital payments. In this context, we value Harvard researchers Bandi et al. ( 2017 ) contention that customers who switch to digital payments maintain their purchasing recurrence but spend more and are less likely to restore their purchases. The firms in emerging markets may appreciate gains from customer interest, notwithstanding operational increases from payment digitalization. The coherent perception about the impact of website information on trust-building is in line with the findings of Brian et al. ( 2019 ) that the online information source creates a spill-over effect on satisfaction and trust toward the retailer. The implication of the need for an effective grievance redress mechanism is that trust-building would be a tricky proposition if the company cannot ensure dedicated and tailored customer service and support. Kamari and Kamari ( 2012 ) and Mangiaracina and Perego ( 2009 ) had comparative perspectives likewise.

The final observation is that the level of trust required to engage in online shopping/transaction varies among the respondents depending on their trust perception level. The younger generation, less than 35 years old, is more risk-taking when it comes to pre-purchase online payment, but women over 45 years old are a little hesitant and prefer to do their online shopping with payment at the time of placing an order. This is ostensibly because the younger generation is more tuned to network connectivity via smartphone/tablet, and they perceive online transactions as less dangerous. The present research findings on the influence of security, privacy, warranty/guarantee, customer service, and website information on e-commerce customers' confidence-building support the earlier discussed ABI model proposition (Mayer et al., 1995 ; Cazier, 2007 ; Helge et al.,  2020 ). The  R 2 -value of 0.82 implies that there are other factors beyond what is studied. The other probable factor (s) that might have influenced trust is the new Act and Rules' effectiveness in protecting online consumers' interests. The new regulations need a couple of years (at least 2 years) of operational experience for proper assessment. The Act 2019 appears robust to protect consumer rights and interests of e-commerce customers with specific regulations (i.e. Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020) in force, helping the country's economic growth.

The study variably supports Nehf ( 2007 ) view that consumers make decisions about distributing their data in exchange for different benefits like, e.g., information on web sites and access to databases. Trust, credibility, privacy issues, security concerns, the nature of the information on the website, and the e-commerce firm's reputation directly influence consumers' internet trust (Kim et al., 2008 ). Trust is the focal point of online consumers' decision-making; the observation endorses  Larose and Rifon ( 2007 ) creation of privacy alerts as part of consumer privacy self-regulation initiatives and the use of a social cognitive model to consider consumer privacy behaviours. Besides, data privacy and trust breaches adversely affect the firm's market value (Tripathi & Mukhopadhyay, 2020 ) also hold good in the present context. Figure  7 demonstrates a diagrammatic model of trust of the consumer on e-commerce transactions leading to his decision-making.

Model for consumers’ trust on e-commerce transactions

Limitations

Every research has more or less some limitations; this one has too. The main impediment was the non-availability of adequate literature defining the impact assessment of the legal framework of consumer protection measures in e-commerce. The probable reasoning is that the Acts/Laws governing e-commerce and online consumer rights protection under consideration are new; ethical dispute resolution and judicial interventions have only recently begun. Sample size limitation is also a hindering factor in the generalisation of the findings. The observations and managerial insights are likely to change with a few more years of implementation experience of the Acts.

Conclusions, Implications and Future Research

Conclusions.

Lack of trust in goods and their suppliers/manufacturers was one of the primary reasons for people not buying online. The widespread internet penetration and the growing use of computer/tablets/smartphones have pushed e-commerce growth across countries, including India. The rapid e-commerce development has brought about new distribution methods. It has provided new opportunities for consumers, forcing consumers vulnerable to new forms of unfair trade and unethical business. Further, the government's measures to protect consumer rights, particularly online consumers, are inadequate. Hence, the government enacted the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 and made them effective from July 2020. The new Act and Rules have less than 6 months of operational experience, implying premature comment on its effectiveness in providing safety and security to online consumers. However, online consumers' positive responses suggest that people gain confidence in online shopping with safety and security. Because consumer rights protection is paramount in the growth of e-commerce, the new regulations strengthen the grievance redress mechanism of online consumers, ensuring their trust-building ability, safety, and security. The "Consumer is the King with power" now. The new reform, i.e., enactment of the two laws, aids in doing business too. Some legal complications may arise with more operational experience in the future. Still, with judiciary intervention and directives, the online consumer's safety and security will pave the growth of e-commerce in India.

Implications

Some stakeholders have apprehension about the new Act and Rules' effectiveness because of the slow judiciary process, inadequate infrastructure support, and corrupt practices. The findings provide some practical implications for consumer activists, policymakers, and research communities to explore how to strengthen trust-building among online consumers. Regarding theoretical implications, the research improves the scientific community's understanding of the existing body of knowledge about online trust and e-consumer protection. The article further contributes to the body of literature on e-commerce and consumer protection, understanding the crucial factors impacting customer trust and loyalty and provides an insightful perspective on e-consumer protection in the Indian context on the eve of the new legislation enacted in 2019–2020.

Future Research

Given the presumption that e-commerce and trust are areas of constant change, trust in e-commerce will change, and it will be more challenging to integrate e-commerce into people's lives. The scope for further research to test the effectiveness of the Act, 2019, and Rule, 2020 in redressing e-commerce consumers' grievances and protecting their rights is wider only after a couple of years of operational experience. The government's policy drive for accelerating online transactions also poses challenges considering the importance of trust-building and consumer rights protection in e-commerce. Future research would shed more light on these issues.

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Chawla, N., Kumar, B. E-Commerce and Consumer Protection in India: The Emerging Trend. J Bus Ethics 180 , 581–604 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04884-3

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Consumer Movement in India: Issues, Approaches and Achievements

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• Board to manage
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Consumer Awareness: Why It’s Necessary For Consumer Protection?

This article will understand the extent of consumer awareness through a data set of eighty urban households in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. The piece argues the importance of consumer awareness and the realisation of the same internationally and in various nation-states. Based on the data, Ritesh Singh draws a graphic analysis of consumer purchasing habits and their awareness regarding the same.

By Ritesh Singh , New Law College, Pune

Introduction 

In the globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation era, most economic decisions are taken by the market. Though the government has withdrawn itself from many economic activities,  it often interferes when the market mechanism fails due to structural rigidities in the economy and other factors to provide goods and services to the people.

Consumption is one of the essential economic activities, which requires regular government intervention,  as the market cannot be trusted to promote the consumers’ security and welfare. But, on the other hand, consumers have to be aware of the commercial aspects of the sale and purchase of goods and the health and security aspect. Besides this, they should be mindful of their rights and duties.

Though the first consumer movement began in  England after the  Second World War, US President John F. Kennedy made the modern declaration about consumer’s rights in 1962. His speech against consumer harassment and for awareness spiralled many laws that dedicatedly protected the consumers’ interests. This movement upheld consumer rights, like choice, information, safety, and the right to be heard, later recognised and codified as laws.

Following several consumer associations and long campaigns in several countries, the United Nations prepared a ‘Model Code for Consumer Protection’. Finally, drawing from Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United States Consumer Bill of Rights, the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNGCP) got drafted and adopted on April 16, 1985.

These guidelines were adopted to protect consumers, establishing a high level of ethical conduct for those engaged in producing and distributing goods and services.

India also constituted the Consumer Protection Act in 1986, established against adulterated and sub-standard products. Its promulgation on December 24 is celebrated as ‘Consumer’s Day’ every year.

Objectives of the Study

The study is based on the following objectives:

• To study the level of consumer awareness of the consumers in the study area
• To make the students habituated about the survey work.
• To make the students acquainted with how different statistical tools can be applied in different socio-economic problems.

As the name suggests, consumer awareness extends protection and knowledge for consumption. It could afford awareness to things like:

• Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
• Fair Price Shop.
• Consumer awareness about price, quality and expiry date of the product.
• certified products like ISI, Agmark, ISO-2000

In the face of blatant exploitation, duplication and cheating, consumer awareness becomes imperative. For instance, some common ways certain sellers or businesses exploit consumers include:

• Underweight and under-measurement
• Sub-standard quality
• High prices
• Duplicate articles
• Adulteration and impurity
• Lack of safety devices
• Artificial scarcity
• False and incomplete information
• Unsatisfactory after-sale services
• Rough behaviour

All of these are essentially a result of limited information, supply, competition and literacy. Thus its important that consumers recognise their rights and duties. The Consumer Protection Act also features a set of rights that all businesses alike must not abrogate. Including:

• Right to safety
• Right to choose
• Right to seek redressal
• Right to consumer education
• Right to be heard
• Right to be informed.

