Consumer protection act 1986 is an act of parliament of India enacted in 1986 to protect rights of consumers.The provisions of act came into force with effect from 1987.It extended to whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This act is applicable to all goods and services.
2. Consumer ProtectionAct,1986
Consumer protection act 1986 is an act of parliament of India enacted in
1986 to protect rights of consumers.
The provisions of act came into force with effect from 1987
It extended to whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
This act is applicable to all goods and services.
Consumer protection act imposes strict liability on a manufacturer, in case
of supply of defective goods by him, and a service provider,in case of
deficiency in its services.
3. Any person who buys acquires goods and services generated within the
economy for direct use or ownership rather resale.
He is final user of goods and services.
It does not include a person who obtains goods for resale or any
commercial purpose.
Two types of consumer comes under this act-
Who is a Consumer?
4. Objective
Better protection of rights of consumers.
Better protection of interests of consumers.
The main objective of CPA is to provide speedy and simple redressal to
consumer disputes.
6. RedressalAgency
The aims and objectives of the Act are achieved by
District Forum
State Commission
National Commission.
7. • Jurisdiction- if the relief complained in the complaint is less than 20,00,000/- then complaint
must be filed before the district consumer forum
• if the relief complained is between Rs 20,00,000-1,00,00,000/- then the complaint must be
filled before the state commission
• When the relief complaints exceeds Rs 1,00,00,000 then the complaint must be filed before
the national commission at Delhi
Fee payable for filling a complaint is as follows:-
• Penalities:
jurisdiction
• Upto 1 lakhRs 100/-
• 1 lakh to 5 lakhRs 200/-
• 5 lakh to 10 lakhRs 400/-
• 10 lakh to 20 lakhRs 500/-
8. Steps to file a complaint
Complaint is to be filed within two years of buying the product or using the service.
Complaint needs to be in writing. Letters should be sent by registered post, hand-
delivered, by email or fax.
The complaint should mention the name and address of the person who is
complaining and against whom the complaint is being filed
The consumer must mention details of the problem and the demand on the
company for redressal.
You should preserve all bills, receipts and proof of correspondence related to the
case
The complaint can be in any Indian language, but it is better to use English.
There is no compulsion to hire a lawyer.
Maintain a complete record of the emails and documents sent by you.
9. Consumer protection act in united states
The citizens of United States are protected from unsafe products, fraud, deceptive advertising,
and unfair business practices through a variety of federal, state and local laws.
The Principal Consumer Protection Agency at the federal level is the United States Federal Trade
Commission (FTC).
Federal Trade Commission (Created in 1914)
The FTC administers a wide variety of consumer protection laws by its own initiatives and in
coordination with other federal agencies.
AIM-The overall of FTC is to afford the US Consumers a deception-free marketplace and to
provide the highest quality products at reasonable costs.
The two main goals of FTC are:
To protect consumers by preventing fraud, deception and unfair business practices in the
marketplace
To maintain competition by preventing anti-competitive business practices
10. Other federal agencies
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
State level consumer protection agencies:
In most of the fifty (50) states, the State Attorney Generals are charged with enforcing the
consumer protection laws. They have the authority to issue Civil Investigative Demands (CID).
Private Right of Actions for Consumers :
Each Citizen of United States can use the State and Federal Court Systems to protect him/her
from fraud and deceit in the marketplace.
Consumer Credit and Debt Collection :
There are some laws at the federal level like Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Credit
Billing Act (FCBA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), to protect the consumers who avail
credit to make a purchase
11. Benefits
No lawyer or agent is necessary for filling complaint or to make submission
Fees chares for filing a complaint is very nominal and no fee is charges for
dispatching notices to opposite parties etc
Every complaint shall be heard and disposed of within 90 days from the
date of receipt of notice by the opposite party.