Consumer Rights

Before the 20th Century, consumers had few rights when it came to products and goods. If they purchased goods that were broken or faulty or if they enlisted services that did not work as they has wished and were advertised, there was not much a consumer could do legally to have the situation rectified. However, in the 20th Century consumer rights laws were created in order to better protect consumers and to ensure that businesses had to treat costumers more fairly regarding products, services, and help if the products were not satisfactory. The basis of the movement started around the 1950s and has continued to be an important factor in today’s legal and business worlds. Consumers’ rights are outlined into six larger categories. These are the basic rights that every individual has regarding products and services on the market today. These rights are: to be safe, to be able to choose freely, to be heard, to be informed, to receive education, and to receive service. When it comes to consumer rights, the right to be safe is one of the most well-known and utilized rights. This refers to the safety and quality of products. If companies fail to make safe products, the consumer has a right to compensation of some kind. The right to choose freely and the right to be heard are two important rights. This is where a consumer is assured that they have options regarding a good or service; that there is no monopoly. And the right to be heard is when the individual has a complaint regarding the products. The rights to be informed and to education are both ways in which the consumer can become better acquainted with the products and the marketplace in order to make informed decisions about what goods work best for them. The right to service is the obligation of the business to respond to the needs of the consumer. This is often carried through a warranty or various other legal documents stating that the business will provide service for the individual upon request regarding their products. All of these consumer rights are important in order to keep consumers from being dominated by the businesses and their tactics.