Chapter 5 · Question 5
What duties should a responsible consumer follow?
Answer
Direct Answer
A responsible consumer should check quality marks, read labels, compare prices, ask for bills, avoid unsafe products, report unfair practices, and use goods carefully. Awareness and evidence such as receipts help consumers exercise their rights.
Simple Explanation
A responsible consumer checks quality marks, reads labels, compares prices, always asks for a bill, avoids unsafe products, and reports unfair practices. Keeping receipts and proof is essential.
Exam-Ready Structure
Consumer rights come with consumer responsibilities. A responsible consumer should:
• Check quality marks and standards: Look for ISI, Agmark, FSSAI, Hallmark, and other certification marks before buying products to ensure safety and quality.
• Read labels and product information carefully: Check the MRP, manufacture date, expiry date, ingredients, and directions for use. Do not buy expired, damaged, or unlabelled products.
• Compare prices and quality: Do not rush into a purchase. Compare competing products on price, quality, and user reviews. This encourages healthy competition among sellers.
• Always ask for a cash memo (bill): A receipt or bill is the basic proof of purchase. Without it, a consumer has little evidence to file a complaint or claim warranty. Check that the bill shows the date, seller's name and address, product description, and price.
• Do not fall for misleading advertisements: Be critical of advertisement claims that sound too good to be true. Seek additional information before making expensive or health-related purchases.
• Avoid unsafe or unauthorised products: Do not buy products from unauthorised sellers, at suspiciously low prices, or without proper labels and certification. Electrical goods, medicines, and food products bought from unregulated sources can be dangerous.
• Report unfair practices and file complaints: If cheated or harmed, file a complaint with the appropriate consumer forum rather than staying silent. Silence encourages sellers to continue exploiting others.
• Use goods and services carefully: Overusing or misusing a product and then blaming the seller is not responsible behaviour. Consumers should follow instructions and use goods as intended.
• Spread awareness: Inform family, friends, and community about consumer rights, common forms of exploitation, and how to seek redressal. An aware consumer community is the best defence against exploitation.
In summary: A responsible consumer is aware, careful, assertive, and willing to demand accountability — turning legal rights into practical protection.
Key Points
- A responsible consumer should check quality marks, read labels, compare prices, ask for bills, avoid unsafe products, report unfair practices, and use goods carefully.
- Awareness and evidence such as receipts help consumers exercise their rights.