Consumer Rights: Neglected Than Denied

Does it feel embarrassing to go to the crowdy Outfitters' counter and ask for exchanging the T-shirt, you bought days ago saving your pennies? Have you ever regretted entering a Charcoal or Nike outlet just because you don't feel like buying anything and have fled the outlet out of the pressure exerted by sale's representatives who constantly follow your shadow-- or maybe your purse's? if you have, then let me confess that I have too, for umpteen times. The fault lies neither on our (consumers') side nor on their (sellers') side; rather on one unbeknownst to one's rights and duties bounded by the constitution. The consumer is the queen /king of the market, and rest in it constitutes his/her services and goods.

Though the market is always profit-driven, there are certain constitutional rights of consumers which cannot be exploited. There are two conditions when a consumer can be exploited: 1). If he /she is unaware of his/her rights, 2). If he/she is too lazy to pursue them--third condition would be nothing, but an excuse. Here, one might wonder that 'what are the rights of consumers and who care about theirs when they themselves do not? '. Answer to the latter is 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' - I see jaws dropping; whereas the answer to the former is monosyllabic: Many.

The first and foremost right of the consumers is their 'right to knowledge'. Price tags or price lists, ingredients used in edible and drinkable stuff, dates of manufacturing and expiry, and usage precautions regarding technological and electrical items are sum total of the knowledge which is mandatory to be made public to the consumers prior to their shopping. Besides, good quality product as advertised by seller, non-discriminatory pricing which hit more car-holding consumers and less cd-70 holding ones when the shop at venders, and free choice to buy any of the displayed products or not to buy at all are the birthright of the consumers.

There are instances when students are denied their library and hostel security fees by their institutions and hostel-owners respectively. There are instances too when a courier company misplaces your precious parcel or you are delivered a product other than what you order on 'Dhokebaaz. pk' - - which is definitely not

synonymous to Daraz. pk. All these illegal activities, performed by various good and service providers, have a legal solution: lodging a complaint. In real time, the process of doing so may get lengthy and tiresome, but it is worth making efforts, if not for the demandable compensation, let it be for the lawful and ethical consumer-seller relationship to prevail.

The real authorities to lodge complaints are Consumer Court, functional at district level across the country, and Deputy Commissioner (DC). To the readers' astonishment almost 90,000 complaints have been lodged since 2009, and that too alone in Punjab, with almost 77,000 cases resolved and 80 million rupees of compensation made to the affected complainants. If you ever feel that your aforementioned rights are being exploited, don’t hesitate, follow the procedure, which is as follows, for lodging the complaint.

PS. The consumer can claim the rights in the concerned office within the time span of 30 days; day one corresponds to the time when the transaction was made.

The Consumer's Protection Act is of no use when consumers themselves are unwilling to act. Protection from all sorts of fraudulent activities is the consumers’ right, but to pursue, it is the duty of them too. There are plenty of laws in the country safeguarding its very citizens, what lacks is 'rule of law'; and the first step towards it is claiming your right before law and legal authority. Therefore, act, before you are acted upon, fraudulently.