Legal Aspects of Business

A Project Report
To study Consumers Awareness of Their Rights

SUBMITTE
D BY:
15020942006
SAMRIDHI SRIVASTAVA
15020942013 SRINATH SAPAR
15020942021
NIKITA HUMNE
15020942029

BARIRA KHAN
15020942033

SNEHAL MAHADIK
15020942035

SAMANDEEP GILL
15020942042

SUMIT SONI
15020942053
PRASAD UPKARE

1 | Page

15020942059
VINEET MENON
15020942065

RAGURAJ SHEKHAWAT

CONTENT

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

2 | Page

Content

Page No.

Introduction:

3-15

1.1 Who is a
Consumer
1.2 Who is not a
Consumer
1.3 Consumer
Exploitation
1.4 Rights and
Duties
1.5 Some important
provisions of act
1.6 Consumer
success stories
2.1 Objective of the
study
2.2 Scope of the
study
2.3 Limitations
3.1 Research
Methodology

16-17

18-19

Chapter 4

4.1 Analysis

20-31

Chapter 5

5.1 Findings
5.2 Suggestions
5.3
Recommendations
6.1 References

32-33

Chapter 6

34

Annexures

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
Who is a consumer?
Consumers are the integral part of economic group in any
country. All the economic activities in the nation ultimately rely
on the action of consumers. The rise of the era of globalization,
introduction of advance technology and liberalization of
markets have presented wide variety of choices for consumers
but it has also made the consumer suffer to a great extent as
his vulnerability is exploited in several ways. Hence there is an
urgent need to protect the consumers and educate them
against the faulty acts of sellers and manufacturers.
In a laymans language A consumer is the one who purchases
and uses goods and services to meet his own needs and does
not intend to keep it for resale . Goods can be classified into
consumable and durable goods. Consumable goods include
eatables like rice, millets; milk etc. where as durable goods

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include TV, Cooler, Cars, etc. Various services used by

consumers can be electricity, water, health care etc.

But the legal, technical or perfect definitions of the consumer

have been given in the consumer protection Act. 1986. Under
this Act, the term consumer has been defined into two
categories:
(1) Consumer of goods: A consumer is one who has paid or
promised to pay the consideration or partly paid and partly
promised to pay or under any deferred payment system such
as hire purchase system or instalment system. But it does not
include a person who buys the goods for resale and for any
commercial purpose.
(2) Consumer of Services: Consumer of Services means a
person who hires or avails of any services for a consideration
which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly
promised or under any system of deferred payment and
includes any beneficiary of such services. But it does not
include a person who avails of such services for any
commercial purposes.
For example, if a person earns by purchasing computer, taxi,
Photostat machines etc. that will be called consumer of goods.
Here it is also important to mention that service has been
clearly defined in the Act.
It includes the services like banking, financing, insurance,
transportation, processing, supply of electrical and other
energy, boarding and lodging or both, housing construction,
entertainment, amusement or the purveying of news or other
information, educational institutions etc., but does not includes
the rendering of any service free of charge or under a contract
of personal service.
(Source of legal definition: http://ncdrc.nic.in/1_1_2.html)

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Who is not a consumer?

If any person buys a commodity with an intention to resale
A person who obtains services without consideration
A person who avails services for commercial purpose
Rendering of any service free of charge
Explanation with the help of examples:
Raju, a dealer of goods was fascinated to buy a Television
set from a nearby showroom. But upon purchase of the
television set, he immediately sold it to another customer
at a discounted rate. As such he is not a consumer since he
is using the television to make profit (commercial
reasons by reselling it).
If you receive healthcare products which are provided to
you free of cost by a company as a part of their
promotional activities, then you are not the consumer of
that product. (availing services free of cost)

CONSUMER EXPLOITATION
Mahatma Gandhi had said, "Customer is the most important
visitor in our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are
dependent upon him. He is not an interruption in our work. He
is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business, he is
part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him; he is
doing a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.
But still there may be instances where a consumer is cheated
or harassed. Cheating has become the common practice of
greedy sellers and manufacturers to make unreasonable profits.
Mostly Indian consumer is poor, illiterate, ignorant, unaware,
and helpless. Due to illiteracy and unawareness consumer is
being exploited in different ways.
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Business firms spend huge amount of money on advertising

their products and services. Most of these advertisements
contain exaggerated claims. Commonly seen advertisements of
tooth-pastes, cosmetics, tonics, body-building and height
increasing instruments makes claims in very attracted and
catchy way. The consumer believes them because of the
appealing way of presentation. But
ultimately the consumer feel cheated at
last.

