Consumer Protection

Consumers are the ultimate users of goods and services produced in order to satisfy their wants. Producers of these goods and services, guided by their profit motive, may charge exorbitant prices and may show little concern for consumers in terms of acceptable quality, utility, efficiency or safety of the good or service offered for sale. There are several reasons for consumer protection and explained as follows:

Unfair Trading Practices of the Businessmen

Some producers and their distributors may indulge in unfair trading practices so as to maximize profits at the expense of consumers. These practices may take the form of misleading advertisements, inferior quality and performance of goods or services, exorbitant prices, substandard packaging, inadequate weights and measures, sales gimmicks and the liking.

Ignorance of Consumers that Products may Endanger their Health or Life

Consumers may be unaware of the deficiencies or the danger to their health and life of certain purchases. For example: harmful ingredients, additives, artificial flavors, dyes which are hazardous to health, goods which have outlived their shelf-life and are unfit for consumption and at last poorly fitted and harmful toys and electrical appliances which endanger the life of the user.

Inability of Consumers to assess claims of advertisers

Consumers may lack the ability to assess the claims of competing advertisers. They may not be able to assess the quality and content of the goods they purchase or evaluate the services rendered to them. Thus consumers are the indiscriminate in the choice of their purchases.

Ignorance of Consumers of their Rights

People may be ignorant or unaware of their consumer rights. For example: consumers are entitled to compensation when cheated for short weights and measures or when harmed by a consumer product, they are also entitled to services and replacement of parts when products are still under guarantee. Even if they are aware of their rights, they may not be able to exercise them as legal action against sellers or advertisers may be beyond the means of average consumer. Moreover, in some cases this amount of compensation may be relatively insignificant compared to the effort and money involved in taking legal action.

Taking Care of the Religious Beliefs of Consumers

Consumers, who are Muslims or vegetarians, are required to abstain from certain animal products. Many processed food items contain gelatin, which is of animal origin and manufacturers should indicate clearly on the labels the presence of gelatin so that the consumer will know which item he is prohibited.

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