CONSUMER Rights Day was observed on March 15 across the world. But, unfortunately, in our country consumers are not aware of their rights. If they find any problem, they don’t know where to go and get the issues resolved.
The best way is to know our rights which basically include safety from hazardous goods and false or misleading claims in advertisements and the assurance that the government will take full cognizance of the concerns of consumers and will act with sympathy through simple and expeditious administrative producers.
Consumers in Pakistan face problems like buying low-quality products at high rates.
They are misled by advertisements, warranty issues or low-standard services by doctors, lawyers, contractors and others.
We can minimise consumer violation by taking certain measures like evaluating large purchases, asking about product warranty, checking if professionals are licensed, using credit cards while making online purchases, always requesting a receipt for purchases, contacting the seller or manufacturer if the product is defective, writing the online review of the company or filing a complaint against them, etc.
Only by doing this, will the Consumer Protection Act be successful.
Arwa Ali Asgher
Karachi
Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018