Name _________________________________________

C o n s u m e r...S u r v e y
Are you consumer-savvy? Use this form
to participate in a consumer-awareness study.

My grade: __________________________ Female Male

1. What is a consumer? 6. Which of the following products

__________________ should be carefully researched
before buying? (You may check
2. Which of the following is more than one.)
not a consumer issue or
concern? (You may
check more than one.) CD player Car

Health-care services Bike Pencil

Product
performance/quality Video
Sneakers
game

Cost of credit
Sports
Fast food
drink
Money management

Misleading
advertising

Invasions of personal
privacy

3. Which of the following 7. What information on food labels

information sources is very important to check out
about products could before buying? (You may check
you trust? (You may more than one.)
check more than one.)

Calories per serving

Product ads

Percent Daily Values (DV)

Product labels

Ingredients
Consumer group or
government agency
Expiration date

Salesperson
 Celebrity
spokesperson

4. If you had a complaint 8. Which of these is essential to

about a product you good money management? (You
bought, what should you may check more than one.)
do first?

Developing a financial plan

Return it to the seller.

Making and following a budget

Contact the
manufacturer.
Comparison shopping

Write to a consumer
"help" reporter. Maintaining health and other
insurance

Report it to a
consumer affairs agency. Saving for a rainy day

5. When is comparison 9. At what point during their lives do

shopping essential to people first form consumer
good money attitudes and habits?
management?

During early childhood

When making a
major purchase
During their school years

When buying any but

the most minor thing After graduating from high
school/college

Always
When they start working full
time
What is consumer awareness?
Introduction
THE PROCESS of development along with the expanding globalization and
liberalization process has increased the number of consumer related
issues. Consumer protection has earned an important place in the
political, economic and social agendas of many nations. In India, the
Government has taken many steps including legislative, to protect
consumers.

QUESTIONNAIRE-CONSUMER AWARENESSGeneral Question-

1. Name-
2. Address-
3. Telephone no.-
4.Size of the family-
5.Income-
6.Age-[15-18] [18-25] [25-35] [35+

We are doing a survey on consumer awareness and on consumer rights, you are requested to devote some of your precious moments to answer
these questions.
1. Name
2. Address
3. Telephone no.

4. Do you examine the expiry date the food items and medicines when you buy them? a)yes b)No

5. Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item? a) Yes b) No

6. Do you check the prices, of goods you buy, from alternative sources? a) yes b)No

7. Do you check the M.R.P.(Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products? a) Yes b) No

8. Have you ever come across adulteration in i) food stuff a)Yes b)No ii) milk a) yes b) No

9. If yes, did you complain to a)shopkeeper b)main supplier c)elsewhere(specify)

10. Was your complaint to the supplier/shopkeeper attended by him to your satisfaction? a) Yes b)No

11. Are you aware of consumer courts, for redressal of grievances of consumers? a) Yes b) No

12. If yes, have you ever filed a case in the consumer court? a) Yes b) No
Though the first consumer movement began in England after the Second World War, a modern declaration about consumer’s rights
was first made in the United States of America in 1962, where four basic consumer rights (choice, information, safety and to be
heard ) were recognized. Ralph Nadar, a consumer activist, is considered as the father of ‘consumer movement’. March 15 is now
celebrated as the World Consumer Rights Day. The United Nations in 1985 adopted, , certain guidelines to achieve the objectives of
maintaining protection for consumers and to establish high level ethical conduct for those engaged in production and distribution of
goods and services.
High prices, duplicate articles, underweight and under – measurements, rough behavior, undue conditions, artificial scarcity are
some of the ways by which consumers are exploited by manufacturers and traders. Limited information, limited supplies and low
literacy are factors causing exploitation of consumers.
In India, the concept of consumer protection is not new. References to the protection of consumer’s interest against exploitation by
trade and industry, underweight and measurement, adulteration and punishment for these offences, were made in Kautilya’s
‘Arthashastra’. However, an organized and systematic movement to safeguard the interest of consumers, is a recent phenomenon.
The consumers have to be aware not only of the commercial aspects of sale and purchase of goods, but also of the health and
security aspects. Food safety has become an important element of consumer awareness these days. In case of food products, its
quality depends not only on its nutritional value, but also on its safety for human consumption. Consumption of contaminated or
adulterated food is a major cause of human illness and suffering.