But rights don’t exist in silos. Thus it’s more important that to secure these rights, consumers also fulfil their duties, such as:

• While purchasing goods, consumers should look at the quality of the products and the warranty of the product.
• They should ask for Cash Memo for the item purchased.
• They should form consumer awareness organisations.
• They must complain of their genuine grievances.
• They must know their rights and duties.

Consumer Protection Measures

To protect the interest of the consumers, the government has adopted three strategies that are administrative, technical and legislative:

Administrative Measures

Administrative measures of the government include the distribution of essential commodities through the Public Distribution System (PDS). Through PDS, the government distributes some essential commodities at a reasonable price through the Fair Price Shops. In a free-market economy, a commodity’s price is determined through the free play of demand and supply.

The equilibrium price is the price at which demand and supply of the commodity are equal, i.e. there are zero excess demand and excess supply.

But sometimes government interferes in the market systems by fixing the price lower than the equilibrium price to protect the interest of the consumers belonging to the lower strata of the society. This price is known as Control Price.

When the government fixes prices lower than the equilibrium price, demand exceeds supply, which leads to black-marketing and hoarding. To check these government sales different commodities at different FPS at control price.

Technical Measures

Technical measures consist of the standardisation of the product. Therefore, one of the necessary measures taken by the government to protect the consumers is the creation of institutions for setting up the standards for making and producing various products and enforcing them. In India, this has been achieved through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Agmark. At the same time, BIS caters to industrial and consumer goods while Agmark is meant for agricultural products.

The Bureau of Indian Standards, earlier known as the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), whose headquarter is located in Delhi, is responsible for laying down industrial and consumer goods standards on a scientific basis and certifying the goods that meet the requirements standards and the prescribed quality.

The Agmark is implemented under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marketing) Act of 1937, amended in 1986. This scheme is run by the Directorate of Marketing and Intelligence (DMI) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Products such as honey, masala etc., carry such marks.

At the international level, an institution called International Organization for Standardization (ISI), established in 1947 located in Geneva, serves to provide such a common reference standard. All the international Companies, goods produced by them, and institutions are certified as ISO 6000, ISO 14000 etc.

For setting international food standards, there is a similar body called Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). CAC got formed in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organization(WHO) in Rome, Italy. It develops food standards, guidelines and codes for production and international trade in food products like milk, fish etc.

Legislative Measures

These include the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. In addition, the government enacted a specific law called the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Act provides for the establishment of consumer disputes redressal agencies at the District, State and National levels for the protection of consumer interests and to redress their grievances in a speedy, inexpensive and straightforward manner.

The Act has led to the setting up separate Department of Consumer Affairs in Central and State Government, which focus exclusively on the rights of the consumers, as enshrined in the Act.

Consumer Protection Act of 1986 And Case Studies

Although legal provisions like that offered a sense of protection to consumers, the laws were exclusive for protecting consumers and making them aware. Thus to fill that lacuna Consumer Protection Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on  5th  December 1986.

The promulgation of the 1986 Act was intended to safeguard the interests of the consumers and for the purpose that there is Consumer Councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumer disputes and matter connected therewith.

To provide quick redressal of consumer disputes, a quasi-judicial institution is set up at all three levels. These bodies were empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award, wherever appropriate, compensation to the consumers. In addition, penalties of non-compliance with the orders given by the quasi-judicial bodies have also been provided.

Case Studies

• S.L.Pati vs Postmaster, Aligarh, Orissa(1993)

In this case, the money order was not delivered in time to the concerned person. If this were the normal Act of the Post Office and the office, which belong to the Union Government, no one would have faith in services rendered by them.

As a result, an amount of Rs250/- plus the money order amount of Rs.1000/- along with interest @ 18% was the compensation awarded to the deprived person.

• KC Panda  VS  SDO, Telecom Department, Berhampur, Orissa(1994)

The telephone line was disconnected even if the bill was paid. Proceeding before District Forum, Telecom Department made an apology for the mistake that occurred inadvertently. But, despite the apology, an amount of Rs. 2000/- was the compensation awarded to the person concerned by the Telecom Department.

Data and Methodology

For this piece, around eighty households in the city of Bhubneshwar were selected using judgment sampling. And further, it was analysed to deduce consumer behaviour.

Statistical Tools Used        

For the analysis of data simple percentage method and the arithmetic average is used.

Percentage:

Percentage increase/decrease=    _________   X 100

G t = Value of the Variable in time period t

G t-1 = Value of the Variable in time period t-1

Arithmetic Average (Mean):

Sum of all the values of different items in the series

Arithmetic Mean= ____________________________________________

Total number of items

X 1 + X 2 +………………………+X n

=    _____________________________

N   =   å Xi       i = 1, 2, 3………….n

Limitations of the Study

The study area of the project is limited to Bhubaneswar city only. Thus, the sample size is relatively small. Further, all the respondents were from an urban background.

Analysis And Interpretation Of Data

Socio-economic conditions of the Households

The total number of households surveyed for the purpose is 80. For the same, the head of the family was interviewed to fathom aspects of consumer awareness mentioned in the questionnaire.

Table No. 1 : total family members of the surveyed households.

Table No. 2 : occupational status of the head of the household.

Table No. 3 : educational qualifications of the head of the household.

Table No. 4 : education status of total households surveyed.

Table No.5 : income level of surveyed households.

Total family members of the surveyed households are 420, of which 220 are female and 200 are male—the average family size of the home is 5.35.

Out of 80 people interviewed, 68 belong to the service class. The rest had their own business.

Out of the total 80 of the families interviewed, 55 are highly qualified, including graduate, post-graduate, and even some possess Professional and Technical qualifications. Out of the total, 23 are at the Primary and Secondary levels, whereas two are illiterate.

Out of total family members, 190 were graduate, postgraduate and professionally and technically qualified. Again, 170 members are at Primary and Secondary or Higher Secondary level, whereas 10 are illiterates.

Rest 20 belonged to below five years and hence are not mentioned in the educational status. Table No. 5 represents the distribution of income levels of surveyed households. Out of 80 families, 10, 60, 10 belong to low income, medium income, and high-income groups.

Table No. 1

Sex-wise family members of the households.

Occupational Status of the Head of Households

Table No. 3

Educational level of head of families.

Educational Status of Family Members

Income Level of the Households

b) Diagrammatic Presentation of Data

Different types of diagrams are used to represent the data. Diagram No. 1, a Bar Diagram represents sex-wise family members of the households. Diagram No.2,  a pie chart, represents the occupational structure of the head of the household. Diagram No.3 and 4 are the Pie Charts that represents the income level of the head of households and the educational status of the heads respectively. Diagram No.5 and 6 are the Bar diagrams representing the whole family’s educational status and income level of the heads.                                                                                              

Consumer Awareness of the Households

Table No. 6 represents the preferred use of toothpaste. Table No. 7 represents the influence of different agencies on families while purchasing a different brand of toothpaste used by the surveyed households. Finally, Table No.8 shows aspects of consumer awareness in the everyday lives of the surveyed households.

  Table No.6

The preferred use of toothpaste.

Source of influence on the Purchase of different  Brand of Toothpaste

Table No. 8

Different aspects of consumer awareness.

From table No.6, it is evident that the highest percentage of families, i.e. 37.5%,  prefer Close-up followed by Colgate with 27.5%. Income and occupation factors did not influence the purchase or consumption of toothpaste of Close-up or Colgate. However, in the case of a lower-income group, out of  10, 6 families use either Anchor or Promise, and they prefer it as it cost less than the other brand of toothpaste.

On the other hand, the quality of the product is important for the high and medium-income groups, using Close-up and Colgate. Besides, the quality of product and price, children’s choices was also taken considered while using the Colgate or Close-up for about 20% of the households. The majority came to know about the product through an advertisement on TV, followed by magazines, newspapers and other agencies, as evident from Table 7.

Table No.8 depicts different aspects of consumer awareness, i.e., standardisation, MRP, date of manufacturing and expiry, knowledge about Consumer Courts, rights and duties of the consumers, etc. Out of total families, 81.25% of families check MRP, date of manufacturing and expiry. However, 56.25% of people were interviewed to check the ingredients used in the product.

As far as Consumer Court is concerned, most of them (96.25%) know about it, but only 10 out of the total respondents have gone to the Consumer Court to redress their problems on different occasions.

Lastly, it is clear from Table No. 8 that the majority of households(71.25%) surveyed insist on Cash Memo at the time of purchase. However, it is limited to non-consumable durable items and some consumable items when a large quantity is purchased.

Summary and Conclusion

This project aims to assess the people of different classes in society about various aspects of consumer awareness viz., price and quality of products used by them, Fair Price Shop, standardisation of products, Consumer Forum, and their Rights Duties etc. Consumers will lead a happy, healthy, and prosperous life if they are fully aware of the aspects mentioned above.

