Laws that protect buyers
Consumer alert
By M.R. Pai

THE laws of the land are meant to help consumers to ensure that they get value for money. However, these laws do not operate on their own, but have to be invoked by the aggrieved consumers. At times, when a large number of consumers are affected, it is possible for a consumer organisation to collectively use the power of the law to solve the problems faced by all consumers.

One law which affects all consumers, practically every day of their life, is with regard to correct weights and measures. The Bible (Proverbs of Solomon) aptly records: "The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight." In many markets there is a Dharma Kanta (scale of just weight) to help the consumers. Purchase of vegetables, grocery items and other articles of daily use should be available in correct quantities for money paid. There are standard weights and measures, and laws to enforce them. It is to the credit of a new-born nation like India that within a few years of Independence there was effective standardisation. The metric system of weights was introduced. The decimal system of coins was introduced within 11 years of Independence, whereas it took 113 years for the U.K. to do this. These decisions taken in the early years of the Republic, when the economy was at a relatively low level of growth, have saved the nation millions of hours of manpower and conversion costs that would have been incurred had the changes been introduced at a later stage.

A consumer who suspects that weights and measures are doctored, can complain to the Department of Weights and Measures, now renamed Department of Metrology.

A law which touches the life of consumers day in and day out is the Standard of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules. Every packaged item has necessarily to give the name of the manufacturer, the correct weight (i.e. a soap) or measure of contents (e.g. hair oil), the month and year of packing and above all, the maximum retail price (M.R.P.). At one time, there was considerable confusion regarding the M.R.P. because while the ex-factory price was same all over the country, local taxes like state sales tax and octroi varied from state to state, and various cities. The consumers were taken for a ride by some traders by charging whatever they liked as "local taxes". Although they were obliged to keep a list of such items and quantum of local taxes, the law was rarely followed. Then the government amended the law. The manufacturer is now required to mention the M.R.P. at any part of the country. In trying to protect the consumers from arbitrary higher charges in the name of local taxes, all consumers have been made to pay at the rate of the highest sales tax and octroi rate in any part of the country!

There can be only one price marking on a package. There can be no cancellation of a marked price to put up another price.

Sometime, the price label indicates a month which follows the month of purchase. There is nothing illegal about it because if labels printed for any specific month are exhausted because of an unexpectedly large demand, then the subsequent month’s label can be used.

The marking of the month of manufacture is very helpful to the discriminating buyer. In the case of food products etc., the consumer should look at the month of packaging and refuse to buy old stock. One of the gimmicks of trade is to give "free" items, which is old stock, along with purchase of a regular item. The unwary buyer goes in for it and finds it stale or old stuff!

There are a number of laws which help the consumer to get value for money. Acts relating to food adulteration, drug control, safety of electrical appliances, drug and magic remedies and agricultural produce are some of these areas. The Consumer Guidance Society of India (Hutment J, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai 400 001) has published a useful booklet, Consumer Laws, detailing all these. There are similar informative publications by some other consumer organisations like Consumer Education & Research Centre, Ahmedabad.