Consumer Bill of Rights

offered by

We keep these consumer rights in mind when making decisions and working to improve consumer rights and protections. The concept of professional regulation serving the public interest is summarized in the “Consumer Bill of Rights,” first introduced by President John F. Kennedy in 1962:

The right to safety : to be protected against the marketing of products and services that are hazardous to health or to life. The right to be informed : to be protected against fraudulent, deceitful, or grossly misleading information, advertising, labeling, or other practices, and to be given the facts needed to make informed choices. The right to choose : to have available a variety of products and services at competitive prices. The right to be heard : to be assured that consumer interests will receive full and sympathetic consideration in making government policy, both through the laws passed by legislatures and through regulations passed by administrative bodies. The right to education : to have access to programs and information that help consumers make better marketplace decisions. The right to redress : to work with established mechanisms to have problems corrected and to receive compensation for poor service or for products which do not function properly.

: Consumer Bill of Rights

What is meant by right to be informed to the consumer?

Right to be informed – iPleaders This article is written by of OP Jindal Global University, Haryana. This article discusses the importance of the right to be informed along with a brief of different perspectives associated with it. The article also undertakes a brief study of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

• It has been published by Rachit Garg.
• The right to information is indispensable as it forms the bedrock of trust between an individual and a government.
• It is pertinent to note that over 90 countries have acknowledged it as one of the crucial rights of the modern human race.
• It is a basic human right to demand information from the government and for the consumers to have information on the product or service they intend to buy.

Democracy is based on the very idea of consent and this consent can only be present if the government authorities are transparent and the citizens are kept informed about the activities of the authorities. This article discusses various perspectives of the right to be informed.

1. The article also discusses the which has been instrumental in giving the right to information a legal backing in India.
2. Right to be informed simply means being transparent and allowing someone to access the information that it requires.
3. Right to be informed can be seen from different perspectives.
4. For instance, the consumers must have the right to be informed about the product or service that is being bought by them.

Not only this but the citizens also have the right to know how their personal data is used by the government. A citizen should be able to access any information that it may require from any public authority. Right to be informed comes from the basic idea that people should be at the centre of governance in a democratic country.

1. In a participative democracy, it becomes crucial to ensure accountability as well as transparency for good governance.
2. It also gives the citizens a sense of confidence and trust towards the government authorities.
3. If access to information is denied, citizens might feel alienated and powerless.
4. This undoubtedly goes against the spirit of a democratic country.

Without information, citizens are not only denied their basic rights but are also denied the opportunity to make an informed choice. It is also believed that the right to information can act as a safeguard against corruption. Right to be informed is one of the most important consumer rights.

This means that all details regarding the quality, price, quantity, ingredients/contents, side effects, purity and potency must be provided or made available to the customer. This is expressly defined as right to information under the Therefore, before customers proceed to buy the good or service, they have the right to know all the information related to it.

The main objective of providing such information to the customers is to protect them from unfair trade practices. A customer will also be able to make an informed choice regarding the good or service. For instance, a consumer must be made aware of the contents as well as the potential side effects of a pharmaceutical drug.

Without knowing the quality, ingredients, purity, and other factors associated with the product or service, a consumer might not be able to make the right choice. The right information will also prevent the consumer from falling prey to high-pressure selling techniques that are commonly used in markets.

The consumers can get information through different types of sources. These may include the following: A label can be described as a tag that is mainly attached to the product. A label must ideally contain elaborate information that describes the product.

1. A label may contain information such as ingredients, nutritional information (calorie count, sugar contents, protein content etc), expiry date, or ‘use-by’ date.
2. An ideal label must also contain details pertaining to the name and address of the manufacturer, processing techniques, health claims, date of manufacturing, batch number, and quantity.

Therefore, a label should act as a source of information for the customers. It must be ensured that a label does not mislead a customer, i.e., it must not make any statement or claim that is false or misleading to the customers. Advertisement is a powerful technique to make a product known to the customer.