For the project report, the head of households interviewed is 80, and all belong to urban areas. Out of the total heads of families interviewed, 78 are literate, whereas only two are illiterate. All belong to different income groups, i.e. high, medium and low-income groups. However, the majority of them belong to the medium income group (75%). Again, based on occupation, 85%  of respondents are government servants, whereas other are businessmen.

Close-up was the most preferred brand (37.5%) of toothpaste, followed by  Colgate(27.5%) among the surveyed households. Households from medium and high-income groups prefer a respective brand of toothpaste, taking into account the quality of the product and their children’s wishes. On the other hand, for the low-income group, the most important factor determining the use of toothpaste is the product’s price. Again, most respondents (70%) were influenced by the televised advertisement about the product.

As far as consumer awareness is concerned, most respondents did not know about certified products, check MRP, date of manufacturing and expiry at the time of purchase. However, the majority of them do not check about the ingredients used in the product.

On the other hand, many knew Consumer Courts,  but only ten had ever visited the court regarding their grievances.

To conclude, people are inclined to know their rights, product details and other relevant information that could affect them somehow.

The educational implications of the study are that every student and parent should be aware of different aspects of different commodities they consume in day-to-day life. For example, they should know about certified products, Check MRP, date of manufacturing, and expiry at the purchase of a commodity.

They must have awareness about their rights and duties.  This gives a preliminary idea about survey work to the students. Lastly, students will get an idea about how statistical techniques can be used in different socio-economic problems.

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• Statistics for Economics, Textbook for Class XI, NCERT, New Delhi, 2005.
• Indian Economic Development, Textbook for Class XI, NCERT, New Delhi,2005.
• The Consumer Protection Act 1986, the Law House, New Delhi.
• Contemporary India, A Social Science Textbook for Class X, NCERT, New Delhi,2003.
• Economic Survey, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Planning and Co-ordination Department, Government of Orissa, 2006-07.

This article was first published in 2015

Questionnaire

• Name of the head of family:__________________________

                                                      Education:________ Occupation:_______

                                                               Age:_________   Sex(M/F):_______

• Residential Address:_____________________________________________

                                                           _____________________________________________

• Age (In years)                                                            No. of Persons

                                                                                                  ________________________

                                                                                                    Male     Female       Total 

                                      ________________________________________________________                                                                

• 5-14         
• 65 and above

_________________________________________________________

                                                                                         Total: 

• Level of Education                                                

                                                                                                            No. Of Persons

                           ________________________________________________________

                           Illiterate

                           Primary

                           Secondary

                           Graduation

                           Others

                         __________________________________________________________

                            Total                  

• Monthly Income

                                                                                                                   ( In Rs/-)

                          _________________________________________________________

                          Up to  1000

                          1000-5000

                          5000-20000

                          20000-50000

                          50000 and above

                          __________________________________________________________ 

• What do you use to clean your teeth?

                                    Toothpaste_____  Tooth Powder_____  Any Other______

• Which brand of toothpaste do you use regularly?

                                     Aquafresh___ Cibaka____  Anchor_______

                                     Close-up____Promise_____Pepsodent_____

                                      Oral B_____ Furhans_____Any Other____

• The price for a 100-gram pack of toothpaste (used by them).

                               Price_______(actual)

                               Price________(approx.)

                               Do not know______.    

_________________________________________________________________________

• Do you find the product costly?     Yes/No
• Do you check MRP, date of manufacturing and date of expiry?   Yes/No
• Do you check the standardisation of products like ISI, Agmark, ISO 2000?   Yes/No
• Do you check the ingredients used in the product?   Yes/No
• Are you satisfied with the quality of the product? Yes/No
• Are you aware of the Fair Price Shop? Yes/No
• Do you find the availability of products at FPS?  Yes/No
• Do you complain to the shopkeeper in case of dissatisfaction? Yes/No  
• Has your complaint been timely attended? Yes/No
• Was your complaint attended to your satisfaction? Yes/No
• Are you aware of Consumer Courts? Yes/No                   
• Have you ever gone to a Consumer Court in case of any dissatisfaction? Yes/No
• Do you insist Cash Memo at the time of purchase to ensure genuine purchase and tax revenue to the government? Yes/No
• Do you insist on Cash Memos for other commodities at the time of purchase? Yes/No
• How do you come to know about the product?                                                 Yes/No

                                    Advertisement                                         Family influenced

                                    _______________________________________________

                                     TV                                                               _______

                                     Newspaper                                                   _______

                                     Magazine                                                     _______

                                    Cinema                                                         _______

                                    Sales Representatives                                    _______

                                     Exhibits Stall                                                _______

                                     Radio                                                            ________

                                     Any other                                                     ________

                                    _____________________________________________________                 

16. Are you attracted by promotional offers like rebates, free toothbrushes, buy one get one free?Yes/No

        17.   Do children influence the purchase of particular toothpaste?   Yes/No

        18. If a new toothpaste brand is launched in the market, will you buy it?  

                                               If yes, then what consideration?                                                                   Yes/No 

                                               Price of the Product________      Quality of the product______

                                               Promotional offer_______            Any Other______

———————————————————*———————————————————————–

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Empowering Through Knowledge: The Importance of Consumer Awareness in India

Table of Contents

Have you ever stopped to ponder the power that knowledge holds in the marketplace? In a rapidly evolving consumer ecosystem, awareness is not just about being informed—it’s about being empowered. India, with its burgeoning consumer base, is an excellent canvas to understand the importance of consumer awareness. Let’s unpack the layers that constitute consumer rights and how staying informed is the first step in safeguarding these rights.

What is Consumer Awareness?

Consumer awareness refers to the understanding by the general public of their rights as consumers. It’s about being informed about the products and services you use, the laws and regulations that protect you, and the avenues available for redressal if those rights are infringed. But why does consumer awareness matter so much?

Why Consumer Awareness Matters

• Protection from exploitation: An informed consumer is less likely to fall prey to unfair trade practices.
• Quality assurance: Awareness leads to demand for better quality, which in turn, drives up the standards of products and services.
• Value for money: Knowing what you should get for your money ensures that you aren’t overcharged or underserved.

The Role of Education in Consumer Awareness

Education forms the backbone of consumer awareness. It’s through educational initiatives that consumers learn to make informed choices. In India, this education often takes the form of campaigns and workshops.

Educational Campaigns

• Government initiatives: The Indian government runs numerous campaigns such as “Jago Grahak Jago” which translates to “Wake Up, Consumer Wake Up”. These initiatives aim to educate consumers about their rights and how to exercise them.
• Product information: Companies provide product information to guide consumers in making informed purchases.

Workshops and Seminars

• Interactive learning: Workshops offer a more interactive way to learn about consumer rights and how to be a smart consumer. They may involve role-playing, problem-solving, and direct interaction with experts.

The Active Role of Media

Media plays a crucial role in spreading consumer awareness. From television commercials to social media campaigns, the media helps in disseminating information far and wide.

Television and Radio

• Wide reach: Advertisements and programs aired on television and radio reach a vast audience, making them effective tools for educating consumers.

Social Media

• Targeted campaigns: Social media platforms allow for targeted campaigns that can reach specific demographics, making the message more relevant and effective.
• Voluntary Consumer Organisations (VCOs)

Voluntary Consumer Organisations (VCOs) are non-governmental organisations dedicated to protecting and educating consumers. They play a pivotal role in the consumer movement in India.

The Functions of VCOs

• Educating consumers: VCOs conduct seminars, workshops, and training programs to educate consumers.
• Policy advocacy: They lobby for consumer-friendly policies and regulations.
• Grievance redressal: VCOs help consumers file complaints and seek redressal.

Case Studies: Consumer Awareness in Action

Real-life examples can provide valuable insights into the significance of consumer awareness. Let’s delve into a few case studies that highlight the triumph of consumer rights.

Case Study 1: The Lead in Paint Initiative

• Issue: High levels of lead in household paint, which is a health hazard, especially for children.
• Action: Consumer awareness campaigns led to a demand for stricter regulations and safer products.
• Outcome: Manufacturers reformulated their products to reduce lead content, and new regulations were put in place.

Case Study 2: Misleading Advertising Crackdown

• Issue: Companies making false claims about their products.
• Action: Consumer education led to increased scrutiny and reporting of misleading ads.
• Outcome: Regulatory bodies penalized offending companies, and there was a marked decrease in such advertisements.

Empowering the Consumer Base

Empowered consumers are the cornerstone of a fair and just marketplace. By enhancing consumer awareness, individuals are better equipped to make wise decisions, understand their rights, and take action when necessary. This empowerment leads to a more vigilant and informed consumer base.

