Consumer Protection - Test Papers

 CBSE Test Paper - 01

Chapter - 12 Consumer Protection


  1. Which consumer right provides adequate and accurate information about quality, quantity, purity standard and the price of the goods and services?
    1. Right to seek Redressal
    2. Right to choose
    3. Right to be heard
    4. Right to be informed
  2. Disputes of ________ amount are settled at the level of District Forum.
    1. Upto rupees thirty lakh
    2. Upto rupees twenty lakh
    3. Upto rupees ten lakh
    4. Upto rupees fifty lakh
  3. The consumer has the right to present before the appropriate forum or authorities all those matters which affect his interests. It is termed as the right to be:
    1. Safety
    2. Heard
    3. Education
    4. Informed
  4. Consumers can ask anything regarding date of manufacture, price, quantity etc., is an example of:
    1. Right to be informed
    2. Right to safety
    3. Right to choose
    4. Right to be heard
  5. Consumers are suffering due to unfair trade practice, therefore consumer protection is required, it implies:
    1. Organised consumers
    2. Unorganised consumers
    3. Consumers’ ignorance
    4. Widespread exploitation of consumers
  6. State whether each of the following statement is True or False:
    1. If a party is not satisfied with the decision of state commission it can appeal in the National Commission.
    2. Filing of a complaint under Consumer Protection Act before the District requires payment of court fee and stamp duty.
    3. The scope of the Consumer Protection Act is applicable to big undertakings, private sector, and the cooperative sector only.
    4. Hall Mark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellery.
  7. Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
    1. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 provides for a ________ at the district, state, and national levels for redressal of consumer grievances.
    2. It is the ________ of any business to take care of consumer's interest and avoid any form of their exploitation.
    3. ________ government sets up District Forum under Consumer Protection Act.
    4. Confederation of Indian Industries has laid down their ________ for their members, which has guidelines in their dealings with the customers.
  8. Match the following:
    (i) ECO Mark(a) On livestock product
    (ii) Woolmark(b) On gold jewellery
    (iii) Hallmark(c) Signifies 100% pure wool
    (iv) AGMARK(d) For environmental friendly products
  9. Ved purchased some medicines worth Rs 1000 for his wife from a chemist in the nearby market. But, he didn't take the cash memo for it from the chemist. After taking those medicines the condition of his wife deteriorated and she had to be hospitalized. Later on, through a laboratory test, it was certified that the medicines were spurious.
    1. Can he file a case against the chemist? Justify your answer with the help of a suitable reason.
    2. State any four rights which a consumer can exercise in case of exploitation as per the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
  10. "Grahak Shakti", an N.G.O. organized a workshop to discuss various issues relating to consumers. During the discussion, one of the members drew attention towards the exploitation of consumers due to defective and unsafe products, adulteration, black marketing, hoarding etc. To this, another member argued that consumers themselves are responsible as they do not raise a collective voice against the exploitation. The Chairperson of the organization was of the opinion that it was also the duty of the businessman to take care of the interests of various stakeholders. Business organizations earn money by selling goods and services to consumers. So the interests of the stakeholders have to be well taken care of.
    State three points that highlight the need for consumer protection as discussed in "Grahak Shakti's workshop.
  11. Geeta goes to a doctor to get herself treated for an injury in her hand. The doctor being her distant relative charged her nothing for the treatment. However, after a few days, she develops an infection on the wound because the doctor didn't use sterilised instruments. Later on, she is advised by the surgeon to get the infected finger removed. Therefore, she is very angry with the doctor.
    In the context of the above case: Can Geeta file a case against the doctor if she decides to take legal action? Why or why not? Give a reason in support of your answer.
  12. After his engagement, Badri took his finance Vaidahi for a dinner date to a five-star hotel in the city. There he had to face humiliation and loss of reputation as a transaction using the bank's debit card at a hotel to pay the bills failed, though he had a balance of more than 50 times the billed amount in his account. So he approached the consumer redressal forum, seeking compensation of Rs. 2 lakh. The bank claimed that this incident happened since the bank had suspended all such transactions than for two days due to some technical issues. However, the bank did not provide any prior notice to its customers about it. The consumer court directed the concerned bank to pay a compensation of Rs.1 lakh to Badri.
    In the context of the above case:
    1. Identify the consumer right being violated in the above case.
    2. Why do you think consumer protection is important from a consumers point of view?
  13. Explain any four responsibilities of the consumer to safeguard his interests.
  14. Aryan went to purchase a pack of chocolate for his son from a shop in the nearby market. Despite his preference to buy a pack of a particular brand the shopkeeper forced him to buy the pack of chocolate of another brand, by giving some odd justifications. After coming back home, Gaurav was feeling very dissatisfied.
    1. Identify and explain the right of the consumer being violated in the above-mentioned case.
    2. Briefly explain any two points highlighting the importance of consumer protection from the consumer's point of view.
  15. Prakhar purchased an ISI mark electric iron from 'Bharat Electricals'. While using he found that it was not working properly. He approached the teller and complained about the same. The seller satisfies Prakhar by saying that he will ask the manufacturer to replace this iron. The manufacturer refused to replace and Bharat Electricals decided to file a complaint in the consumer court. Can 'Bharat Electricals' do this? Why? Also explain 'who is a consumer' as per Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
  16. List the various reliefs available to consumers on his complaint.
  17. What are various ways in which the objective of consumer protection can be achieved? Explain the role of consumer organisations and NGOs in this regard?
  18. Describe any six anti-consumer practices adopted by businessmen in India.