These exploitations are in form of:

Unfair Trade Practices

Adultration
Poor quality products
Deceptive Packing
Deficieny in Goods and Services
Monopolistic Market
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Kautilya was one of the earliest to write in his Arthasastra about
the need for Consumer awareness and protection. With the
growth of private sector there is a greater need for discipline
and regulation of the market. Consumers must be aware of the
sale and purchase of goods. The health and security aspects of
food items sold in the market are essential these days.
Thus, to protect interests of consumers in India,
Consumer Protection act, 1986 was implemented.

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 The act applies to whole of India except Jammu and

Kashmir
The intention and object of the Consumer Protection Act, is
to provide a speedy remedy and for better protection of
interests of consumer.
This Act is applicable on all the products and services,
until or unless any product or service is especially
debarred out of the scope of this Act by the Central
Government.
The act was amended in 2002 and the amendments came
into force w.e.f. 15th March 2003.
24th of December is celebrated as National Consumer Day
commemorating the coming into effect of the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986

Rights and Duties of Consumers

Rights of a Consumer: The Act enriches six rights to
consumers which are:
Right to
safety
Right to
Consum
er
Educati
on

Right to
inform

Right to
seek
redress
el

Right to
choose
Right to
be
heard

1 Right to Safety: To protect against hazardous goods

2 Right to be Informed: about price, quality, purity
3 Right to choose: access to variety of good/services at
competitive prices.
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4 Right to be heard: Consumers interest and welfare must

be taken care.
5 Right to seek Redressal: Protection against unfair trade
practices and settling genuine grievances.
6 Right to Consumer Education: Knowledge about goods
and issues related to consumers.
All that a consumer is required to acquire and to make use of
these rights is to have knowledge of these rights.

Duties of a Consumer: There are few responsibilities that

every consumer should fulfil so as not to get cheated or to take
actions if cheated, which are:
1 Get a bill for every important purchase and also the
Warranty card.
2 Check the ISI mark or Agmark on the goods.
3 Form consumer awareness groups.
4 Make a complaint on genuine grievances.
5 Consumers must know to exercise their rights.

SOME IMPORTANT PROVISIONS OF THE ACT

The followings can file a complaint under the Act:

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1.) A consumer.
2.) Any consumer organization
3.) The central Government.
4.) The state Government.

5.) One or more consumers on behalf of

numerous consumers who are having the
same interest.

What Constitute a Complaint: Under the Act 'Complaint'

means any allegation in writing made by complainant in regard
to one or more of the following:
1 An unfair trade practice or a restrictive trade practice
has been adopted by any trader.
Example: Ramesh sold a six months old car to Suresh
representing it to be a new one. Here Suresh can make a
complaint against Ramesh for following an unfair trade
practice.
2 The goods bought by him or agreed to be bought by him
suffer from one or more defects.
Example: Raj bought a computer from Kiran. It was not working
properly since day one. Raj can make a complaint against Kiran
for supplying him a defective computer.
3 The services hired or availed of or agreed to be hired or
availed of by him suffer from deficiency in any respect.
Example: Arvind hired services of an advocate to defend
himself against his landlord. The advocate did not appear every
time the case was scheduled. Arvind can make a complaint
against the advocate.
4 A trader has charged for the goods mentioned in the
complaint a price in excess of the price fixed by or
under any law for the time being in force or displayed
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on the goods or any package containing such goods.