Knowledge is Power

• Decision-making: With the right information, consumers can make choices that align with their values and needs.
• Redressal of grievances: Knowing how to seek redressal is critical if rights are infringed upon.

Consumer awareness is not a one-time event but a continuous process. In India, the collective effort of educational campaigns, the active role of media, and the tireless work of VCOs contribute to a more informed and proactive consumer base. It’s through this awareness that consumers can hold companies accountable and ensure that the marketplace remains fair for all.

What are some ways you practice consumer awareness in your daily life? Have you ever had to seek redressal for a consumer grievance? Share your experiences and let’s discuss how we can further strengthen consumer awareness together.

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Redressal of Consumer Grievances

1 Role of Media and its Impact on Consumers

• Need for Media
• Advertisements
• Impact on Consumers
• Living with the Media

2 Misleading Advertisement – Regulatory Mechanism

• Misleading Advertisement
• Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
• Press Council of India
• Laws Governing Advertisements
• Department of Consumer Affairs

3 Role of The State and The Government

• Evolution of Dept. of Consumer Affairs GOI
• Consumer Welfare Fund
• Consumer Protection Unit
• Legal Metrology
• State Government Initiatives
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

4 Government Initiatives

• Campaign Jago Grahak Jago
• National Consumer Helpline
• Consumer Online Resource Empowerment (CORE)
• Grahak Suvidha Kendras
• State Consumer Helpline

5 Role of Industry Bodies

• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
• Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)
• PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI)
• National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)

6 Establishing a Consumer Orgnisation

• Type of Organisation
• Organisational Set Up
• Basic Requirements for an Organisation
• Activities of the Organisation
• Public Meetings
• Types of Protests
• Suggestions for Making the Organisation Viable and Effective
• Coordination with Other Organisations

7 Role of Voluntary Consumer Organisations (VCOs)

• Growth of VCOs
• Selected Consumer Organisations
• Functions of VCOs
• Consumer Protection Councils (CPCs)
• VCOs and the Consumer Protection Act 1986
• Consumer Awareness

8 National Consumer Helpline (NCH)

• Functions of NCH
• Role of NCH
• Responsibility of NCH
• Sectors more Prone to Consumer Issues and Disputes
• Sectors Responded Favourably
• Sectors where ‘Quality of Service’ Benchmarks have yet to be Established

9 Complaint to Ombudsman

• Institution of Ombudsman
• Lokpal—An Indian Ombudsman
• The Banking Ombudsman in India

10 Arbitration, Mediation, Conciliation and Other Redressal Forums

• Recent Amendment in Arbitration Laws
• Meaning of Arbitration
• Role of Arbitrator
• Appointment of Arbitrators
• Independence Impartiality and Accountability of Arbitrators
• Fixed Fees for Arbitrators
• Jurisdiction of the Arbitrator
• Challenge to Arbitrator
• Conduct of Arbitration Proceedings
• Taking of Evidence in Arbitral Proceedings
• Governing Law
• Form and Content of Awards
• Setting Aside of Awards

11 Strategies (Campaign and Advocacy)

• Campaign and Advocacy: An Explanation
• Types of Advocacy
• Essentials /Pre-Requests of a Campaign and Advocacy Programme
• Strategies of Effective Campaign and Advocacy Programmes
• Follow Up Action

12 Managing an Organisation

• The Concept and Structure of an Organisation
• The Dynamics of an Organisation
• Need for a Structurisation
• Nature of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs)
• Managerial Process
• The Rise and Role of Management in NGOs

13 International Consumer Organisations

• Consumers International
• Consumer Rights and its Expansion
• Structure and Purpose of Consumers International (CI)
• Consumers International’s Activities
• Coordination Activities of Consumers International with Other Agencies
• Consumers Interpol

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Case Studies in Consumer Behaviour

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Trends associated with consumer behaviour in the emerging Indian context have certain unique aspects. The huge market at the lower economic strata running to several millions of households for fast-moving consumer goods, the vast youth population that makes the market especially attractive to several multinational brands, the growth of luxury markets, the appearance of modern retail outlets in an environment that is still characterized by kirana shops and the enhanced rural patronage of goods and services spanning several categories are just some of the important factors that make the Indian context significantly different from the western markets. Case Studies in Consumer Behaviour adds value to the understanding of these context-specific challenges. This case collection on consumer behaviour has been selected based on the rich contextual and conceptual experience of the editor and the insights provided by Professor Paul Beamish of Ivey Business School, who has worked extensively on cases that relate to the Asian context. The cases provide an opportunity for students to blend theory with practice and understand how consumer behaviour concepts contribute to marketing strategies of brands. The Indian cases added to the collection provide an ethnic touch to the repertoire of issues pertinent to consumer behaviour. The digital era characterized by the social media and smart tablets require a basic understanding of the core concepts that influence consumers and this collection of cases provides the anchor on which several layers of thinking associated with consumer behaviour can be envisaged. The book is edited by Prof S.Ramesh Kumar, Professor of Marketing at IIM Bangalore in collaboration with Ivey Business School, Canada and published by Pearson Education .

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Jago Grahak Jago Campaign: Empowering Indian Consumers

The Jago Grahak Jago campaign has been making headlines across India, and it’s not just another news story. This nationwide multimedia awareness campaign, initiated in 2005, plays a pivotal role in empowering Indian consumers and protecting their rights.

This topic of “Jago Grahak Jago Campaign: Empowering Indian Consumers” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination , which falls under General Studies Portion.

What is Jago Grahak Jago?

• Consumer Awareness Program : Jago Grahak Jago is a robust consumer awareness program designed to educate and inform Indian citizens about their rights and responsibilities as consumers.
• Launched in 2005 : This initiative was launched in 2005 with the aim of creating a more informed and vigilant consumer base in India.

Why Jago Grahak Jago?

• Spread Awareness About Consumer Rights : One of the primary objectives of this campaign is to spread awareness about consumer rights. It ensures that consumers know what they are entitled to.
• End Malpractices by Merchants : The campaign aims to put an end to malpractices by unscrupulous merchants by informing consumers about their rights and recourse against such practices.
• Deliver Good Quality Products : Jago Grahak Jago also seeks to promote the delivery of good quality products to consumers, ensuring that they get value for their money.

Where and When?

• Location : Jago Grahak Jago is an India-wide campaign, making it accessible to consumers in both urban and rural areas.
• Initiated in 2005 : This campaign was kickstarted in 2005, and it has been making significant strides in consumer awareness ever since.

Who’s Behind It?

• Department of Consumer Affairs : Jago Grahak Jago is an initiative under the Department of Consumer Affairs, which is part of the Government of India.

How Does It Work?

• Channels to Spread Awareness : The campaign utilizes a variety of channels to spread awareness, including print media, TV, radio, cinema theatres, websites, hoardings, and display boards.
• Participation in Fairs and Events : Jago Grahak Jago actively participates in fairs and events to engage with consumers and disseminate crucial information.
• Utilizing Social Media : In the digital age, social media plays a vital role in spreading awareness. The campaign leverages platforms like Facebook and Twitter to connect with a wider audience.
• Professional Content Management : Content is king, and Jago Grahak Jago ensures that the information it provides is accurate and professionally managed.

Pros of Jago Grahak Jago

• Halt to Illegal Practices : The campaign has contributed to an immediate halt in many illegal practices, bringing attention to consumer complaints and reducing market malpractices.
• Fixed Rate on Products : It ensures that consumers are charged according to the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for products, preventing overpricing.
• Right to Bargain : Jago Grahak Jago reinforces the consumer’s right to bargain, ensuring that consumers get the best deals possible.

Challenges Faced

• Reaching Consumers in Rural and Backward Areas : One of the major challenges is reaching consumers in rural and backward areas, where access to information may be limited.

The Way Forward

• Grant-in-Aid for Local Awareness : The campaign focuses on providing financial support to states and union territories (UTs) for local awareness campaigns. This allows for tailored content that resonates with local populations.
• Strengthening Consumer Commissions : Financial assistance from the Central Government is aimed at enhancing the infrastructure of Consumer Commissions at the district and state levels, making it easier for consumers to seek recourse.
• Computerization and Networking (CONFONET) : By fully computerizing Consumer Commissions, Jago Grahak Jago aims to provide quick access to information and speedy disposal of cases, reducing waiting times for consumers.
• Online Application Portal (edaakhil.nic.in) : The campaign has introduced an online portal for filing complaints, operational in 35 states and UTs, making it convenient for consumers to submit complaints from the comfort of their homes.

Eligibility and Required Documents

• Eligibility : Every Indian consumer is eligible to benefit from the Jago Grahak Jago campaign.
• Required Documents : To avail of the campaign’s services, consumers typically need to provide proof of Indian nationality and a receipt for the purchased product.

