Be aware of your rights as consumers

Do you accompany your parents on their weekly marketing rounds? If so, you would have some awareness about buying goods, and your role as a consumer. Even if you do not have much knowledge in this area, it won't hurt to learn something about consumer rights as you are a future consumer.

Why are we talking about consumers and their rights now? Because March 15 is World Consumer Day, a day dedicated to the consumer movement. This day concerns all human beings, whether children or adults, as all of us are consumers with equal consumer rights.

The first World Consumer Day was commemorated in the USA in 1962, although it was first announced officially by the United Nations in 1985 with a bill of consumer rights, which included the right to satisfaction of basic needs.

The UN has bestowed many consumer rights through this bill, some of which are the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be heard, the right to consumer education, and the right to a healthy environment.

In Sri Lanka, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) handles the issues concerning consumers under the legislation Consumer Affairs Act No. 9 of 2003. The CAA is a government authority established under the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs to deal with all things to do with consumer rights.

It works towards safeguarding the rights of consumers who are at the mercy of traders and manufacturers.

Some of the Authority's activities with regard to children are conducting seminars and awareness programmes on consumer rights and obligations, conducting quiz programmes and art, essay and drama competitions among schoolchildren, imposing punishments on manufacturers and traders who trade in articles harmful to children and their nourishment, contributing effectively to implement a fair and just society for children and taking the initiative to ward off malnutrition and poverty in society.

For the CAA's role to be fully effective however, consumers should also play their part, informing the CAA of instances of unfair trading practices being carried out by various parties.

As consumers, you should be aware of your rights and always ensure that you get a fair deal.

* Purchase only goods that are fresh. When you buy something, check the date of manufacture and date of expiry. Do not purchase anything that has exceeded the expiry date.

* Do not purchase anything that is not up to the required standard.

* Always check the price marked. Obtain a receipt for every item that you purchase or for any service rendered. Compare this receipt with the goods bought because there are instances where certain supermarkets had overpriced their goods during calculation.

* When buying goods that need to be weighed, ensure that the scales and needle are balanced before the goods are taken off the scales.

If you learn at a young age what your rights as consumers are and how to implement them, no trader would be able to take you for a ride when you start practising these rights as consumers.