Example: Suraj bought a sack of cement from Prayash who
charged him Rs. 100 over and above the reserve price of the
cement declared by the Government. Here Suraj can make a
complaint against Prayash.
5 Goods which will be hazardous to life and safety when
used are being offered for sale to the public in
contravention of the provisions of any law for the time
being in force requiring traders to display information in
regard to the contents, manner and effect of use of such
goods.
Example: Shreyas bought a tin of disinfectant powder. It had lid
which was to be opened in a specific manner. Trader did not
inform Shreyas about this. While opening the lid in ordinary
way, some powder flew in the eyes of Shreyas which affected
his vision. Here Shreyas can make a complaint against the
trader.

Where to File a Complaint: A written complaint as amended

by consumer Amendment Act, 2002 can be filed:

NATIONAL
LEVEL
STATE LEVEL
DISTRICT
LEVEL

1 DISTRICT FORUM:
The State Government shall establish for every district such
council are to be known as District Consumer Protection
Council.
Composition of District Forum:

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 A person who is, or who has been or who is qualified to be

a District Judge, who shall be its President
There will be 2 other one of whom shall be a woman
member who shall be persons of ability, integrity and
standing and has adequate knowledge or experience or
have shown capacity in dealing with problems relating to
economics, law, commerce, public affairs etc.
Jurisdiction of District Forum:
Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the District Forum
shall have
Jurisdiction to entertain complaints where the value of the
goods or services
and the compensation, if any, claimed does not exceed rupees
twenty lacs.
Procedure for filling Appeal:
Any person aggrieved by an order made by the District Forum
may prefer an appeal against such order to the State
Commission within a period of 30 days from the date of the
order.
No appeal shall be entertained by the state commission unless
the appellant has deposited in the prescribed manner 50% of
that amount in terms of an order of the District Forum or Rs.
25000, whichever is less.

2.) STATE COMMISSION:

A State Commission has jurisdiction in whole of the State for
which it is constituted the orders of District forum of that
particular state. It is situated in the capital of the State.
Composition of State Forum:
State Commission consists of
a president and two members one of whom is to be a
Woman.
President is a person who is or has been a Judge of a High
Court and the Members,
persons of ability, integrity and standing and has
adequate knowledge or experience of, or has shown
capacity in dealing with, problems relating to Economics,
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law, commerce, accountancy, industry, public affairs or

administration.
Jurisdiction of State Forum:
It can hear the cases involving the amount more than rupees
Twenty lacs and up to rupees one crore. It has also jurisdiction
to hear appeal against.
Procedure for filling Appeal:
In case the aggrieved party is not satisfied with the order of the
State Commission he can appeal to the National Commission
within 30 days of passing of the order.
In this situation appellant has to deposit in the prescribed
manner 50% of the amount or Rs. 35000 whichever is less.

3.) NATIONAL COMMISSION:

National Commission is on the top hierarchy of Consumer
Courts. It is only one for whole India and situated in Delhi the
capital of India.
Composition of National Commission:
The National Commission consists of a president, and four
other members (one of whom is to be a woman).
The president should be the one who is or has been a
Judge of the Supreme Court, and the members should be
the persons of ability, integrity and standing and have
adequate knowledge or experience of, or have shown
capacity in dealing with, problems relating to economics,
law, commerce, accountancy, industry, public affairs or
administration.
Jurisdiction of State Forum:
It can hear cases involving amount above rupees one crore. It
can also hear appeals against the order of State Commission.
Procedure for filling Appeal:
An appeal can be filed against the order of the National
Commission to the Supreme Court within 30 days from the
date of order passed.

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 At this stage the appellant is required to deposit in the

prescribed manner 50% of that amount or Rs. 50000
whichever is less.

How to File a Complaint:

Procedure for filing complaints and seeking redressal are
simple. There is no prescribed Performa for the submission of
complaint. However it must be written. It may be submitted
directly or by post. A nominal amount of fees is also required to
be deposited for making complaints before District Forum.
A complaint should contain the following information:
1 Name and address of the complainant.
2 Name and address of the opposite party or parties.
3 Description of the fact of the complaint.
4 Documentary evidence collaborating the complaint.
5 Relief expected as redressal of complaint.
The complaint can be filed within two years from the date on
which cause of action has arisen.
Complainant can plead his case on his own; this means that he
is not under compulsion to hire the services of lawyer.
Relief Available to the Consumer:
If after the proceedings conducted under section 13, the
District Forum is satisfied that the goods/services complained
against suffer from any of the defect specified in the complaint;
it may give orders for one or more of the following reliefs:
1 Removal of defects from the goods.
2 Replacement of the goods.
3 Refund of price to the complainant.
4 Award appropriate compensation for the loss or injury
suffered.
5 Removal of deficiencies from service.