CBSE Test Paper - 01
Chapter - 12 Consumer Protection


Solution

  1. (d) Right to be informed
    Explanation: Right to be informed and the right to consumer education.
  2. (b) Upto rupees twenty lakh
    Explanation: Disputes of upto Rs 20 lakh amount are settled at the level of District Forum.
  3. (b) Heard
    Explanation: Right to be Heard provide consumers to present before the appropriate forum or authorities in case of dissatisfaction with a good or service.
  4. (a) Right to be informed
    Explanation:
    • The consumer has a right to have complete information about the product he intends to buy including its ingredients, date of manufacture, price, quantity, directions for use, etc.
    • It is because of this reason that the legal framework in India requires the manufactures to provide such information on the package and label of the product.
  5. (d) Widespread exploitation of consumers
    Explanation: It implies the widespread exploitation of consumers.
    1. True
    2. False
    3. False
      Explanation: False, this act applies to all goods and services of any kind other than for commercial purposes provided by any sector.
    4. True
    1. Three-tier machinery
    2. Moral Justification
    3. State
    4. Code of Conduct
  6. (i) - (d), (ii) - (c), (iii) - (b), (iv) - (a).
    1. No, he cannot a case against the chemist as he didn't take the cash memo for it from the chemist. A cash memo is the conclusive proof of the purchase of goods.
    2. The four rights which a consumer can exercise in case of exploitation are as follows:-
      1. Right to safety
      2. Right to Information
      3. Right to Choose
      4. Right to be Heard.
  7. The three points that highlight the need for consumer protection as discussed in "Grahak Shakti's workshop are described below:
    1. Widespread exploitation of consumers(Consumers are exploited on a large scale by means of various unfair trade practices and consumer protection is required to protect them from exploitation)
    2. Unorganized consumers
    3. Social responsibility.
  8. No, Geeta cannot file a case against the doctor because she is not a consumer because she didn't pay for the services.
    Because in case of services as per Consumer Protection Act, 1986 a Consumer is a person hires or avails of any services for a consideration which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any beneficiary of such services other than the person who hires or avails of the services for consideration paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment, when such services are availed of with the approval of the first-mentioned person
    1. Right to information (As per this right consumer should be informed about the product. The product packaging should list the details which should be informed to the consumer and they should not hide the same or provide false information) which is being violated in the above case.
    2. The importance of consumer protection from the consumer's point of view is outlined below:
      1. Consumer Ignorance: In order to remove their ignorance, it is essential that the consumers are made aware of their rights and responsibilities.
      2. Widespread Exploitation of Consumers: In pursuit of higher profits the businessmen are likely to resort to unfair trade practices like charging a higher price, selling adulterated products, deficiency in services etc. Thus, there is a need to curb this kind of widespread exploitation of consumers.
  9. Four responsibilities of the consumer to safeguard his interests are:
    1. The consumer must exercise his rights: Consumers must be aware of their rights with regard to the products or services they buy from markets and must exercise them as and when required. In this way, he can prove to be a vigil consumer.
    2. Cautious consumers: Before purchasing, the consumer must insist on getting all information on the quality, quantity, price, utility, etc of the goods/services. This will ensure a better purchase as he will not depend entirely on a seller and will prevent him from any type of exploitation.
    3. Filing complaint: Sometimes, consumers ignore the deception of traders believing that the loss is small but this attitude encourages corrupt business practices to continue. On the other hand, some consumers also make excessive claims for compensation on small defects in goods which is not justified. Therefore, a prudent consumer must neither overlook nor ignore the loss completely nor should demand excessive compensation.
    4. Quality conscious: This is the only way to eradicate the problems of adulteration and spurious goods. While making purchases, consumers must look for standard quality certification marks like ISI, Agmark, FPO, Wool mark, etc.which prevents him and his family from any untoward incident.
    1. The Right to choose has been violated in the given case as Aryan was forced by the shopkeeper to buy a particular brand of chocolate.
      According to the Right to Choose, as per the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 the consumer has a right to choose from a variety of products at competitive prices or the right to be assured, wherever possible, to have access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices. Also, marketers should offer a wide variety of products to buyers.
    2. The importance of consumer protection from the consumer's point of view is outlined below:
      1. Consumer Ignorance: In order to remove their ignorance, it is essential that the consumers are made aware of their rights and responsibilities.
      2. Widespread Exploitation of Consumers: In pursuit of higher profits the businessmen are likely to resort to unfair trade practices like charging a higher price, selling adulterated products, deficiency in services etc. Thus, there is a need to curb this kind of widespread exploitation of consumers.