How to Lodge a Complaint

• National Consumer Helpline : Consumers can reach out to the National Consumer Helpline for assistance with their complaints.
• Lodging Complaint Online : The campaign offers the convenience of lodging complaints online through their official website.
• Approaching National/District Consumer Forum : For more serious issues, consumers have the option to approach the National or District Consumer Forum.

Related Acts

• Consumer Protection Act , 1986 : Jago Grahak Jago operates in alignment with the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, which outlines consumer rights and responsibilities.
• Consumer Protection Act, 2019 : The campaign also adheres to the updated Consumer Protection Act of 2019, which strengthens consumer protections in India.

In conclusion, Jago Grahak Jago is a pivotal campaign that empowers Indian consumers, educates them about their rights, and holds businesses accountable for fair practices. By spreading awareness, addressing challenges, and leveraging technology, this initiative continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Indian consumers.

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Top 5 Milestone Consumer Cases in India that Every Consumer Should Know

We buy products and services on a regular basis. From fundamental essentials such as food and clothing to services like banking and education, we rely on companies and organisations to live comfortably in the modern world, and we pay them with our hard-earned money. However, businesses may occasionally fail to provide high-quality services or products. Many people are aware that consumer courts and regulations exist to protect consumers in such situations. Have you ever thought about who goes to such courts and what kinds of cases they hear? You'd be shocked how simple these situations may be. So, here are five fascinating consumer complaint cases for your knowledge:

1. Banks can't always claim "technical difficulties" as an excuse

We have become so reliant on banks. Most of our transactions are now digital, and we rely largely on banks for them. Have you ever had a transaction fail because the server was down or there were other issues?

Ms Dipika Pallikal, a squash champion and Arjuna awardee, was caught off guard when her Axis Bank Debit Card failed in a hotel in Rotterdam, Netherlands. At the moment, she had ten times the bill amount in her account. She suffered a loss of reputation and shame as a result of this. According to the bank, the situation was caused by "Force Majeure" (an act of God/something beyond their control).

Aside from that, the bank had also returned a 1 lakh cheque issued to her by the Indian government, blaming it on a technological error.

Dipika filed a consumer complaint with the Chennai Consumer Court against Axis Bank.

Court Ruling

The court found that Axis Bank had provided inadequate service and ordered the bank to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and expenses of Rs 5000.

The Key Takeaway

Banks are similar to any other type of service provider. We entrust them with our money, and they must deliver on their promises. Customers cannot be made to suffer because of "technical issues" or "force majeure."

2. Insurance claims cannot be denied based on technicalities alone

We pay a fee and receive insurance to protect us against unforeseeable losses. Many people, unfortunately, have had negative encounters with insurance companies. For example, Mr Om Prakash had his truck stolen and claimed insurance for it. The truck was taken on March 23, 2010, the police report was submitted on March 24, 2010, and the insurance claim was filed on March 31, 2010.

The insurance investigator was dispatched, and he validated the validity of the claim. The claim was authorised for a total of Rs 7,85,000.00. However, Mr Om Prakash was never given the money. When he sent a legal notice to the insurance company, they responded that there had been a breach of terms and conditions:

“immediate information to the Insurer about the loss/theft of the vehicle”

Om Prakash was late in applying for insurance since he was detained by the police while attempting to collect his vehicle.

While the consumer courts rejected his claim, the Supreme Court upheld his appeal and ruled in his favour. Insurance firms cannot avoid paying claimants on technical grounds, according to the ruling. Particularly when the claim has good justification.

The court ordered the Respondent firm to pay the Appellant Rs 83,5000 plus interest at the rate of 8% per annum. He was also given a monetary prize of Rs 50,000.

The Key Takeaway 

Many decisions have been taken throughout the years to guarantee that insurance firms are held accountable and do not avoid paying valid claims. If you have a similar problem with your insurance provider, you can file a complaint with the consumer court.

3. Tired of Skin and Hair Care Products Making False Claims? 

Perhaps you are not yet exhausted or are too tired to question. However, a 67-year-old guy from Kerala's far reaches was fed up with the company’s constant lies and how they got away with it.

In 2015, Mr K Chaathu filed a complaint against Indulekha (a beauty product maker) and Mammootty (the company's brand ambassador) for running misleading advertisements. The soap's tagline was 'soundaryam ningale thedi varum,' which means 'beauty will seek you out.' The advertising also stated that anyone who used the soap would become 'fair' and 'beautiful,' but the 67-year-old did not. Amusing isn't it?

Court Ruling 

Indulekha paid him 30,000 in an out-of-court settlement, but Chaathu's original claim was for 50,000. When asked about this, he stated that the lawsuit was never about the money, but rather about how these corporations place commercials with fraudulent claims on a daily basis. And it's not acceptable to allow these individuals to get away with it.

Because advertisements are created to sell items, exaggeration of outcomes is all too prevalent. However, making false promises only for the purpose of selling things is not acceptable. 

4. Is there no MRP on the product?

Mr Baglekar Akash Kumar, a 19-year-old, received a book and Rs 12,500 as a result of the book. How? He ordered the book online, but when it arrived, he discovered that it didn't have an MRP on it. He looked on the internet and discovered that the book was available at various costs in several locations.

So he filed a complaint with the consumer forum against Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd.

The court ruled that failing to display the MRP on goods without a valid cause is an "unfair trade practice." MRP exists to ensure that a customer does not pay too much for a product. As a result, printing MRP is required for businesses.

Akash was given Rs 10,000 in compensation and 2,500 in costs and the publishers were asked to print the retail price on the book.

Companies are required by law to include MRP on all products. If you notice a product that does not have an MRP, it is a breach of Consumer Protection Laws, and you have the right to sue.

5. Not All Freebies Are Accepted

Imagine buying a Pepsi and discovering a package of gutka floating in it! When Mr Rajesh Rajan of Ahmedabad bought Pepsi from a neighbourhood store, this occurred to him. He promptly complained against the corporation with a legal notice and contacted a Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum.

Furthermore, he alleged that there was a service flaw that could have put his health at risk. He requested Rs. 5 lakh in compensation for the incident.

The consumer forum ruled in Mr Rajesh Rajan's favour, ordering the corporation to pay a total of Rs 4,000 to him (Rs 4,000 for compensation and Rs 8 for the Pepsi he bought).

Rajesh filed a complaint with the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, claiming that the compensation of Rs 4008 was insufficient and that he had spent Rs 500 on sample testing. The State Commission considered Rajesh's argument reasonable and ordered the corporation to pay Rs 20,000 in compensation and Rs 2,000 in fees.

Not all freebies are acceptable! If you uncover something in your food (packaged or not) that isn't supposed to be there or could be damaging to your health, the supplier has failed to offer adequate service. Take them to one of the Consumer Court.

A lot of people fail to file a complaint because they are seldom not aware of the legalities and process involved or about their basic consumer rights. Online Legal India helps them not only file their consumer complaints but also helps them in understanding the process involved in a simple manner. If you want to file in the consumer court then contact Online Legal India today.

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Top Ten cases on Consumer Disputes

This article is written by Deepanshi of JGLS. The article discusses ten cases of Consumer Disputes.

Introduction

Purchase or hire of good and services has become an inevitable part of our daily lives. This decision to effectuate such purchase or hire such service is essentially based on trust, failing which can cause, more often than not to the consumers, anything from a monetary loss to physical harm. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (hereinafter referred to as CPA) aims to provide speedy relief to such breach of trust or negligence. A hierarchy of three tribunals has been set up for this purpose —

• The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF),
• The State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC), and
• The National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) .

Over the years, these tribunals, along with the apex court, have developed a better understanding of the CPA, meanwhile making sure to strike a perfect balance between the demands of both sides.

Following are ten important cases that hold relevance in case of consumer disputes:

Corporate Bodies can be sued under CPA

Karnataka power transmission corporation v ashok iron works private limited.

The Supreme court, in this case, held that a corporate body is included in the meaning of ‘person’ in section 2(1)(m) of the CPA. It reiterated the position of Lord Watson in Dilworth v. Commissioner of Stamps that the word “includes” is generally used to enlarge the meaning of the word but can alternatively be used to say “mean and include”, in which case what follows is an exhaustive explanation. The interpretation depends on the text, context, and objective of the Act. It was held that the section never intended to exclude juristic persons from its purview and the definition is inclusive in nature.

It also reiterated its own position in Southern Petrochemical Industries that the word “supply” is not the same as “sale” and in the context of electricity, it would be a provision of service as under section 2 (1)(d)(ii) of the Act.

Professional services fall within the scope of the Act

Indian medical association v v.p. shantha and others.