Consumer success stories:

Here are few of the real life cases, illustrating the victory of
consumers against the dishonest traders, faulty service
providers and manufacturers.

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MR. MAHENDRA V. GADPALE VS M.I.R.C. ELECTRONICS

INDIA LTD.
Mr. Gadpale purchased a television set in the year 2004 with 10
years warrantee. But the television tube of the set burst within
4 years of the purchase and the Onida Customer Relation
Centre refused to pay the entire compensation and agreed to
pay only 40% reimbursement of the cost of TV Tube.
CFBP looked into in the matter and after several
correspondences Onida has agreed to pay 50% of the cost of
TV tube + tax.

HDFC Bank Limited VS Balwinder Singh

The bank and its loan recovery agent , employed
musclemen to take forcible possession of the
hypothecated vehicle
It caused severe physical harassment to the complainant
The state commission ordered the bank to pay 4lakh as
compensation to the complainant for forcibly repossessing
the vehicle and selling it to the third party
Further the national commission on appeal of the bank ,
expressed its shock on the matter that the bank employed
muscleman to forcibly repossess the vehicle and
dismissed its petition

Arvind Shah VS Kamlaben Kushwaha

The complainants only son died due to medical
negligence on the part of the doctor
The doctor gave him wrong treatment and also provided
no written prescriptions dealing with his symptoms.

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 He even did not bother to monitor his vital signs like pulse
rate, blood pressure etc.
the state commission ordered to compensate the
complainant with Rs 5 lakhs
The national commission further observed that as per
rules laid down by Medical Counsel Of India , any doctor
registered through it , had to necessarily maintain some
minimum records even for outpatients including the case
history of the patient as well as well as his current
symptoms

If the doctor failed to write the necessary prescriptions it

will be counted as medical negligence.

Statement of Cases Filed /

Disposed of / Pending in
the National Commission and
State Commissions

(Update on 01.06.2015)

Sl.
No.

