Duties of Consumers

Duties of Consumers

Apart from rights, there are certain duties imposed on the consumer. Consumer should be conscious of his duties. He should make purchases judiciously and should not misuse his rights. Following are source of the duties of consumers:

i) Buying Quality Products at Reasonable Price

It is the responsibility of a consumer to purchase a product after gaining a thorough knowledge of its price, quality and other terms and conditions. The consumer should enquire about the price from certain shops and if possible from government stores to get an idea of its price. The consumer has to have the knowledge about the quality from his own experiences or from the experiences of other persons who used the product or by browsing the website. Hence it is the duty of the consumer to buy scrupulously.

ii) Ensure the Weights and Measurement before Making Purchases

The sellers often cheat consumer by using unfair weights and measures. The consumer should ensure that he/she is getting the product of exact weight and measure. Consumer should check the weights and balance of the product. Consumer should not buy a product which has been weighed along with its packing. Therefore the consumer should remain vigilant when the seller is naturally measuring or weighing the product.

iii) Reading the Label Carefully

It is the duty of the consumer to thoroughly read the label of the product. It should have correct, complete and true information about the product.

iv) Beware of False and Attractive Advertisements

Often the products are not as attractive as shown in the advertisement by the sellers. Hence, it is the prime duty of consumer not to get misled by such fraudulent advertisements.

v) Misleading Schemes

Mostly advertisements are used to be very attractive and appealing to the senses. They may be occasionally false and misleading. The consumer is supposed to be careful with the attractive advertisements and avoid such misleading and false advertisements. These days almost every product in the market is offered for sale with a gift, discount, or a free product to bait the consumer to buy. For example, a free comb with soap, a discount off on the price of the soap or one free soap on buying one, and the like. Often a consumer is allured by such offers and buys such a product even when it is not desperately in order, to avail them of free offer.

In this case consumers should not forget the fact that the seller has already inflated the price of the product supplied with free offer and recovers its cost price under the scheme. Hence the consumer should be aware of the fact that he is not getting anything free and should not buy unwanted things out of greed.

vi) Ensuring the Receipt of Cash Bill

It is a legitimate duty of consumers to collect cash receipt and warranty card supplied along with bills. This will help them in seeking redressal for their grievances. Unscrupulous sellers offer to reduce the final price of goods if they sell without bill. Often consumers get allured by this trap. In this case, if the goods bought without bill go out of order or turn defective, consumers cannot approach the consumer court without proof of purchase. Hence it is the duty of the consumer to demand and collect the cash receipt, and warranty card.

vii) Buying from Reputed Shops

It is advisable for the consumer to make purchase from the reputed shops or government shops like super bazaar, cooperative stores, and the like. The consumer by purchasing from such shops can escape from the malpractice of the manufacturers and shopkeepers or vendors.

viii) Never Purchase from Black Market

The consumer should discharge his duties as responsible citizen. He should not buy things from black market and in excess of his requirements. At times of scarcity consumer should not resort to panic buying and stock things excessively. This practice prevents others from purchasing their share of requirement.

ix) Buying Standardized Products

Often the consumer buys cheap products which are not durable or are not safe. Therefore, it is the duty of the consumer to buy products with standardization marks which is supposed to be safe in every respect.

x) Follow the Instruction of the Manufacturer

It is the duty of the consumer to use the product as per its instructions, e.g., if a medicine carries an instruction regarding its storage, it should be stored in the fridge. This would help in prevention of any damage to the medicine and harm to the consumer’s health.

xi) Knowledge of Consumer Rights

These days it is not uncommon to see a seller trying to cheat the consumer in every possible way in order to earn quick profits. It is the duty of the consumer to be aware of his rights. If a consumer is cheated by a seller, then he should immediately lodge a complaint with the authorities designated for consumer grievance redressal rather than remaining a silent spectator.