Consumer Awareness: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities

Let’s use an easy example to explain consumer awareness. Say you’re into healthy eating and avoid extra sugars in your snacks. You like a snack that’s marketed as sugar-free and says so on the packet. But, when you look closer at the ingredient list, you find sugar hidden under a different name. You’d feel cheated and tricked and might want to switch to another brand. This is a perfect example of consumer awareness and why it’s essential to be a knowledgeable shopper.

Hence, consumer awareness is fundamental to protect consumers from these malpractices and fake advertisements while helping businesses to stay sustainable. Modern-day consumers need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities. 

Content

• What is Consumer Awareness?
• Why Is Consumer Awareness Important?
• Stages of Consumer Awareness
• What are the Consumer Rights?
• Consumer Responsibilities

What is Consumer Awareness?

Consumer awareness is not just about being a smart shopper. It means knowing what you’re buying, understanding what’s in the products, and being aware of your rights if something goes wrong. Consumer awareness is a consumer's understanding of their rights to a product or service being marketed or sold, allowing them to get the most out of what they buy.

The Parliament of India sanctioned The Consumer Protection Act 1986 to safeguard the interests of India’s consumers.

In 1985, the United Nations adopted specific guidelines to establish ethical conduct for distributing and producing goods and services and protect consumers worldwide. World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15.

What are the Consumer Rights?

As the Government of India outlines, the following pointers facilitate consumer awareness in India and protect their rights.

• Right to Safety: Consumers have the right to be safe from dangerous goods and services. The products they buy should meet their long-term needs.

• Right to be Informed: Consumers should know everything about what they’re buying, including its quality, amount, strength, purity, standards, and price. Shoppers should get all the details about a product before buying and avoid high-pressure sales tactics.

• Right to Choose: Consumers should have choices and access to various goods and services at competitive prices, including necessary goods. Conscious shoppers should compare products and services to get the best deal.

• Right to be Heard: Consumers’ needs and interests should be top priorities. They should be listened to by appropriate consumer welfare groups or committees set up by the authorities or the government.

• Right to Seek Redressal: Shoppers should know they can file complaints and seek justice against unfair trade practices. This includes the right to a fair solution if their complaints are valid.

• Right to Consumer Education: This includes being aware of fair trade practices and making informed decisions when buying products. It also means respecting other shoppers’ rights and helping them with legal matters. Shoppers should know and use their rights for effective consumer protection.

Why is Consumer Awareness Important?

Merchants and manufacturers exploit consumers through artificial shortages, improper conditions, rude behaviour, and high prices. Protecting and promoting consumer rights is an essential function of government in any economy. Government agencies and consumer groups regularly initiate consumer awareness campaigns to help consumers understand new products and services on the market.

Consumer awareness is essential to helping consumers exercise their consumer rights. The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has conducted a country-wide multimedia awareness campaign titled "Jago Grahak Jago." Through this campaign, consumers can learn about fraudulent practices and problems and how to tackle these problems with the help of concerned government authorities.

Check out this Jago Grahak Jago campaign video. It brilliantly explains the concept of consumer awareness in the most straightforward way.

Source - YouTube

Stages of Consumer Awareness

Consumer awareness is a very crucial aspect of the success or failure of products. If the consumer is aware of the products and can make informed decisions, there is a high chance that the sales of such products will be higher. There are five stages of awareness of a potential consumer - 

1. Completely unaware: A consumer who is completely unaware of the problem and hence does not know the solution to that problem.
2. Aware of the Problem: A customer who knows s/he has a problem but doesn't know there are solutions to that problem.
3. Aware of the solution: This type of consumer knows the problem. He knows there are solutions but has not yet opted for one and does not know the product.
4. Aware of the Product: A consumer who already knows about the goods or services but is still determining if it will solve their problems. In such cases, the merchant needs to work on objections.
5. Fully aware: Finally, the customer who knows a lot of information about your product is about to buy but needs one last nudge. Understanding how aware potential customers are can help a business. It can guide them to create the right plan to boost sales based on customers’ knowledge. By understanding these five levels of consumer awareness, businesses can ensure they’re getting the right message to the right person at the right time.

As consumers, we also have duties and responsibilities. We must be demanding and inform ourselves about the products we want to acquire. In the following sections, let us explore the rights and responsibilities of consumers.

Consumer Responsibilities

Being a responsible consumer is crucial to any balanced economy. Now that you know what your rights are, you must be aware of your responsibilities as a consumer –

• Learn about responsible shopping.
• Find out about products, their prices, and terms before buying.
• Think before you buy. Look for the best option.
• Only buy from trusted businesses.
• Read contracts well before you sign.
• Don’t sign big money contracts without reading carefully or asking for advice.
• Check that ads are truthful and clear. What ads say is part of the deal.
• Don’t accept big money offers without thinking it through. Get the info in writing.
• Don’t pay for things you didn’t accept.
• Ask for a refund or compensation if something goes wrong, as the law allows.
• Keep all purchase records, such as ads, tickets, forms, receipts, and invoices. They prove that you bought something.
• Be safe when using products or services.
• Only complain about suppliers when it’s fair to do so.

Conclusion

Consumer awareness is a key part of a strong economy. Shoppers must know their legal rights and use them when needed. This doesn’t just boost the quality of products made and leads to happier customers and improved customer satisfaction. Additionally, aware consumers are more likely to make informed purchasing decisions, which can lead to increased market competition and innovation, ultimately contributing to a healthier, more dynamic economy where both consumers and businesses benefit from improved satisfaction and efficiency.

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