“World Day of Consumer Rights” which is celebrated each year worldwide was adopted by the United Nations on the 15 of March 1985. It was celebrated for the first time on 15 March 1983, since then it became an important opportunity to activate citizen role. Consumer Rights day is an annual opportunity to celebrate and display solidarity between the consumer activities globally. Most important is that it is time to promote the consumers’ basic rights, to demand the conservation and respect for these rights and to oppose exploitation by the market and the social injustice that is poorly valued.
Every one of us falls under the category of a consumer. Whenever huge public or private entities take decisions, the consumer is the one who is affected the most by these decisions. Despite being the most important part of the whole economic cycle, the consumers are the ones, whose voice goes unheard. World Consumer Rights Day gives us a platform to voice our opinion regarding the atrocities we face as consumers.
In order to survive, people consume. It may be related to the satisfaction of basic needs or purchasing complicated financial products. People should make an informed choice regarding goods and services. It is only possible when the consumers are provided with the right kind of facts. Consumers should be protected from misleading promotions, especially in the case of products and services that directly affect their health. We as consumers need to be confident that we are purchasing authentic products and services and they are not going to be detrimental to us as well as the environment.
Consumers International (CI) is the only independent and authoritative body, which works towards spreading awareness about consumer rights. It is the world federation of consumer groups. World Consumer Rights Day is an annual event, where participants celebrate the unity of the consumers all over the globe and promote their rights. The eight basic consumer rights are as follows.
- Basic Needs– Accessible essential goods and services, which satisfy their basic needs.
- Safety– Protection against goods and services that can be dangerous to one’s health.
- Information– Make choices based on honest advertising and promotions.
- Choice– Choose from an array of goods and services with assurance of good quality at competitive prices.
- Be Heard– To voice their opinion regarding government policies dealing with consumers.
- Redress– Have fair settlement in cases dealing with misrepresentation, low quality goods and unsatisfactory services.
- Consumer Education– Right to have proper knowledge to make an informed choice.
- Environment– To function in a healthy environment at home, as well as the work place.
www.nationalconsumerhelpline.in. This website deals with matters related to consumer protection in India. JAGO GRAHAK, JAGO.
Source: http://www.rightcopywriter.com/blog/news/world-consumer-rights-day.html
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