Name of State

Cases
Cases filed
disposed Cases
since
of since Pending
inception
inception

% of
Disposal

As On

National
Commission

95380

85434

9946

1 Andhra Pradesh

34704

34203

501

98.56

31.03.2015

2 A & N Islands

109

106

97.25

31.03.2015

3 Arunachal Pradesh

70

66

94.29

31.03.2015

4 Assam

2770

2442

328

88.16

30.04.2015

5 Bihar

17866

13230

4636

74.05

31.03.2015

6 Chandigarh

14192

14095

97

99.32

31.03.2015

7 Chattisgarh

11000

10331

669

93.92

31.03.2015

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89.57

Daman & Diu and

DNH

25

20

80.00

31.03.2011

9 Delhi

40566

35599

4967

87.76

31.03.2015

10 Goa

2640

2611

29

98.90

30.04.2015

11 Gujarat

51371

46902

4469

91.30

31.03.2015

12 Haryana

45550

44675

875

98.08

31.03.2015

13 Himachal Pradesh

25890

25702

188

99.27

31.03.2015

14 Jammu & Kashmir

7344

6813

531

92.77

31.12.2014

15 Jharkhand

5558

5041

517

90.70

31.03.2015

16 Karnataka

48931

44295

4636

90.53

31.03.2015

17 Kerala

27680

25762

1918

93.07

31.03.2015

18

16

88.89

31.03.2015

19 Madhya Pradesh

47364

39866

7498

84.17

31.03.2015

20 Maharashtra

65967

54990

10977

83.36

30.04.2015

21 Manipur

164

131

33

79.88

31.12.2014

22 Meghalaya

300

285

15

95.00

31.03.2015

23 Mizoram

215

205

10

95.35

31.03.2015

24 Nagaland

156

93

63

59.62

31.12.2014

25 Odisha

23622

16981

6641

71.89

31.03.2015

26 Puducherry

1002

971

31

96.91

31.03.2015

27 Punjab

33596

30389

3207

90.45

31.03.2015

28 Rajasthan

61697

55848

5849

90.52

31.03.2015

57

54

94.74

31.03.2015

26230

23921

2309

91.20

31.03.2015

31 Tripura

541

541

0.00

31.03.2015

32 Uttar Pradesh

1645

1606

39

97.63

31.03.2015

33 Uttarakhand

74586

47859

26727

64.17

31.03.2015

34 West Bengal

6316

5212

1104

82.52

31.03.2015

TOTAL

679742

590320

89422

86.84

18 Lakshadweep

29 Sikkim
30 Tamil Nadu

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***
Maharashtra is having one additional Bench
Rajasthan is having one additional Bench
UP is having one additional Bench
WB is having two additional Benches

Total Number of Consumer Complaints Filed / Disposed

since inception Under Consumer Protection Law

Sl.
No.

Name of Agency

National
Commission

Cases
Cases filed
disposed Cases
since
of since Pending
inception
inception

% of total
Disposal

95380

85434

9946

89.57%

2 State Commissions

679742

590320

89422

86.84%

3 District Forums

3536770

3263760

273010

92.28%

4311892 3939514 372378

91.36%

TOTAL

Source:
http://ncdrc.nic.in/statistics.html
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Chapter 2: Objectives, Scope and

Limitations of the study
Objectives of the Study:
At symbiosis we are not here, with only purpose of
studying and pursuing our post graduate degree. As
students and citizens of India we hold some social
responsibilities towards the society and through this
project we have taken the initiative to educate
ourselves and non-teaching staff of SIU.
To study Consumers Awareness of their Rights at
Symbiosis International University Campus, Lavale,
Pune.
To know whether they check Weight, Cross Check
prices, Check quality mark (Agmark/ISI/BIS etc.)
while buying products.
To check their awareness about Jago Grahak Jago
initiative by the Government.
To know whether they trust in Consumer Forums.

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 To draw some conclusions and give

recommendations for strengthening the consumer
awareness programme.

Scope of the Study:

It is aimed to study the consumer awareness of their
rights. The project analysed the demographic, buying
characteristics and awareness related to their rights
and duties.
Since the sample frame of the research is restricted i.e.
Non-teaching staff of Symbiosis International
University, Lavale campus. Therefore, inference can be
made about the population at Lavale campus.
This research can be useful for future researchers to
understand the buying patterns and consumer
awareness of their rights. Based on which they can
conduct further research.

Limitations of the Study:

Time factor is underplayed. We had barely 1 week time to
prepare the project report by conducting survey,
administering the questionnaires and conducting a
detailed analysis. Had there been no constraint on time we
could have extended the scope and sample frame of our
project.

Sample size was limited as the non-teaching staff at

Symbiosis

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International University, Lavale is few in number.

Primary data is not reliable, since all the respondents were
not aware about Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Many of
them did not have
Adequate knowledge about various parameters of buying,
MRP, ISI and
Agmark.
Respondents were not very keen to answer. Many of them
were not available for filling the questionnaire.
Some responses were left unmarked as many of them
could not decide the adequate response to the question
(especially for questions involving extreme responses like
replying in affirmative or simply denying it).

Chapter 3: Research
Methodology
Purpose of Study:
This project deals with the topic of Consumer awareness.
Consumer is the one who buys and consume goods and
services for his personal use. He is an integral part of the
supply chain market. But of late, consumers have been cheated
and exploited by the traders and manufacturers in several ways
like selling adulterated goods, taking undue advantage of their
monopoly. As such it is very essential for consumers to have an
adequate knowledge of their rights and the legal manner in
which they can seek redressal of their grievances.

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We have conducted a study in the Symbiosis Lavale Campus,

Pune to find out the extent of consumer awareness among the
non teaching staff of all the institutes. The main agenda of the
study was to understand and inquire about the degree of
consumer awareness (buying behaviour, fascination to
discounted products, awareness regarding Agmark, ISI, MRP,
knowledge of consumer forum etc.) among the non-teaching
staff of Symbiosis.