This called for strong legal measures to ensure that the manufacturers and sellers
observe uniformity and transparency in prices, stocks and quality of their
goods.Enactment of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was one of the most important
steps taken to protect the interests of consumers. The provision of the Act came into
force, with effect from July 1, 1987. The act recognizes consumer’s right to seek
redresses and right to consumer education. The salient features of the Act are as
follows:-
• Applies to all goods and services unless specifically exempted by the Union
Government;
• Covers all the sectors whether private, public or cooperative;
• Enshrines the consumer’s rights related to safety, information, choice, representation
and redress and consumer education.
• The act gives consumers an additional remedy besides those which may be available
to them under the provisions of other existing laws and they are free to choose the
remedy.
• Empower consumers seeking discontinuance of certain unfair and restrictive trade
practices, defects or deficiencies in services and stopping in services or withdrawal of
hazardous goods from the market.
There are no legal formalities for filing the complaint. Suppose, you find yourself
cheated by trader or a manufacturer and wish to make a complaint to consumer court,
you can write the details on a plain paper. Attach the supporting documents, that is,
guarantee or warrantee card and cash memo with the complaint and submit it in the
district consumer court. You do not have to go to any lawyer or professional for legal
assistance. You yourself can plead the case in the consumer court.Since, the
enactment of the Consumer Protection Act and even before that, newspapers and
magazines have been responding to the needs of consumers. Apart from publishing
articles, columns etc newspapers have also tried to come to the rescue of harassed
consumers. The Indian Express was one of the first newspapers to start a consumer
complaint column.
There are 500 consumer associations, which are working in the field of consumer
protection. They deal with various aspects of consumer exploitation. Some of the
prominent ones are: Consumer Guidance Society of India, Mumbai; Citizens Action
group, Mumbai; Common Cause, New Delhi; Voice, New Delhi; Consumer Utility and
Trust Society, Jaipur.
So next time you find yourself at the wrong end of a purchase don’t just sit back and
blame, go to a consumer court and make your claim.

Suggestions……………..

Education is a lifelong process of constantly acquiring relevant

information, knowledge and skills. Consumer education is an important
part of this process and is a basic consumer right that must be introduced
at the school level. Consumers by definition include all citizens who are,
by and large the biggest group, who are affected by almost all
government, public or private decisions. The most important step in
consumer education is awareness of consumer rights. However,
consumer education is incomplete without the responsibilities and duties of
consumers, and this influences individual behavior to a great extent. With the
increasing changes in economic conditions, the children especially are becoming
young consumers at an early age. Children must learn to obtain information about
goods and services, understand the psychology of selling and advertising, learn to
shop wisely and distinguish between wants and needs. They must also understand
the alternatives of conserving and saving rather than buying and consuming.
to shop wisely and a few simple
precautions will ensure that they choose the right product at the right price.
Consumer education also involves environmental education as it deals with the
importance of conserving (natural resources) and sustaining (recycling and
reusing) the environment, including the direct health effects of environmental
pollution and toxic products on consumers.
Role of producers
proper labeling, full information, health warnings, handling information, expiration
date, etc. keep to requirements, norms, standards
label products according requirements, providing true facts
They have to produce and deliver the goods/services of right quality at right price
at right time at right place at right quantity with right face
If they are providing a service they should carry it out with due skill and care. They
must also make sure that any materials they provide as part of this service are fit
for the purpose.
It is also illegal for a supplier to cut off, or threaten to cut off, supply to a reseller
(wholesale or retail) because they have been discounting goods or advertising
discounts below prices set by the supplier
What are the rights of the Consumer?
STATUTORY RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS
1. The right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services which
are hazardous to life and property: It is important to know that safety standards are

published from time to time by the relevant authorities in relation to many types of
consumer goods.
2. The right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard
and price of goods or services, as the case may be, so as to protect the consumer
against unfair trade practices; by simplifying this right it can be said that
consumers are given the right to information. It may be noted that a victim of
unfair trade practices would be able to come before a Consumer Forum only if he
is a consumer within the meaning of the Act. Other buyers would have to go to the
Monopolies Commission under MRTP Act.
3. The right to be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices. It is only then the
consumers will have access to variety and will be able to enjoy the benefit of competitive prices.
4. The right to be heard and to be assured that consumer's interest will receive
due consideration at appropriate forums; Right to be heard is not only the foremost
right of consumers it is a principle of natural justice also. The Central Council is
charged with the responsibility of assuring to consumers that they would be heard
as of right by appropriate forums andconsum ers will receive due attention and
consideration from such forums.
5. The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade
practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers; the consumers have been
given the right to seek redress against restrictive/unfair trade practices or
unscrupulous exploitation.
6. The right to consumer education. This right is most important right because
once the people are rendered conscious of their power, they may perhaps, feel
energized to struggle against exploitation by manufacturers and traders. The
Central Council has been charged with the responsibility to provide to the people
proper education in terms of their remedies under the Act.
However, consumer's strongest and the most precious right, which he keeps to
the last, is the 'refusal to buy' and withdraw the patronage from the seller who
always craves for it because, without it, he has none to sell.
The customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not
dependent on us. We are dependent on him. His not an interruption on our
work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider on our business. He is part
of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by
giving us an opportunity to do so"
~ MAHATMA GANDHI

Buyer of any goods for a full or partly paid promised on

consideration or under any system of deferred payment.

2. Use of such goods with the approval of actual buyer.

3. Hirer or receiver of any services for a fully or partly paid

and partly promised consideration or under any system of
deferred payment

a person who creates economic value, or produces goods and services

buyer
1. Party which acquires, or agrees to acquire, ownership (in case of goods), or benefit or usage (in case of services), in
exchange for money or other consideration under a contract of sale. Also called purchaser.

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Definition
Entity that makes a good through a process involving raw materials, components, or assemblies,
usually on a large scale with different operations divided among different workers. Commonly
used interchangeably with producer

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/manufacturer.html#ixzz13FkdrMmN