It keeps the customers informed about the availability of the product in the market. Effective advertising ensures that a customer is aware of the product’s details pertaining to its safety, nutritional information, and even potential side effects. Moreover, other sources like newspapers and magazines are also good sources to access any additional information on the product.

A citizen has the freedom to seek information from any public authority. A citizen charter is a written document that includes a declaration of the standard, accessibility as well as transparency by the service provider. Public undertakings must use the citizen charter to keep the information transparent and accessible to the consumers.

A consumer can seek information on proper use or even the risks associated with a particular product. It must be ensured that there is a free flow of information from the public undertakings to the customers at all times. It is the right of the consumers to request for any information they might need before buying a product or service.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 was enacted with the objective of providing information to the citizens by the public authorities. It is directly derived from e 19 of the Constitution of India which provides the fundamental right of freedom to speech and expression.

1. The underlying idea is that one cannot form a free opinion or speech without knowing how the government and public authorities operate or function.
2. It also entitles the citizens to receive information on public authorities.
3. This not only creates a fear in the minds of those authorities who have corrupt motives but also creates a sense of transparency between the citizens and the public authorities.

Any administrative action or even a quasi-judicial judgement taken by such authorities that directly impact or affect the citizens can fall under the purview of this Act. Under this Act, the authorities are also bound by a time limit of 30 days to provide the requested information.

• Moreover, if the information is denied by the authorities at any time without a justified cause, the citizens have the right to approach the appellate courts to enforce their rights under this Act.
• Some of the important considerations under this Act are as follows: Under of the RTI Act, 2005, the citizen can access various types of information.

This information may include materials such as E-mails, circulars, memos (in the form of correspondence), advice given in official matters that form a part of the record, orders issued by authorities, press releases and reports on official matters, opinions given by government officials in official public dealings or matters, logbooks of any official public authority, models of any official projects undertaken, official contracts entered into by the public authorities, circulars notifying public policy decisions, etc.

Powers and duties of the officers along with its employees.Categories of documents held by the officials. The procedure that may be followed in the decision-making process. Details of an organisation including its functions and duties.

It is important to note that along with giving the citizens the right to information, this Act also gives a list of circumstances wherein the information requested can be denied. provides for such exemptions from disclosure. Some of the exemptions include disclosures that affect the sovereign integrity of India along with an impact on the strategic and economic interests of the state and its relation with foreign states.

1. It also exempts certain information that is expressly barred by the court or tribunal including information that can endanger public safety, and life or is against security reasons.
2. This section also prohibits the disclosure of information that can hamper the investigation process of offenders or accused persons.

Moreover, information such as trade secrets, Intellectual property rights that could have a bearing on the competitive power of third parties is also prohibited from disclosure. In the case of, the Supreme Court held that citizens have the right to access information from public authorities and the public must be authorised to have access to certain public transactions.

Further, in the case of the Supreme Court clearly held the right to information as a basic right under of the Indian Constitution. In the case of the Supreme Court held that information pertaining to sanctions, and penalties against an employee is not information that is required for public interest but is a matter that must stay between the employee and the employer.

In the landmark case of wherein the petitioner had requested the selection list of certain deputy directors by the Service Commission. The personal information of the selected candidates was rejected by the Commission and the Supreme Court held this to be a ‘grave error’.

1. The court reasoned that this information was in the public interest and therefore should not have been denied.
2. The court also opined that the benefits of such information outweigh the harm.
3. However, there have also been instances where the courts have denied the right to information to citizens.
4. In the case of, the Supreme Court held that students have the right to be informed regarding the evaluation of answer sheets and that an examining body and a student are not under a fiduciary relationship.

In the recent case of the, the Supreme Court directed the Central Public Information Officer to furnish details of information regarding the collegium decision process and the personal assets of the judges. (General Data Protection Regulation) of the EU aims at providing information to people regarding what is being done with their personal data.

1. The information provided must be clear as well as concise.
2. Articles of the GDPR provide the list of information to which a person must have access.
3. This information is also known as ‘privacy information’.
4. The processing of information regarding personal data should always be fair, transparent and lawful.

