Role of Consumer Organizations
In India there are about 500 consumers’ organizations working in the field of consumers’ protection. The most popular are: Consumers’ guidance society of India (Mumbai), Citizen Action group (Mumbai), consumer education and research (CERC) Ahmedabad, Common cause (New Delhi) etc. consumer unity and trust society (CUTS). These associations are performing following functions:
Bringing out brochures, journals etc, spreading consumer awareness, collecting data of different products and testing them, arrange seminar, conferences for the purpose of focusing on the problems of consumers, encoring the consumers to boycott the goods of bad quality or harmful contents for example CERC spread awareness among general public regarding pesticide contents in cola drinks and encourage the consumers to boycott the use of cold drinks.
Filing suits or complaints on behalf of customers, educating the consumers to help themselves, running complaint counters for consumers’ guidance and counseling, helping government agencies to resolve cases of consumer exploitation and to carry on consumer awareness programs, educating women regarding consumerism, motivating people to ask for quality marks such as ISI mark, agmark etc.