Consumers' Observation and Reporting of Unfair Trade Practices

Abstract

Today an average Indian consumer is poor, illiterate, ignorant, passive, unaware, unorganised and sometimes helpless. Due to illiteracy, unawareness, traditional or passive outlook consumer is being exploited in different ways. The study aims to find out the consumers’ consciousness towards the problems/unfair trade practices faced while purchasing the products and complaints lodged with respect to purchases. The nature of data used in the present study is primary which had been collected by using a structured questionnaire. A survey method had been used to collect the data. The questionnaires were filled up by 600 respondents of rural and urban areas of fifteen districts of Haryana. Responses were analyzed by the help of Percentage, Chi-square and presented by tables and figures. Consumers had been presented with the fourteen areas of problems (unfair trade practices) faced regarding goods purchased for which complain can be lodged. Nearly half of the consumers had found complain in almost all the areas but rate of lodging the complaints had been found nearly 60%. Highest number of complaints was found about substandard goods sold/adulterated goods. Highest number of complaints had been lodged regarding warranty/guarantee (such as defective product/non-replacement of items etc.). It is suggested that consumer needs to be more aware of the problems faced while purchasing and a suitable mechanism is required to encourage them to lodge these complaints.