Place for carrying out our study:

We chose to conduct our study in the Symbiosis Lavale
Campus, Pune itself.

Why did we choose the campus?

We chose the campus to meet the constraints of lesser
availability of time. The campus was easily accessible and we
could conduct our study with maximum efficiency and due
diligence. Moreover we personally believe that unless and until
we are not aware of our own surroundings, carrying any study
too far off places will not make any difference.
As a management student we must understand our prime
responsibility of developing an adequate knowledge and
complete understanding of our surroundings.
Periods of time of the study:
14-19 September- Administration of questionnaire (going for
survey, collecting and analysing data)
20-23 September - Division of task among group members
and preparing the report
23-29 September- Alterations in report, if any.

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Data required and sources of gathering the data:

We required the demographic data, age groups, gender of our
sample under study.
The study is mainly based on primary data. The primary data
has been collected from 47 consumers, through a well structured questionnaire. We divided our group into 5 teams
containing 2-3 members. Each team was assigned the
responsibility of visiting the non-teaching staff of a particular
department and distributing the survey forms to be filled. So
we visited the departments personally to get our survey done.
The major departments in which we divided the task were:
SIBM, SITM, SIMC, SSP, SSBF, SCHC and the SIU library.
In addition to primary data, secondary data also have been
used. Various journals, magazines, books, electronic sources
have also been consulted. Web-sites related to consumer affairs
like www.fca.miniinic.in, www.ncdrc.in, etc. have also been
searched for collecting relevant and appropriate data so that
the main objective of our survey to capture all areas of
consumer awareness could be fulfilled.
Consumers have been selected from Symbiosis International
University and the sampling frame was non-teaching staff at
Symbiosis International University, Lavale, Pune.
Sampling method was Convenience sampling.

Chapter 4: Analysis
According to the survey taken on the topic consumer awareness the
following analysis is done:
Demographic data:

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1.)

Ins Fre
tit que
ut ncy
5
e
SSB
F
SSP
SIB
M
SIM
C
SCH
C
SIT
M
LIB
RAR
Y

4
11
7
4
8
8

Tot 47
al
Institute to which they belong
(N=47)

11
8

SSBF

SSP

4
SIBM

SIMC

SCHC

SITM

LIBRARY

Institute
23 | P a g e

Interpretation: Highest number of respondent for the survey

were from SIBM which is 11 in number followed by SITM and
LIBRARY which is 8 each followed by SIMC, SSBF and SSP which
is 7, 5 and 4 respectively.

2 Gender

Gen
der

Freque
ncy

Male
Femal
e

27
20

Gender of the Respondents

(N=47)

Male

Female
43%
57%

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Interpretation: Male respondents were 27 in number which is

57% and Female respondents were 20 in number which is 43%.

3 Age limit of Respondents

Age
limit

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Frequency

0- 18
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+

0
0
13
21
11
2

Total

47

Interpretation:
respondents of
people lie in the
Respondents in
were 13 followed
45-54 age limits.
respondent below

Shoppi Freque
ng
ncy
Patter
n
Weekly
Fortnight
ly
Monthly

9
7
31

Total

47

Most of the
the survey i.e. 21
age limit 35-44.
the limit 25-34
by 11 people in
There was no
25 years of age.

Table 1: Shopping pattern of

respondents (N=47)

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Shopping Pattern
35
30
25
Frequency of people

20
15
10
5
0

Weekly

Fortnighlty

Monthly

Interpretation: Table 1 shows shopping pattern of the

respondents. Most of the consumers (31 people) shop monthly
followed by 7 people who shop fortnightly and 9 consumers
shop weekly.
We can infer that people shop monthly to save money. They
basically go with a list of necessary items and try to avoid
impulse buying. Continuous shopping within a month will cost
them extra travel charges and they might also go for impulse
buying.

Table 2: Consumer behaviour while

shopping (N=47)
Questions
1.)
Do you check whether
the price charged by the seller
falls within the M.R.P written
on package?
2.)
Do you check whether
the prices charged are similar
to those charged by other
27 | P a g e

Yes (Yes
%)

No (No %)

45 (96%)

2 (4%)

34 (72%)

13 (28%)

sellers?
3.)
Do you examine the
expiry date on the perishable
food items and medicines?
4.)
Have you ever crosschecked the weights of the
products mentioned on the
item
5.)
Do you look for quality
mark (Agmark/ISI/BIS etc.)
while buying products?

