Customer is not aware, Consumer is being cheated in new ways; Claim of Central Consumer Ministry

Man means consumer and consumer essentially refers to victim of fraud. Each and every person of the country is often being cheated somewhere or the other. The government has also framed laws for the protection of their rights. The efforts are continuously being made to wake them up.

Still, the consumers being asleep, new ways of cheating are trying to get profit, as more than two-thirds of the population is not alert about their own rights. The Central Consumer Ministry claims that the cases that come to the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions are seriously acted upon and solutions are provided, but how many such cases come?

As no recent survey has been conducted by the government, one does not know how many consumers have actually been alerted. How Much Impact Has "Jago Grahak Jago" Ever had? CUTS International, an NGO working on consumer rights, had conducted a survey in 2011-12 with the help of Central Government which showed only 20 percent of consumers were aware of their rights.

Even after 13 years the situation has not changed much. The increased awareness is at best five to ten percent. It is well evidenced that despite all efforts, a maximum of 30 percent consumers have become alert so far.", said Deepak Saxena, Associate Director of CUTS.

Others do not know what they can do in case they get cheated while purchasing any product or service. More than half the people leave themselves to the market conditions, thinking this system is not going to improve. An official with the Consumer Ministry said not many people come forward after being cheated.

This encourages the people who make profits by selling wrong products. 90 percent of the people have never complained. Only four to five percent of the consumers register their complaint with the company or the product manufacturer. However, in recent years, due to the increase in online shopping and cyber crime, awareness is increasing among the people automatically.

Now, people in urban areas have become more aware, people in villages are unaware. The consumers are unaware about the "Jago Grahak Jago" campaign. 90 percent of the consumers are unaware. People in villages also do not know that before purchasing, one should check for quality certifications like ISI, ISO and Agmark.

Besides this, many educated villagers also do not know where they should file a complaint in case of a bad product. People go to the dealer or shopkeepers, and they send them to the manufacturing companies. Even the aware ones have been indifferent because of the delay in the consumer court. Prof. Bijan Mishra, an international consumer policy expert opines that even if a person gets inspired by somebody and goes to the appropriate forum, there is no guarantee that he shall get a solution.

Only 18-20 percent of the consumers who filed a complaint got a satisfactory solution. The rest either did not get a solution or were not satisfied with the action. On the contrary, it is a good omen that due to quick solutions in many cases, trust in the consumer redressal system is gradually increasing. The shopping is increasing despite not believing in the e-platform. It contends, 56 percent of consumers in cities have started shopping online. However, it is a different matter that they still do not believe in the quality of the products bought online.