Reliefs Available and the Role of Consumer Protection Councils and Voluntary Organisations

Reliefs the redressal bodies can order. Once a complaint is proved, the redressal body has wide powers to order one or more of the following reliefs, depending on the nature of the grievance:

• Removal of the defect in the goods, as pointed out by an appropriate laboratory or expert examination.
• Replacement of the defective goods with new goods of similar description, free from any defect.
• Refund of the price paid (or a proportionate part of it) for the defective goods or deficient service.
• Compensation for any loss or injury suffered by the consumer due to the negligence of the opposite party.
• Discontinuation of the unfair trade practice or restrictive trade practice, and a direction not to repeat it.
• Withdrawal of hazardous goods from sale, where the goods are found dangerous to life and safety.
• Adequate cost of the proceedings to be paid to the successful party.

The body tailors the actual relief to the facts of each case — for a minor defect it may simply order removal of the defect or a partial refund, while for a serious deficiency it may order full replacement or substantial compensation.

Consumer Protection Councils. Alongside the redressal bodies described above, the law also provides for Consumer Protection Councils at the Central, State, and District levels. These Councils are advisory bodies, not adjudicating (dispute-deciding) bodies — they do not hear individual complaints or pass binding orders on a specific dispute. Their role is to promote and protect the rights of consumers in a general way: raising awareness, advising the government on consumer-related policy, and working to prevent unfair trade practices before they cause harm. It is important not to confuse a Consumer Protection Council with a Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission — the Council advises and promotes; the Commission hears and decides actual complaints. …