1.) Do you check whether the price charged by the seller falls within the M.R.P written?
No; 4%

Yes; 96%

2.) Do you check whether the prices charged are similar to those charged by other sellers

No; 28%

Yes ; 72%

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39 (83%)

8 (17%)

24 (51%)

23 (49%)

38 (81%)

9 (19%)

4.) Do you examine the expiry date on the perishable food items and medicines

No; 17%

Yes ; 83%

3.) Have you ever cross-checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item

Yes
49%

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51%

No

5.) Do you look for quality mark (Agmark/ISI/BIS etc) while buying products

No; 19%

Yes; 81%

Interpretation: Table 2 shows the buying behaviour of

the consumers while shopping. 96% respondents check
the M.R.P while shopping and 72% also check the price
from different sellers.
83% respondents check the expiry date given on the
product while shopping and 81% also check for quality
marks while shopping.
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But only 51% of the consumers cross check the weight

of the product. A seller or a manufacturer can take
advantage of such situation by selling less. Therefore, it
is necessary to cross check the weight while shopping.
If a consumer is shopping in bulk then it is suggested to
cross check few samples.

Table 3: Influence of advertisements on

consumer shopping
(N=47)
Questions
1.)
Do you get
influenced by the
claims made in
advertisements in
buying products?
2.)
Do you get
influenced by the
celebrities in ads in
buying products

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Yes (Yes %)
16 (34%)

No (No
%)
31(66%)

17 (36%)

30 (64%)

1.) Do you get influenced by claims made in advertisements in buying?

Yes; 34%
No; 66%

2.) Do you get influenced by the celebrities in ads in buying products

Yes; 36%
No; 64%

Interpretation: Table 3 shows the influence of

advertisements on consumer shopping. We can infer
that only 34% of the consumers are influenced by the
claims made in advertisements and only 36% of the
consumers are influenced by the celebrities in ads in
buying products.
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Table 4: Online Shopping (N=47; Online

Shoppers=7)
Questions
1.)How do you prefer to buy most of
your purchase : online or through
retail store
2.) If you buy frequently through
online marketplace have you ever
faced any problem regarding the
refund of products or credit points?

Yes (Yes %)

No (No %)

7 (Online)

40 (Retail)

1(14%)

6(86%)

How do you prefer to buy most of your purchase : online or through retail store
Online; 15%

Retail; 85%

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3.)

How was your online shopping

experience?
Highly
Satisfa
ctory
Satisfactor
y
Netural
Dissatisfac
tory
Highly
Dissatisfac
tory

5
0
1
0

Overall online shopping experience

17
12

14

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Interpretation: Only 7 out of 47 respondents prefer to buy

most of their purchase online and out of those 7 only 1
respondent has faced a problem regarding the refund of
products.
And from the above chart it is clear that their online shopping
experience was Satisfactory.

Table 5: General awareness regarding

Consumer Protection Act
(N=47)
Questions
1.)
Do you know of your
rights as a consumer?
2.)
Are you aware about the
Consumer Protection Act
1986?
3.)
Are you aware of Jago
Grahak Jago initiative by the
government?
4.)
Do you know that there
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Yes (Yes %)

No (No %)

24(51%)

23(49%)

29(62%)

18(38%)

45(96%)

2(4%)

30(64%)

17(36%)

is a consumer redressal forum

for any complaint?
5.)
Would you prefer going
to the consumer forum if you
find any defect in the product
you bought?

2.) Are you aware about the Consumer Protection Act 1986?

No; 38%
Yes; 62%

1.) Do you know of your rights as a consumer?

51%

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49%

14(30%)

33(70%)

4.) Do you know that there is a consumer redressal forum for any complaint?

No; 36%
Yes; 64%

3.) Are you aware of Jago Grahak Jago initiative by the government?
No; 4%

Yes; 96%

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5.) Would you prefer going to the consumer forum if you find any defect ?