In deciding this case of deficiency of medical service, the court held that the services rendered by a medical professional fall within the ambit of ‘services’ under the section 2(1)(o) of the Act. It rejected the contention that a medical practitioner, being a professional and falling under the scope of Indian Medical Council Act, stands excluded from the CPA.

Moreover, it held that provision of a token fee (for the hospital administrative purposes) would not include an otherwise free service within the ambit of the definition of services. Also, the cost of the services paid by the employer or the insurance company would be deemed similar to paying for the service by the consumer itself.

Services have to be rendered with due care and in accordance with the Law

Arvind shah (dr.) v kamlaben kushwaha.

In this case, the complainant alleged that his son died due to the administration of a wrong treatment by the doctor. The State Commission upholding negligence provided a compensation of five lakh rupees.

In appeal, the National Commission observed that the two prescriptions that were available on record neither contained any description of the symptoms that the patient was experiencing nor did it have any preliminary vital information that a doctor is mandated to check, as per the guidelines and regulation of the Medical Council of India or the concerned State Medical Council, like body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, prior medical history et cetera. If further tests were required for the diagnosis, such was also mandated to be mentioned. The commission, following the case of Samira Kohli v Dr Prabha Manchanda [I (2008) CPJ 56 (SC)], held that failure to put such essentials in the prescription amounted to medical negligence. The Commission also noted that availability of such essentials, clinical observations and consent of the patient, point towards the care and diligence of the doctor and act as evidence against frivolous cases of medical negligence.

However, due to lack of available evidence that attributed the death of the patient directly to the negligence, the National Commission reduced the compensation to two and a half lakhs along with the interest thereon.

Poonam Verma v Ashwin Patel & Ors

In this case, the respondent, a homoeopathic doctor, prescribed allopathic medicines for the treatment of a patient who did not respond to the medicine and subsequently died. The Supreme Court held that the right to practice the allopathic system of medicine was restricted by the Central and State Acts which prohibit such practice unless the person possesses requisite qualification and is registered according to the Acts. Based on the fact that the respondent was qualified and registered to practice Homeopathy only, he was found to be in violation of the statutory duty not to practice Allopathy given under the section 15(3) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Respondent’s act was held to be actionable negligence and he was ordered to pay a compensation of three lakhs.

Educational institutions must refund extra fee paid

Sehgal school of competition v dalbir singh.

To seek admission in a medical coaching center, the petitioner, in this case, was made to deposit a lump sum fee for two years within the first six months. When the petitioner left the course midway on account of deficiency in the services, the coaching center refused to refund the remaining amount. The State Tribunal, following the view of the apex court and the National Commission, held that no educational institution shall collect lump sum fee for the duration of the entire course and if one does, such extra fee should be returned in case the student drops out due to deficiency. It noted that any clause in a contract contrary to this is invalid due to lack of equal bargaining power and contravention of the principles of natural justice.

The court was also of the opinion that additional compensation should be granted for the mental agony caused due to approaching the legal forum. However, since such was not asked in the petition, it could not be granted.

Sympathy should not influence compensation

Nizam institute of medical sciences v prasanth s. dhananka & ors ..

In this case, the complainant claimed for compensation due to alleged medical negligence before, during and after a medical procedure that led to a partial paralysis of the patient. The National Tribunal ruled medical negligence stating various lapses in all three phases mentioned including on the ground that consent of the patient was taken only for the examination of the tumor and not for its removal.

In the appeal, the Supreme Court confirmed the findings of the Commission and stated that the removal of the tumor was deferred through discussion on record and therefore an implied consent cannot be inferred.

The court recognised that a balance has to be struck between the inflated demands of the victim and the unreasonable claim of the opposition party that on compensation needs to be paid. It recognised that sympathy for the victim should not come in the way while deciding compensation but the court should not refuse to provide “adequate compensation”. In light of this and the peculiar facts of the case, it increased the sum of compensation to twenty-five lakhs each for the continuous medical expenses that need to be borne and the loss of employment that the petitioner had suffered. Additionally, compensation for the pain and suffering that the appellant had undergone amounting to ten lakhs, for the expenses of a driver-cum-attendant for thirty years amounting to seven lakhs and twenty thousand, for nursing care amounting of fourteen lakhs and forty thousand and physiotherapy expenses of thirty years amounting to ten lakhs and eighty thousand  along with interest of 6% was also granted.

Discovery rule for medical negligence

V.n.shrikhande vs anita sena fernandes.

The petitioner alleged negligence by a medical practitioner, claiming that he left a mass of gauge in her abdomen during a procedure to remove stones from the gallbladder. However, the petition was raised nine years after the procedure when the petitioner underwent a second operation, in another hospital, to remove the mass.

The Supreme Court recognized that in cases of medical negligence no straightforward formulae is present to determine when the cause of action has accrued. The court, following ‘Discovery Rule’ evolved by the courts in the United States, stated that in the case where the effect of the negligence is obvious, the cause of action is deemed to have arisen at the time of negligence. However, in case the effect of negligence is dormant, the cause of action arises when the patient figures out about the negligence with reasonable diligence. The court noted that the petitioner had been experiencing pain and discomfort since the time of the operation for which she continued to take painkillers for nine years without consulting the doctor. In the light of this and the fact that she herself was an experienced nurse who can reasonably be expected to possess more knowledge than a layman, the court set aside the Commission’s order and dismissed the complaint.

Both parents and minor can claim for compensation under Consumer Protection Act

Spring meadows hospital & anr v harjol ahluwalia.

This appeal was filed before the Supreme Court by a hospital defending the negligence of its nurses and a doctor which resulted in a minor being in a permanent vegetative state subsequent to a brain haemorrhage. The issues revolved around whether the parents of the child, not being the patient themselves, can ask for compensation for mental agony caused to them. The court held that the definition of services in the CPA is wide enough to include both the parents who pay for the services and the child who is the beneficiary of the services. The National Commission was found correct in its approach as it granted compensation to the child for the cost of equipments and recurring expenses that he would have to bear owing to his vegetative state, whereas the compensation provided to the parents was for the agony caused and the lifetime care that the parents would have to provide.

Imposition of penalty for frivolous consumer claims

Sapient corporation employees provident fund trust v hdfc & ors..

In a complaint against HDFC for debiting money without the permission of the holder, the National Commission noted that payment was done in compliances with the order of a statutory authority and only after giving the complainant due notice of the same. The Commission stated that there is a need to guard against the possibility of frivolous complaints from being filed due to the absence of any court fees. For this reason, holding that the complaint lacked seriousness and was filed without sufficient grounds, the Commission imposed a fine of twenty-five thousand on the complainant under section 26 of the Act.

Compensation to the complainants for frivolous appeals

Delhi development authority v d.c. sharma.

In the case of an accidental double allotment of a plot by the Delhi Development Authority, the State Commission refused to accept the defence that the plot had not been provided to the complainant only for his failure to pay the cost. It was found from the records that the plot had been allocated to another person. It, therefore, ordered the Delhi Development Authority to either provide another plot of the same description to the appellant under the same conditions or pay the escalated price of the plot.

The National Commission dismissed the revision petition for lack of infirmity in the State Commission’s judgment and ordered the payment of five lakhs for indulging in unfair trade practices and unduly harassing the respondent for more than eighteen years.

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RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

K.c. gajapati narayan deo vs. state of orissa (1953), g. basi reddy vs. international crops research institute (2003) , guardianship of a minor.

It is satisfactory but please give the dates of when these happened.

Do Make it user friendly.. Good job tho..

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• Consumer Awareness

What does Consumer Awareness mean?

To satisfy unlimited wants people purchase goods and services at a given price. But what to do in the case if the goods and services bought are found to be in bad quality or overcharged or measured less in quantity etc. In such situations. the consumers, instead of getting satisfaction, often feel cheated by the sellers who have sold the goods and services. Here, consumer awareness plays a significant role.

Consumer awareness is nothing but an act of making sure the buyer or consumers are aware of the information about products, goods, services, and consumer’s rights. Consumer awareness is important so that buyers can make the right decision and make the right choice at the right time. In this article, we will discuss consumer awareness, and consumer rights in detail.

Why There is a Need for Consumer Awareness?

The need for educating consumers about product quality and product price is significant and should not be ignored. The advancement of technology and emergence of sophisticated gadgets in the market and aggressive marketing strategies in the era of globalization has not only given a wide choice to consumers but also do not defend them with a plenitude of problems associated with such rapid changes.

There is an urgent and increasing necessity to educate and motivate the consumer to be attentive about the product's quality, and also the possible deficiencies in the services of the growing sector of public utilities.