The right to be informed under Articles 13 and 14 is an integral part of an organisation’s obligation to be transparent. The underlying principle of transparency is that information regarding personal data should not only be accessible but also comprehensible.

The details of the data collector to whom the personal data is given. The purpose for processing the data. The legitimate interests of the third party or controller or any other recipients. The retention period (the time limit for which the personal data can be held) or the standard used to determine the retention period.In case the processing is based on consent, information on the right of withdrawal of such consent must also be given.Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.The possible consequences of failure to provide the personal data, i.e., whether the obligation to give personal data is statutory or contractual.Existence of other rights such as the right to data portability, right to rectification, right to access, right to object, right to restrict processing etc.

The right to be informed is the most fundamental in ensuring good governance. Every citizen has the right to information, i.e., the right to be informed. The Right to Information Act, 2005 was one of the biggest steps taken by the Indian legislature toward keeping the citizens informed about the activities of the government.

It makes the government more accountable for its actions. Consumers must also be fully aware of their right to be informed about the ingredients, shelf life, expiry, manufacturing, safety warnings, and other important details regarding the product or service they are intending to buy. Therefore, the right to be informed can be understood from different perspectives.

The right to be informed is legally recognised under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 also recognises the right to information as a legal right of consumers. Not every kind of information is required to be disclosed.

Students of regularly produce writing assignments and work on practical exercises as a part of their coursework and develop themselves in real-life practical skills. LawSikho has created a telegram group for exchanging legal knowledge, referrals, and various opportunities. You can click on this link and join:Follow us on and subscribe to our channel for more amazing legal content.

: Right to be informed – iPleaders

What is meant by consumer protection?

Consumer Protection / / Consumer Protection

At the same time, businesses should refrain from fraudulent or unfair conduct that misleads or negatively affects consumers. Consumers, in turn, should be well-informed about their rights and be able to proactively assert them. Consumer associations play an important role in raising awareness and reaching out to consumers. : Consumer Protection

Are consumers always right?

4. Customers are sometimes just wrong – No one can be right all the time, and that includes your customers. Sometimes, they are simply misinformed about how a product works. This is an opportunity for your business to be proactively helpful—adding answers to an FAQ, training customer service associates on how to handle common customer complaints, or correcting a confusing product description.

But sometimes a disgruntled customer can be unreasonable. Your team might be faced with an abusive customer. No one should have to deal with outright degradation or threats. If this happens, management needs to support its teams, If employees are constantly being berated by customers and don’t receive support from the company, morale can plummet.

This can take a real toll on your team, and that leads to high employee turnover and poor customer experience. Saying the customer is always right doesn’t make it true. Sometimes customers are wrong, and employees need to be trained to handle these sticky situations.

What is the ISO for safety and security?

ISOfocus : What is ISO 45001? – Charles Corrie, Secretary of ISO/PC 283, Occupational health and safety management systems, Kristian Glaesel, Convenor of the ISO/PC 283 working group that developed ISO 45001.K. Glaesel and C. Corrie: ISO 45001 is a milestone! As the world’s first International Standard dealing with health and safety at work, ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, offers a single, clear framework for all organizations wishing to improve their OH&S performance.

Directed at the top management of an organization, it aims to provide a safe and healthy workplace for employees and visitors. To achieve this, it is crucial to control all factors that might result in illness, injury, and in extreme cases death, by mitigating adverse effects on the physical, mental and cognitive condition of a person – and ISO 45001 covers all of those aspects.

While ISO 45001 draws on OHSAS 18001 – the former benchmark for OH&S – it is a new and distinct standard, not a revision or update, and is due to be phased in gradually over the next three years. Organizations will therefore need to revise their current thinking and work practices in order to maintain organizational compliance.

What is an example of security right?

Security Rights means any mortgage, charge, security, pledge, lien, right of set-off, right of step-in, right to retention of title or other encumbrance, whether fixed or floating, over any present or future property, asset or undertaking.

What is a safe system of work example?

