Q.Describe the right of a consumer as per CPA, 1986.

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (whose rights are carried forward into the Act of 2019) gives every consumer six rights: safety, information, choice, to be heard, redressal and consumer education.

Introduction

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted to protect the interests of consumers and to provide a simple and quick remedy against unfair trade practices and defective goods and services. (The 1986 Act has since been replaced by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which retains and strengthens these same rights — this is the version now followed in AP Intermediate 2nd-year Commerce, aligned with the NCERT/CBSE commerce curriculum.) The Act grants a consumer six basic rights.

Rights of a Consumer

1. Right to Safety — the consumer has the right to be protected against goods and services that are hazardous to life, health and property. For example, electrical appliances and food items should meet safety standards (ISI, AGMARK, etc.).

2. Right to be Informed — the consumer has the right to complete information about the quality, quantity, purity, standard, price and ingredients of a product, so that a wise buying decision can be made and the buyer is protected from misleading advertising.

3. Right to Choose — the consumer has the right to access a variety of goods and services at competitive prices, free from any pressure to buy a particular product.

4. Right to be Heard — the consumer has the right to be heard and to be assured that genuine grievances and interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums.

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