BA 301 Week 4 Assignment Six Rights of the Consumer

Six Rights of the Consumer

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Six Rights of the Consumer

Each and every consumer no matter the field of purchase that they originate from has several right to which he is entitled to. These are well documented within the consumer protection laws. As previously discussed, Consumer protection laws are meant to prevent the buyers against unscrupulous scam or being taken advantage by large organizations. Consumer laws ensure that the goods in the market are ideal and safe for the buyer. They protect the buyer from being exploited when buying the goods or receiving the services. There are several rights of the consumer including the right to choose, the right to safety, and the right to be informed, the right to be heard, the right to environmental health, the right to service, the right to remedy and the right to consumer education. For the purpose of this discussion, six main rights are going to be discussed, analyzed and their importance elaborated.

First and foremost, the consumer has the right to choose. This means that for every service or goods that the consumer desires, he has a right to choose and settle on the one that they prefer most. This right also allows them to be given a variety of goods with competitive prices from which to select their favorite. In several supermarkets. This is commonly noted. The consumer is often exposed to similar products of different brands in different prices. This right is very important because to begin with it allows the consumer to select their best choice without coercion, next, it allows them to choose within their financial ranges. It also allows them to compare prices between different venders and thus select from whom to buy the goods. The fourth advantage of this right is that it allows for healthy competition between several brands which promotes their ultimate growth.

The consumer also has the right to be informed about whatever they are purchasing. Every consumer has a right to be given information about the goods they are to purchase. It is their right to know every detail about whatever they are to buy. This information can be made available in several ways including the product’s website, agent marketing the product, information found in labels on the product among several other ways. This is very important because it allows them to make informed decisions on whether to buy them or not. It also allows them to decide whether they need the material or not. It protects the consumer from buying unnecessary products which they may not need in the long run. It also allows them to decide the better options involving different products that they may explore.

The third consumer right is the right to safety. They are entitled to receive protection from harmful products and services that they may purchase or request. Consumers are also to be protected from sale and distribution of hazardous goods and services. This right goes in tandem with the right to information. In a situation that a consumer want to purchase a product which may be harmful to them, it is the duty of the business person located at that point to explain to them the potential dangers of the product and how to avoid them. A good example would be a store dealing in the sale of pesticides and insecticides.

We know very well that these are made of harmful chemicals including organophosphates and therefore, their mere use predisposes the user to organophosphate poisoning, a condition which can be rapidly decapitating and quickly fatal. The owner of the store in this case should explain to the consumer the dangers of this chemicals, the attires that should be don when using it and the potential risks brought about by the use of the chemical. They should also go ahead and explain what should be done in the cases of accidental consumption or failure to abide to the given instructions. By so doing, they will be protecting this individual from all the risks that commonly arise following the sale of such chemicals. This right is therefore important for the protection of the consumer from the possible hazards that could arise following the purchase of the product.

The fourth consumer right is the right to be heard and the right to voice. This has been by far one of the most important right for a very long time. On several occasions, the consumer gets dissatisfied either by the service they receive or a product they obtained. In these cases they are allowed to express their dissatisfaction. They are allowed to explain the reason as to why they were not particularly enticed or amazed by whatever they obtained. The store or the businessperson in this case has a duty to listen to them, their woes and their dissatisfaction. This is because this right has two components, the first one being a right to voice and the second a right to be heard. This right is very important because to begin with, it allows for feedback collection by the retailer. This then enables them improve in the areas deemed sub optimal. On the other hand, it allows the consumer to express any form of dissatisfaction and even demand or request for better service.

Another right well known to most consumers is the right to redress and remedy. On an occasion that a consumer obtained a product and is grossly dissatisfied by the product, they are allowed to go back to the retailer for a remedy of the same. This could also happen in a situation whereby a product has been bought and used on only one occasion or even not been used at all yet it malfunctions. In these situations, though often guided by the line of the product, the consumer is allowed to obtain remedy and also to seek redress from the store in question. This is important because primarily it protects the consumer against fraudulent activities. It also protects them from being victims of circumstances in certain situations.

The final right of the consumer to be discussed today is the right to service. Each And every consumer has a right to be served and attended to in a respectful manner. This right allows the consumer to obtain decent service whenever they walk into a store irrespective of how they present or where they come from. In most stores, one often realizes that the most frequent customers receive the best service. In as much as this is a good marketing strategy, it shouldn’t be the case, all customers should be treated equally since all of them are protected by this right. The importance of this right cannot be over emphasized. It allows the retailer not only to concentrate on selling his product but also to present it to the consumer in a decent and respectful manner at all times.

The right to service also entails adequate provision and access to the very basic needs of the consumer. The consumer is entitled to receive all this within the confines of the consumer protection laws. The basic needs in these case include food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education and sanitation. These have been stated as the most basic needs that should be availed to every consumer at the most basic level. They should be allowed to access these as soon as they require and without any form of coercion or favoritism.

In conclusion, these among several other rights as had been listed in the beginning form the basic right of the consumer. These right were fronted by the late John F. Kennedy as he fought for the common consumer in the United States. Additions the rights that he fronted for initially were then made by a different delegation all min an effort to protect the consumer. These ensure fair practices and ensure a voice for those that can’t stand on their own. These rights have up to now been incorporated in several other countries and states to ensure good business practices.