What is a Safe System of Work? – A Safe System of Work (or SSoW) is a set of procedures designed to make a specific task as safe as possible. Typically it will take the form of a detailed step-by-step guide, taking into account the people, equipment and materials involved.

A set of operating instructions for a dangerous piece of machineryA safety checklist for employees working at height or in a confined spaceA step-by-step guide to dealing with a certain hazardous substance

It is best to formalise a Safe System of Work as a written document. This allows you to refer to it in the event of an accident. You can also reinforce the message orally or by displaying a list of do’s and don’ts.

What are the consumer responsibilities?

Consumer Responsibilities Learn about the risks associated with products and services. Be honest in your dealings and choose only legal goods and services. Ask for a bill on purchase of goods or services. File complaint in case of poor quality of good or service. Avoid waste, littering and contributing to pollution.

Who is a consumer in Consumer Protection Act?

According to the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, a consumer means any person, who buys any product or hires/avails of any service for a consideration. It also includes any user of such goods or beneficiary of such services provided, use is made with the approval of the buyer.

What can consumers do to protect themselves?

Consumers can protect themselves by working with licensed and reputable service providers, looking for potential scams, and understanding available consumer protection resources.

What are the 8 basic rights of consumers?

Abstract – This study considers Filipino consumers living in two different places and the degree to which they are aware of the eight basic consumer rights and whether there are significant differences in their level of awareness. The eight consumer rights are: Right to basic needs, Right to safety, Right to information, Right to choose, Right to representation, Right to redress, Right to consumer education, and Right to healthy environment.

• Findings show moderate overall degree of awareness of both Filipinos living in their own country and those living in Guam.
• No significant difference was observed as to their overall awareness on the eight basic rights.
• However, significant differences were manifested in three rights: basic needs, information and choice.

Filipinos living in Guam have low awareness on their right to choose and right to information while Filipinos in the country showed moderate awareness on all other rights except for right to safety. Keywords: Consumer Awareness, Consumerism, Consumer Rights JEL Classification: D11, M31 Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation Ibarra, Venus C.

What is Regulation 5 of the consumer protection?

Misleading actions – Regulation 5 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibits giving false information to, or deceiving, consumers. A misleading action occurs when a practice misleads through the information it contains or its deceptive presentation (even if the information is factually correct) and causes, or is likely to cause, the average consumer to take a different transactional decision.

misleading information generally creating confusion with competitors’ products failing to honour commitments made in a code of conduct

The information that may be considered as misleading is very wide and is listed in the legislation itself; it includes such things as:

the existence or nature of the product – for example, advertising goods that don’t exist the main characteristics of the product – for example, the availability, benefits, fitness for purpose or the geographical origin of the product the price or the manner in which it is calculated the need for a service, part, replacement or repair the nature, attributes and rights of the trader, such as qualifications

How many consumer rights are there?

In August 2019, the Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Act 2019, which replaced the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 came into force in July 2020. The Consumer Protection Act guarantees six basic rights to consumers.

– Even though World Consumer Rights Day is observed on March 15, India celebrates National Consumer Day or National Consumer Rights Day on December 24 every year as it was on this day that the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, received the assent of the President. The primary aim of this day is to make consumers aware of their rights and responsibilities.

In August 2019, the Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Act 2019, which replaced the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 came into force in July 2020. The Consumer Protection Act guarantees six basic rights to consumers.

1. The consumer’s right is defined as the right of a consumer to receive adequate information about the quantity, quality, purity, price, potency and standard of a product that they are using.
2. These rights protect the consumer from any malpractices.
3. ALSO READ: On National Consumer Day, here is a look at the six consumer rights in India.

Right to Safety The right to safety means the consumer’s right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services that are hazardous to life and property. The goods and services availed by the consumer should not only meet their immediate need but also cater to their long-term interests.

Consumers should insist on checking the quality of the products before purchasing. They should give preference to quality-marked products such as ISI, AGMARK, etc. Right to be Informed This right ensures that the consumer is informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods and services purchased.