In short, the consumer should be educated with respect to his rights as a consumer. He should be educated enough so that he is able to protect himself from any wrongful act on the part of the trader. In order to help consumers to be in such a state, there is a need to provide reliable and exhaustive information, which they can access without much effort and expense. Considering these issues, the Government of India and the State Government have made an effort to introduce a dispute redressal mechanism by means of the Consumer Protection Act. Apart from this, a lot more has to be done in the area of creating awareness. A suitable remedy should be suggested wherever there is a need. This becomes more significant in the rural areas, where there is widespread illiteracy.

Let us now discuss six different types of consumer rights which help consumers to protect themselves from any scams or fraud.

Six Consumer Rights: Everyone should be aware of

Right to Safety

Right to safety is a basic right that helps consumers to be protected against the marketing of such goods and services which are hazardous to life and property. Consumption of goods or services which are not up to the mark can have adverse effects on the consumer’s health and safety. In order to protect the consumer’s interest, they have a right to receive high- quality and reliable goods. For instance- Household goods like LPG cylinders if not sealed properly can cause immense damage to life and property, Stale food items can cause harm to buyer’s health, Low-quality cosmetics can cause similar harms.

Right to Be Informed

The consumer has a right to receive information about the quality, quantity, potency, standard, and price of the goods or services.This will not merely help him to make well- informed and thought decisions but also prevent himself from falling prey to high-pressure selling techniques. The right to information is used to shield consumers from deceptive advertising, misleading labels and packaging, high prices, etc.

Right to Choose

This right permits consumers to choose among a wide variety of goods and services without being forced to do so. In case of monopolies, the right to be assured of satisfactory goods and services at fair and reasonably priced.   It also includes the right to basic goods and services. The right to choose can be better employed in a competitive market where a wide range of goods and services are available at a competitive price.

Right to Be Heard

The above three rights are useless if there is no proper authority to listen to customer grievances. If a buyer is dissatisfied with the product or service, then one has the right to file a complaint against it in a consumer court and it has to be addressed within a set time frame. For instance, if a consumer buys an electronic Item and it starts malfunctioning, a consumer has all rights to take appropriate action by returning or replacing it. 

Right to Seek Redressal

This right states that If a consumer is not satisfied with a particular purchase, he has the right to get the product replaced, or even he can demand a refund for the product. The consumer may even ask for compensation in case a product or service causes severe harm to them.

Right to Customer Education

A consumer must be aware of his rights and responsibilities provided by the authorities regarding marketing practices. The consumer has all the authority to gain knowledge about his rights as a buyer. Lack of Consumer awareness is the most important issue our government should pay heed to resolve.

What is the Responsibility of a Consumer?

The consumer has a certain responsibility to perform as an aware consumer can bring changes in the society and would help other consumers to fight against the unfair practices or be aware of it. Following are the important responsibilities of a consumer which they should carry out.

They should know their rights under the consumer protection act and should practice the same in case of need.

They should have sufficient knowledge about the product they are buying. They should act as a cautious customer while purchasing any product.

A consumer can file a complaint if a product is found to be false or not satisfactory.

The consumer can demand a cash memo while making a purchase.

The consumer should verify the standard mark that has been introduced for the reliability of the quality of the product like ISI or Hallmark, etc.

Consumer Awareness in India

Consumer awareness campaign- Jago Grahak Jago is the most important and successful campaign which has shielded consumers against marketing malpractices and has successfully redressed consumer complaints. The campaign Jago Grahak Jago was started in 2005 by the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer and Public Distributions by the Government of India.

The Slogan “ Jago Grahak Jago”  means wake up consumers has now become very popular in almost every household. The Government of India used several different channels to create awareness among consumers. Following is the list of the channels used by the Government to meet the objectives of the “Jago Grahak Jago” awareness program.

Media Advertisements

Video Campaign

Audio Campaigns

At last, it is concluded that consumer awareness means being aware of having the knowledge about the several consumer production laws, rectified techniques, and consumer rights which include the right to protection of health and safety from goods and services that consumers purchase, right to be informed about the price, quality, quantity, potency, and standard of goods.

FAQs on Consumer Awareness

1. What consumer rights are assured under the Consumer Protection Act 2019?

The consumer retains following six consumer rights under this act:

Right to be Informed 

Right to be Heard

Right to seek redressal

Right to Consumer Awareness

2. What are the three consumer redressal agencies

Consumer redressal agencies are the quasi bodies established under the act to provide the easy, speedy, and inexpensive redressal to the grievances of the consumers. These bodies have been established at three levels namely:

District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission or District Commission.

State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission or State Commission.

National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission or National Commission.

3. Who is regarded as the consumer?

A person who purchases goods and services for a deliberation, which has been either paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment which also incorporates the user with acceptance of such goods or receiver of services.

According to the consumer protection act 2019, the statement “purchase any goods or hore any services” includes both online and offline transactions through electronic medium or by direct selling or multi-level marketing.

4. Why is it Important to protect consumer’s interest?

It is important to save consumer’s interest as they are the main purpose of any business information. There is no business if there is no one to satisfy.

5. What are Indian Consumer Rights?

Consumer Rights in India. The definition of Consumer right is 'the right to have information about various parameters of the product like its quality, potency, quantity, purity, price or standard of goods or services', as it may be the case, and the consumer is to be protected against the unfair practices of the trade.

7. How do I file a consumer complaint in India?

One must submit a formal complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

8. What is Jago Grahak Jago Campaign?

Jago Grahak Jago is a consumer rights awareness programme issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. This programme enables Indian Customers to get educated about their consumer rights.

Class 10 Economics Subject Enrichment Activity: A Project On Consumer Awareness 2024-25

Written By Avinash Sharan

Class 10 | projects 10, 38 comment(s), 4th november 2022, social science project on consumer awareness for class 10 .

Consumer awareness projects are all about developing ways to protect the interests of consumers by applying pressure on the business community. Students of class X are given this topic so that they can share their knowledge and foster the spirit of perseverance. Moreover, It also helps in developing confidence and managing obstacles more efficiently. By doing such projects, students learn to implement their theoretical knowledge in practical aspects.  Such projects are multidisciplinary because students are required to solve real-world problems by applying knowledge from different disciplines. Therefore, keep your project on “Consumer awareness” simple and to the point.

For Disaster Management Project click on the link.

Social Science Project On Consumer Awareness For Class 10 Students

Table of Contents

Things to be kept in mind while doing the project

(Follow CBSE guidelines strictly.)

• Firstly, USE A-4 size file paper (one side ruled) and blue/black ink to write your project.
• Secondly, design the cover page in such a way that it reflects your topic.
• Thirdly, write the Topic of the project, Name, Class, and Sec, Roll no. on the cover page in bold letters.
• Fourthly, however, the project work should not be less than 10 pages (including the cover page)
• Lastly, do not use plastic covers.

 1. Acknowledgement: Page 1

(what should be written) see the example below.

Acknowledgment

From the core of my heart, I am very thankful to everyone who supported me, for I have completed my project effectively and on time.

I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to my, teacher___________ as well as our Principal______________ who gave me this golden

opportunity to do such a good project on the topic, of “ Consumer Awareness ”.

I am sincerely grateful, to all of my friends, co-partners, family, and guides who shared their, truthful and illuminating views on several issues related to the project by devoting their precious time.

Equally grateful to my ( NAME OF SUBJECT TEACHER ) for giving me moral support and guidance in doing this project.

It would be an injustice if I did not thank my parents who helped me a lot in collecting data, pictures, and continuous help and support.

With their able guidance, encouragement, and support, I could complete my project on time.

Thanking you,

(Name of the student)

2. Certificate: Page 2

Project Certificate Format

Certificate

   This is to certify that

(Your Name)………………………. of class X  (your Sec) ………    

has completed his/her project on the topic

 “CONSUMER AWARENESS”

as prescribed by Mr./Miss/Mrs./Prof……….(teacher’s name)………. during the

 academic year….(year)……. as per the guidelines

issued by CBSE.

Signature of Teacher                                                                                                                                                       Sign of external

3. Index: Page 3

Do not forget to add an index page along with Page No.

4. Introduction Of Project On Consumer Awareness: Page 4

Today, we go to market and buy a variety of goods and avail services in our day-to-day lives.

For the same, we pay money and derive satisfaction by consuming them.

But sometimes, we feel dissatisfied due to poor quality, high prices, false promises, made in advertisements, hidden information, costs, etc., and so on.

This is done because we are, not aware of our rights as a consumer.

Therefore, the need for consumer awareness was coined by the Western World in the 1960s.

It is a social force designed to protect the interests of consumers.

Organizing the consumers to bring pressure on the business community to heed their say.

Moreover, the pressure may be moral, legal, or economic.