      3. Unorganised Consumer: We need a Consumer Organisation which can unify the consumers and help them seek relief with their consumer issues.
    1. Bharat Electricals cannot file a complaint. This is because Bharat Electricals is not a consumer as per the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 because they bought the goods for resale/commercial purpose.
    2. A 'consumer' is generally understood as a person who uses or consumes goods or avails of any service. Under the Consumer Protection Act, a consumer is defined as:
      1. Any person who buys any goods for a consideration, which has been paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any scheme of deferred payment. It includes any user of such goods when such use is made with the approval of the buyer but does not include a person who obtains goods for resale or any commercial purpose.
      2. Any person who hires or avails of any service, for a consideration which has been paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment. It includes any beneficiary of services when such services are availed of with the approval of the person concerned, but does not include a person who avails of such services for any commercial purpose.
  10. If the Consumer Court is satisfied with the genuineness of the complaint, it can issue one or more of the following directions to the opposite party.
    1. To remove the defect in goods or deficiency in service.
    2. To replace the defective product with a new one, free from any defect.
    3. To refund the price paid for the product, or the charges paid for the service.
    4. To pay a reasonable amount of compensation for any loss or injury suffered by the consumer due to the negligence of the opposite party.
    5. To pay punitive damages in appropriate circumstances.
  11. There are various ways in which the objective of consumer protection can be achieved
    Role of Consumer Organisations and NGOs
    Consumer organisation and NGOs perform several functions for the protection and promotion of the interest of consumers. In India, these associations are performing lots of functions some of them are
    1. Self Regulation by Business- Socially responsible firms follows ethical standards and practices in dealing with their customers. Many firms have set up their customer service and grievance cells to redress the problems and grievances of their consumers.
    2. Awareness Programme- To improve the level of awareness among the consumers the government of India has initiated various publicity measures. It regularly brings out journals, brochures, booklets and various posters depicting the rights and responsibilities of consumers, redressal machinery etc. It observes World Consumer Right Day on 15 March and National Consumer Day on 24 December.
    3. Business Associations- The associations of trade, commerce and business-like Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce of India (FICCI) and Conference of Indian Industries (ClI) have laid down their code of conduct which lays down for their members the guidelines in their dealings with the customers.
    4. Consumer Awareness- A consumer, who is well informed about his rights and the reliefs, would be in a position to raise his voice against any unfair trade practices or exploitation.
    5. Consumer Organisations- Consumer organisations play an important role in educating consumers about their rights and protecting them. These organisations can force business firms to avoid malpractices and exploitation of consumers.
    6. Goods and Services Covered Under CPA, 1986- The term 'goods' under this Act has the same meaning as under the sale of goods Act. Accordingly, it covers all types of movable property other than money and includes stocks and shares, growing crops etc. The term 'service' means service of any description made available to potential users and includes banking; financing, housing construction, insurance, entertainment, transport, the supply of electrical and other energy, boarding and lodging, amusement, etc. The services of doctors, engineers, architects, lawyers etc are also to be included under the provisions of Consumer Protection Act.
    7. Educating the general public about consumer rights by organising training programmes, seminars and workshops.
    8. Publishing periodicals and other publications to impart knowledge about consumer problems, legal reporting, reliefs available and other – matters of interest.
    9. Carrying out comparative testing of consumer products in accredited laboratories to test the relative qualities of competing brands and publishing the test results for the benefit of consumers.
    10. Encouraging consumers to strongly protest and take an action L against unscrupulous, exploitation and unfair trade practices of sellers.
  12. Various ways in which a consumer is exploited are as follows:
    1. Underweight and under-measurements - A consumer has to face the problem of underweight and under-measurements. Sometimes, the weight or the measurement is not written on the packets of goods.
    2. Sub-standard quality - The traders try to cheat their customers by selling substandard qualities. General grievances of consumers are expired date medicines and defective supply of goods.
    3. Charge high prices - Sometimes, it has been found that the traders charge more price than that prescribed on the articles.
    4. Duplicacy in goods - Consumers are exploited by selling fake or duplicate goods.
    5. Adulteration and impurities - The producer or the seller adds or mixes some low-quality items in the high-quality goods in order to earn high profits.
    6. Misleading advertisements - Businessmen put up advertisements to mislead the consumers. These advertisements falsely claim a product or service to be of superior quality, grade or standard.