Consumer awareness refers to a consumer's knowledge of products and services, including price, quality, and expiration dates. As technology has increased the distance between buyers and sellers, advertisements can sometimes be misleading. Consumer protection laws and redressal systems aim to educate consumers and protect their rights and interests, such as the right to safety, choice, and compensation for defective products. The consumer redressal system in India consists of consumer protection acts, councils, and courts that allow consumers to file complaints and seek justice if cheated.

1. CONSUMER AWARENESS

2. Consumer awareness
Refers to the following –
1) Knowledge of the product in terms of
price, quality etc.
.

6. 1) The market is flooded with a wide
variety of goods and services and it is
very difficult to know which one is a
duplicate.

7. • 2) Because of advanced technology, distance
between buyer and seller has increased, hence
a buyer decides what to buy based on the
advertisements which can be misleading.

8. • 3) Information about date of packaging/
expiry date in the case of certain products
becomes important hence the consumer
should be aware.

9. • 4) Producers have their unions and
associations to protect their interests, but
consumers don’t, hence consumers should be
aware of their rights

10. • 1) VAT is value added tax to be paid by the seller.
• 2) It is a tax placed on a product whenever value
is added at any stage of production and at final
sale.
• 3) Once this is levied, price of the commodity will
increase because seller has to cover his cost.

12. Consumer redressal system helps a
consumer
to file a complaint
in a consumer court if cheated
by the seller or producer.
It consists of two parts –
1) Government Laws
a)Consumer Protection Act (CPA)
Consumer redressal system

13. b)Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA)

14. B) Essential Commodities
Act
(ECA)

15. C)Standard of Weights and Measures Act (SWMA)

16. a) Government Councils
1. Central Consumer Protection Council
2. State Consumer Protection Council.
b) Consumer Courts
1. National Consumer Courts
2. State Consumer Courts
3. District Consumer Courts
2) Institutions to deal with Consumer Complaints

18. 1) Right to information – The producer should
provide information
about the product
like price, weight, expiry date
etc.
2) Right to choose – The consumer can choose
what to buy and what not to buy.

19. 3) Right to safety – The consumer should be
protected from unsafe goods,
like adulteration in food.

20. 4) Right to be heard – The consumer have the right
to complain
against defective
products or services.

21. 5) Right to seek redressal – The consumer has
the right to get justice
in the form of compensation
if they are cheated.

22. 6) Right to consumer education – The
consumer should be educated about
instuctions to be followed before taking
the decision to buy.
Example – trademarks such as ISI,
AGMARK etc on some products.

23. • 1. Gives Support and Guidance to consumers to fight
for their rights.
• 2. Main objective – to give cheap, simple and quick
justice to consumers.
– Consumers can decide where they want to file a case.
– The company which has cheated cannot insist ona
particular court.
– Consumers can sue any company if they pass on their
personal information.
– Real estate developers can also be tried in consumer
courts.

24. 1. The consumer must have the cash memo
2. Nature of complaint has to be mentioned
3. Complain must be made within 2 years of date of
defect.