It is a combined effort of the consumers to seek redressal of their grievances adversely affecting their standard of living.

Therefore, It is the protest against unfair business practices and injustices.

5. Objective: Page 5 ( Project On Consumer Awareness)

• reduce consumer exploitation by making them aware, of their rights as a consumer.
• providing complete knowledge about a particular product to potential customers.
• To provide complete and adequate knowledge to the customer.
• prohibit the customers from making any wrong decisions.
• analyze the suitability of the product with particular buyers.
• interpret the needs of the customers more efficiently.
• achieve maximum satisfaction of the buyers and customers.

6. Who is a Consumer? Page 6

• Any person who buys any goods for a consideration, which has been paid or promised, or partly, paid and partly promised, or under any scheme of

deferred payment.

• It includes any user of such, goods when such use is made with the approval of the buyer but does not include a person who obtains goods for resale or any other commercial purpose.
• Any person who hires or avails of any service, for a consideration which has been paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment.
• It includes any, beneficiary of services when such services are availed of with the approval of the person concerned, but does not include a person who avails of such services for any commercial purpose.
• Consumer Protection and Common Problems faced by a Consumer in Market Place, Consumer awareness refers to the measures adopted to safeguard the interest and rights of consumers and to help them in getting their grievances redressed.
• Finally, Consumer protection means, protecting the consumers from unscrupulous, exploitative, and unfair trade practices of a seller or, a producer to maximize their profits.

7. History Of the consumer movement in India: Page 7

• There was no legal system in India to protect the consumers in the marketplace which resulted in rampant exploitation.
• Due to the shortage of food, hoarding, black marketing, and adulteration of edible oil and food, there was rampant exploitation of consumers.
• Hence, it gave rise to the consumer movement in the 1960s. This movement was in an organized form.
• In 1986, the Consumer Protection Act was enacted by the Government of India.
• This was a crucial step in the evolution of the consumer movement in India to protect the rights of consumers.
• This law is usually known as Consumer Protection Act 1986 (COPRA)
• Under the provision of COPRA , a three-tier quasi-judicial system was established at the district, national, and state levels. This was done to redress consumer grievances.

Class 10 Economics Project on Social Issue “Effect Of Corruption On India’s Economy”

8. Consumer’s rights and responsibilities: Pages 8 & 9

Rights to safety:.

Firstly, every consumer has the right to be protected against the goods and services that are hazardous to life and property.

Therefore,  before purchasing, consumers should insist on the quality of products and services.

Moreover, consumers must purchase products that are certified by the government of India such as ISI or AGMARK .

Right to choose:

Secondly, the right to choose ensures that the consumer must have enough choices to select a product at a reasonable price.

However, it can be better exercised in a competitive market where a variety of goods are available at competitive prices.

Right to be informed:

Thirdly, every consumer/customer has the right to be informed about the quality, quantity, purity, and price of goods.

This will further protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.

It will also enable the customer to act wisely and desist from falling prey to high-pressure selling techniques.

Right-to-consumer education:

Fourthly, when a consumer, does not have the appropriate knowledge about the product, they are easily made fool by the shopkeepers.

Therefore, It is the right of every consumer to have proper knowledge about the product.

Right to be heard:

Every consumer has the right to be heard at appropriate forums.

Consumer forum provides a platform for consumers where they can complain against the product or company.

The consumer can complain if

• Firstly, the company has charged more price.
• Secondly, If a duplicate product is delivered.
• Thirdly, If the product is damaged at the time of delivery and so on.

9. Consumer Protection Act 1986: Page 10

The Consumer Protection Bill, of 1986 seeks to provide for better protection of the interests of consumers.

Thus, by making provision for the establishment of Consumer councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumer disputes,

and for matters connected therewith.

It also ensures speedy and simple redressal of consumer disputes,

10. Responsibilities of a consumer: Pages 11-12

The consumer must exercise his Right:

A consumer must be aware of his rights. Unfortunately, the awareness among consumers is poor.

Even the government has done very little to create awareness among the people.

Cautious Consumer:

Consumers should not only be aware of their rights but also must be very cautious while purchasing the products.

As a consumer, you must not blindly believe what the shopkeeper says but also look for written documents related to the product.

Therefore, if the consumers are cautious, there is less chance of getting cheated.

Filing Complaints for the Redressal of Genuine Grievances:

As a consumer, you must not hesitate to file a complaint against the company or the shopkeeper for the redressal of Genuine grievances.

There are consumer courts in almost every district where cases can be filed.

Not only that, you may register your complaint online with the National Consumer Helpline Portal free of cost by clicking on the government’s website .

A consumer must be Quality-Conscious:

A consumer must not go for cheap products available in the markets.

Also, should not fall greedy for discounts.

While purchasing any product, the consumer must be quality-conscious.

Moreover, look for the ISI mark on the product and be aware of duplicate products.

Do not be carried away by Advertisements:

Advertisements are made to attract customers and to make them aware of the product.

But, not necessarily, everything shown in advertisements is correct.

Therefore, a consumer must apply his/her common sense and must not be carried away by advertisements.

Insist on Cash Memo:

Every product how so ever small or big, cheap or costly must be purchased with a cash memo.

Moreover,  a cash memo is proof that the product has been purchased from this particular shop at this price.

Without a cash memo, a consumer can not claim.

Therefore, consumers need to insist on cash memos.

11. Conclusion: Page 13

Consumer awareness is becoming important today.

On one hand, there is an urgent and increasing necessity to educate and motivate the consumer.

On the other hand, it is also required to make aware of the possible deficiencies in the services of the growing sector of public utilities.

Therefore, in short, the consumer should be educated enough concerning his rights as a consumer.

It is also important so that he/she can protect himself/herself from any wrongful act on the part of the trader.

Consumer awareness, therefore, means being aware of the several consumer protection laws.

Also about rectified techniques, and consumer rights which include the right to protection of health and safety.

We hope that this project on consumer awareness will help the students of class X.

Do comment and share your ideas through email.

Finally, subscribe with your email ID for more such projects.

You may be interested in:

How To Write a Project On Globalization And It’s Impact On Economic Development Worldwide

Online Fraud And Prevention – A Consumer Awareness Project

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38 Comments

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I am glad to know that my blog article helped you in completing your assignment. Keep sharing and visiting shapingminds

Thank you mam aapane Hamen file bheji mujhe bahut madad Mili

no words or the biggest essays can explain my feelings of gratitude it was very wonderful and amazing even worth emulating within the students but being a teacher I need to be farsighted and at some point I realized that it is a bit disturbing, as project work are meant to increase the conceptual knowledge in students and such blogs deprive students or I should say captivate the crave for creativity among the students .Hope you would understand my concern … with Regards Shaila Mehta P.R.T sociology Rishikul VIDYA Mandir

Thank you Shaila for your appreciation and feelings of gratitude shown towards my blogpost. My blog entries are meant to help the pupils. They gain insight into project writing. Students are free to ask for help, conduct research and use their creativity to better complete their tasks. Moreover, I do not charge a single penny from anyone but it is my duty to aid and direct underprivileged kids.I hope I’ve allayed your worries. I genuinely appreciate the concern you demonstrated. It severely undermines those who are true teachers if a student simply copies and pastes the entire project. Thank you once again. Keep visiting shapingminds.in

With warm regards, shaping minds

Thank You So Much This Helped Me A LOT

Thank you Shubham. Keep sharing and visiting shapingminds.

this project helped me a LOTT

Thank you Vedik

THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR IT HELPED ME A LOT ☺️☺️

Thank you Ravinder for your positive response. Keep visiting and sharing shapingminds.in

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Trump focuses anti-immigration drive on murdered women and girls

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Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and Alexandra Ulmer in San Francisco; Editing by Ross Colvin, Kieran Murray and Daniel Wallis

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Ted Hesson is an immigration reporter for Reuters, based in Washington, D.C. His work focuses on the policy and politics of immigration, asylum and border security. Prior to joining Reuters in 2019, Ted worked for the news outlet POLITICO, where he also covered immigration. His articles have appeared in POLITICO Magazine, The Atlantic and VICE News, among other publications. Ted holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and bachelor's degree from Boston College.

Alexandra covers the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with a focus on Republicans, donors and AI. Previously, she spent four years in Venezuela reporting on the humanitarian crisis and investigating corruption. She has also worked in India, Chile and Argentina. Alexandra was Reuters' Reporter of the Year and has won an Overseas Press Club award.

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Joe biden's disastrous debate blamed on bad preparation, exhaustion.

Biden's debate strategy was signed off on by campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon, who helped him win in 2020. Anita Dunn, a longtime Biden aide and former Barack Obama campaign strategist, backed that strategy.