This protects the consumer from unfair trade practices. Right to Choose All consumers have to right to accessibility to a variety of products and services in the market at fair prices. Right to be Heard With the Right to be Heard, a consumer’s interest is given proper consideration at appropriate forums.

1. The right also ensures that the consumer is represented in various forums formed for the consumer’s welfare.
2. Right to Seek Redressal Every consumer has the right to claim redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation and demand a fair settlement in case of genuine grievances.
3. For this, the consumers must make a complaint for their genuine grievances.

Right to Consumer Education Consumers have the responsibility of being aware of their rights. The right to consumer education means the right to acquire knowledge and relevant skills to make him or her an informed consumer. (Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

What is the importance of having the right products?

Why should your business care about quality? – Businesses must do everything they can to keep up with their competitors. Delivering superior products and services is paramount. Quality management systems provide the information and guidelines for doing things correctly.

Furthermore, they help your business achieve optimum cost efficiency and utilisation of available resources. In the long run, these practices strengthen your company’s brand, raising you to the level of your competitors. Since they improve your products and business operations, they lead to a stronger market position.

Good quality management can enhance your organisation’s brand and reputation, protect it against risks, increase its efficiency, boost its profits and reduce waste, and position it to keep on growing. All while making staff and customers happier.1. Higher profitability Studies show a strong positive association between quality and profitability,

In fact, high quality produces a higher return on investment (ROI) for any given market share. Fewer defects or field failures result in lower manufacturing and service costs; as long as these gains exceed any increase in expenditures by the firm on defect prevention, profitability will improve. Improvements in performance, features, or other dimensions of quality lead to increased sales and larger market shares.2.

Consumer Rights | What consumer rights do I have?

More consistent products and increased efficiency Quality management helps companies improve their products’ reliability, durability and performance. These factors help differentiate a business from its competitors. Better products equal happier customers and higher revenue.

Quality means doing it right when no one is looking”. Henry Ford Customers who buy products from your company will be expecting the same standard of quality each time they buy. Without a proper quality management system, your customers could find themselves buying the same product, but with various standards of quality.

Checking all of the items before distributing them to the consumer or putting them up for sale will give you peace of mind that the same high standard is being maintained throughout the company.3. Greater customer satisfaction In today’s competitive market, consumers are more demanding than ever.

• They can choose from thousands of brands and have access to millions of stores due to the advances in technology.
• If your products and services fail to meet customer expectations, your brand and revenue will suffer.
• Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten”.
• Gucci family slogan Customers want to know that their hard-earned money is being spent on something that is worth the price and not something that is of poor quality, much less defective.

A sound quality management implementation ensures that your company’s products exceed customer expectations. Quality management can help you turn prospects into loyal customers. It does so by continuously improving your products, incorporating changes and eliminating defects.

• If you want your business to stand out, it’s critical to meet or exceed their expectations and comply with the highest quality standards.
• In turn, customer satisfaction leads to customer loyalty.
• If a customer is satisfied with a product of a company they will go back to the company for other products.

However, if they are handed a defective product, they are most likely to not go back to that specific brand! 4. Risk reduction and protecting your brand Once your products leave the building, there are plenty of risks to consider. Recalls, for instance, can result in significant long-term financial losses and affect the customer experience.

• BP faced a total bill of £35bn from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010, which left 11 people dead, the region’s environment devastated and an indelible stain on BP’s reputation
• Volkswagen will be dealing with the fallout from the 2015 emissions cheating scandal for years to come
• Retailers Tesco, Iceland, Aldi and Lidl’s reputations took a battering in 2013 when beef products were found to contain horsemeat

None of these things need have happened if better quality management had been in place. It is amazing how one defective product can have a big impact on your business. If somebody is unlucky enough to buy a damaged item that hasn’t been checked, they will most likely ask for a refund and return the item.

• It is also very unlikely that they will return to your business in the future, and will probably mention this to some of their friends too.
• Even worse, they’ll take to the internet and leave a bad review about your company, warning other people not to shop with you.
• As a business owner, you are responsible for bearing the costs of product recalls.