30%

70%

6.) Do you think consumer court will be effective in addressing the issues?
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree

12
17
14
4
0

Do you think consumer court will be effective in adressing issues

17
12

14

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Interpretation:
Table 5 highlights the general awareness regarding consumer
protection among 47 respondents. It shows that 62%
respondents are fully aware about the concept of consumer
protection. Nearly the entire respondents are aware about the
term, 'Jago Grahak Jago', the special punch line used by the
government to create consumer awareness among society All
of them have listened or seen some or more advertisement on
this theme.
Only half of them know about their Rights as a consumer.
Table has also shown that only 64% respondents know about a
consumer forum for complaints and most of the people trust
the consumer forum in addressing issues.

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Chapter 5: FINDINGS,
SUGGESTIONS and
recommendations
Findings:
Most of the people shop monthly for their groceries to
save money. They basically go with a list of necessary
items and try to avoid impulse buying. Continuous or
frequent shopping within a month will cost them extra
travel charges and they might also go for impulse buying.
Even they get few discounts on bulk purchases.

The consumers were aware about the basic facts like, to

check the products MRP, expiry date and search for an ISI
Mark or for a seal of approval from an approving authority.
But, the population ignored some of the facts like checking
the weight of the product, which is actually necessary.
A seller or a manufacturer can take advantage of such
situation by selling less quantity or by manipulating.
Therefore, it is necessary to cross check the weight while
shopping. If a consumer is shopping in bulk then it is
suggested to cross check few samples.

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 We can infer that very few (35% respondents) are

influenced by the claims made in advertisements or are
influenced by celebrities in ads.
Very few respondents prefer to buy most of their purchase
online. They rather prefer shopping offline. Out of those
shopping online very few have faced a problem regarding
the refund of products and their online shopping
experience was satisfactory.
62% respondents are fully aware about the concept of
consumer protection act. But the entire respondents are
aware about the term, 'Jago Grahak Jago, punch line.
Only half of them knew about their Rights as a
consumer.
64% respondents know about a consumer forum for
complaints and most of them trust the consumer forum in
addressing issues.

Suggestions and Recommendations:

1. Consumers do not cross check the weights of the products

mentioned on the items. Thus it is recommended that
people should check the weight and then purchase the
product.
2. They should not get influenced by the claims made in
advertisements or are by the celebrities in ads. They
should also check for the ingredients in the product.
3. They should ask for guarantee/warrantee while buying
products and should ask for bills and keep the bills safe
with them.
4. Consumers are aware of the consumer courts but still they
do not want to go there for the complaints. They should go
and complain so that necessary action should be taken.
They should form consumer groups so that their voice can
be heard.
5. The helpline numbers should be properly advertised so
that they can come to know about them easily, which are:
National Consumer Helpline Toll free Number: 1800-114000 (BSNL/MTNL)
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National Consumer Helpline Number:

270065000
National Consumer Helpline SMS:
<Name><city>to 8800939717

011-

6. So, to conclude I feel that a consumer have several rights

and duties and they should be aware of them so that they
can take necessary actions. Thus, caveat emptor i.e. let
the buyer beware.
To overcome the unawareness it is recommended that although
huge amount is being spent by the government for creating
awareness, but the main procedural part is not shown in the
advertisements.
Government should create advertisements to educate the
consumers regarding process for filing complaint, where to file
complaint, when to file complaints etc.
Local newspaper, radio channels should step forward to
educate consumers and to disseminate information regarding
consumer protection act.
NGO's and Local bodies or associations should also step
forward to make consumer aware so that the consumers can
raise voice against exploitation. Last but not the least; the
consumers must educate himself about his rights and
availability of consumer forums for addressing issues.

Chapter 6: REFERENCES
http://www.ncdrc.nic.in/1_1.html
http://ncdrc.nic.in/statistics.html
www.ciroap.org/apcl/conf/documents/protection_law/CUTS_CP.d
oc
Consumer Protection Issue and Acts (2000) Art of Science and
Adverting
Cherunilam, Francis, (1996) Business Environment Mumbai,
Himalayan Publication House, Jaipur.
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