What do the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, the judicial system, and the government all have in common? They establish that citizens of the United States of America have certain unalienable rights, and then they protect these rights. However, they also expect that the citizens act in a civilized manner, abiding by the laws and regulations of the country. Anything that the citizen does must be for the good of the country as a whole. This expectation is also known as the societal responsibility of the individual.
How does this connect to an article about consumerism? In the same manner that a citizen of a country automatically gains certain rights and responsibilities, an individual acts as a consumer of a good or service, gaining certain rights and responsibilities as well.
The rights of the consumer
As stated by the “Consumer Bill of Rights” of 1962, the consumer has eight8 fundamental rights (initially four; additional four rights were added later).
These eight rights are as follows:
the right to safety
the right to choose
the right to be heard
the right to be informed
the right to redress
the right to consumer education
the right to service
the right to a healthy and sustainable environment
But what do these eight rights mean? As a consumer, what protections do you have?
The Right to Safety: The right to safety for a consumer ensures that all goods and services purchased by the consumer are safe to consume and use (assuming that they are used in the manner that they are supposed to be).
The Right to Choose: This right ensures the principle of competition between producers. It guarantees that multiple varieties of all products and services will be available for the consumer to choose from, and in good quality and fair prices.
The Right to be Heard: Consumers retain the right to inform the producer of any good or service of any issues, complaints, or grievances that the consumer had with the particular product. This right ensures that these complaints are heard by the manufacturer, and are dealt with appropriately.
The Right to be Informed: Consumers are given ample and factual information about the goods or services that are available to consume.
The Right to Redress: The consumer is given the right to have their issues resolved. This includes returning defective products with a full reimbursement of money, getting their money, swapping out products, and even taking legal action against the producer.
The Right to Consumer Education: Similar to the right to be informed, the right to consumer education is the right to use skills to make decisions related to the purchase of a given product. For example, reading the nutritional value of two different granola bars to aid in one’s decision of which one to buy.
The Right to Service: The right to expect courteous, respectful, timely, and equal service at all times.
The Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment: This right ensures that the living or working area of a consumer is safe, non-hazardous, and healthy.
Responsibilities of the Consumer
The rights of the consumers are rights that are not just given, but entrusted. Thus, it is the responsibility of the consumer to ensure that they utilize these rights to the maximum. For example, when purchasing a medicinal product, consumers must be aware of the uses and side-effects of the product, before purchasing it. Other responsibilities of the consumer include being honest and ethical (no stealing, lying about a purchase, etc.), asking for a receipt, and in the case of poor service, filing a constructive and respectful complaint.
Knowing your rights and fulfilling your responsibilities as a consumer is detrimental to the
