The growing interdependence of the global economy and the international nature of many business practises have contributed to the development of a universal emphasis on the protection and promotion of consumer rights.
Consumers, clients, and customers all over the world are demanding better value for money in the form of higher-quality goods and services.
Consumers, however, continue to be victims of unscrupulous and exploitative practises. Food adulteration, bogus drugs, dubious hire purchase plans, high prices, poor quality, deficient services, deceptive advertisements, hazardous products, black marketing, and other forms of consumer exploitation abound.
Furthermore, as information technology advances, newer challenges, such as cybercrime, plastic money, and so on, are thrown at the consumer, all of which have a greater impact on the consumer.
In today’s world, the phrases “customer is sovereign” and “customer is king” are simply myths, particularly in developing countries. However, it has been correctly recognised that consumer protection is a socio-economic issue. By purchasing a specific product, consumers participate in the marketplace. Without customers, there would be no business.
The consumer’s position in terms of rights is pitiful. Shopkeepers are one example. companies making false claims about pack sizes and weighing less than they should then there are the local sweetmeat vendors who adulterate raw ingredients in order to make laddoos or barfis.
You might remember the case of dropsy caused by contaminated mustard oil. If you dare to complain, regardless of how poor the quality is, you will almost certainly be met with a rude response from the shopkeeper.
Consumerism: Conceptual Consideration
According to McMillan Dictionary, “consumerism is concerned with protecting consumers from all organisations with which there is an exchanged relationship” (1985). It is defined as “the set of activities undertaken by the government, business, independent organisations, and concerned consumers to protect consumer rights.”
In the good old days, the seller-buyer relationship was governed by the principle of ‘Caveat emptor,’ which meant buyer beware. Buyer and seller met face to face in the days of open markets, the seller displayed his goods, and the buyer thoroughly examined them before purchasing them. He was expected to proceed with extreme caution and skill.
The maxim absolved the seller of the obligation to disclose the quality of the product. Furthermore, the personal relationship between the buyer and seller was a factor. a significant factor in their interactions. However, with the growth of trade and its globalisation, this rule no longer applies.
It is no longer possible for the buyer to inspect the goods prior to purchase, and the majority of transactions are now completed via correspondence. Furthermore, because of the complex structure of modern goods, only the producer / seller can guarantee product quality.
Producers/sellers become stronger and more organised as manufacturing activity becomes more organised, while buyers remain weak and disorganised. In this day and age, consumers are even more deprived. Information technology has been transformed, as has the emergence of e-commerce-related innovations.
As a result, buyers are regularly misled, duped, and deceived. Mahatma Gandhi, the nation’s father, placed a high value on the “poor consumer,” whom he believed should be the primary beneficiary of the consumer movement.
“The most important visitor on our premises is the consumer,” he said. He is not dependent on us, but we are dependent on him. He is not an impediment to our work; rather, he is its goal.