In the worst-case scenario, you may have to deal with lawsuits. For this reason, companies cannot ignore or overlook the importance of quality management.5. Lower Costs Statistically, the better your quality management system is and the better quality you can produce, the more customers you’ll get and the more revenue you will earn.

• Marketing and sales
• Administrative departments
• Finance and accounting
• Research
• Manufacturing
• Equipment maintenance

When applied consistently over time, these processes can reduce your costs and increase your profit. For example, a quality product will require less rework down the road, leading to cost savings and fewer warranty claims.6. Meeting or exceeding industry standards Adherence to a recognised quality standard may be essential for dealing with certain customers or complying with legislation.

Public-sector companies, for example, may insist that their suppliers achieve accreditation with quality standards. If you sell products in regulated markets, such as healthcare, food or electrical goods, you must be able to comply with health and safety standards designed to protect consumers. Accredited quality control systems play a crucial role in complying with those standards.

Accreditation can also help you win new customers or enter new markets by giving prospects independent confirmation of your company’s ability to supply quality products.7. Reducing waste Each time you find a product that isn’t suitable to sell in your company, you’ll have to throw it away.

If you find many items that aren’t up to the necessary standard, you will start to see your business turning over a lot of waste over the year. Apart from this being bad for the environment, you will also feel like you’re wasting a lot of items and a lot of money too. If you’re trying to encourage your staff to reduce waste in the workplace, it doesn’t set a good example if there isn’t a quality management system in place, which helps to reduce the amount of waste.8.

Increase staff motivation and morale Besides product quality, quality management systems, such as ISO 9001, ensures clear communication structures, responsibilities and tasks across all departments. This results in higher employee morale, improved performance and increased efficiency.

• Quality is the result of a carefully constructed cultural environment.
• It has to be the fabric of the organisation, not part of the fabric”.
• Philip Crosby Your staff will be more motivated to keep standards high if they know that each product is going through quality management before being sold.
• Quality management practices can reduce human error and improve a company’s validation activities.

Your employees will have a set of guidelines to follow during their day-to-day operations, which helps eliminate guesswork and ensures compliance. Rather than becoming complacent after a while, they will work harder to make sure that all the items are up to the standard that is required in order for the products to go on sale.

What is the importance of a consumer?

Importance (Significance) of Consumers : – The importance of consumers in different avenues is discussed below: (i) Encourage Demand : Consumers are the main source of demand for all the goods. The producers of industrial goods or the producers of agricultural products are all producing the various items according to the demand in the market.

According to Prof. Marshall, it is the demand which controls the production or market. Hence, the consumers create demand in the market and producers produce goods or services accordingly. (ii) Create Demand for Various Products : The different consumers have different types of demand or a single consumer can also demand different types of products.

These will encourage the producers to produce various types of products in the market. For example, some consumers want to consume paddy, whereas some consumers want to consume wheat. However, there are some consumers; who want different qualities of paddy and wheat also.

Thus, there are some consumers who prefer red colour soap whereas other’ consumers prefer green colour soap. Therefore, to satisfy all the types of consumers, producers must increase the production of various products. (iii) Increase Demand for Consumer Goods : Consumers create more demand for all the types of consumer goods, like durable, semi- durable and perishable goods.

Durable consumer goods include furniture, utensils, televisions, etc. and for semi-durable goods like clothes, books, shoes etc. On the other hand, perishable goods like bread, butter, vegetables, fruits etc. are all demanded by the consumers for their consumption purposes.

• Naturally, all these create an atmosphere to increase demand for consumer goods.
• Iv) Enhance Service Diversification : Consumers not only consume different varieties of goods, but also consume large varieties of services to maintain the standard of living.
• These include health service, educational service, banking and insurance service, transport and communication service, etc.

Day by day the consumption of these services is rising. This will lead to expansion or enhancement of service sector within the economy. : Consumers: Types and Importance of Consumers

Jack Gloop