There is a plethora of goods and services available in the market today and a consumer is a person who buys a product or service and consumes it for existence and wellbeing. There are sellers who would like to fulfil consumer’s demand and at the same time they cannot alienate consumers with substandard products or services. Today, protection of consumer’s right is being given a lot of importance. To support the consumer in purchasing the right goods and services and address their grievances, consumers now have some tools in the form of forums, courts and consumer complaints where they can seek help and take legal action against the seller.
Consumer protection
As consumers you have every right to expect that the products and services you buy are not faulty. The term consumer protection refers to a practice where consumers are protected from unfair practice of the sellers, they are educated about their rights and responsibilities, and their grievances are also redressed. If you buy goods or services and have dispute with the seller or entity who supplied those goods or services in Australia, you can seek help either from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission or the office of Consumer Protection in Western Australia. In the past financial year, the ACCC has won all the 28 consumer protection related cases closed by the Federal Court.
Steps to protect consumer right
- Educating consumers about their rights and responsibilities
- Addressing their grievances
- Seeking legal help to get justice
The consumer protection and product liability lawyers help people seek compensation for harmful consequences caused due to defective products.
Importance of protecting consumer rights
Due to the existence of cutthroat competition, today’s business environment has become very chaotic. In this competitive market, the sellers try their best to sustain their business and also dominate the market. With the objective of maximizing profit, they go to the extent of being unethical as well as harmful to consumers. As a result, consumers face dire consequences and need protection. However, protecting consumer rights work both for the welfare of the consumers and business entities.
- From consumer’s perspective
Everyone purchases goods or services which may belong to the category of necessities, comfort, and luxuries. Considering everyone’s wellbeing and satisfaction in the society, each one of them should be safeguarded. In other words, consumers should be protected from goods or services that are harmful for health. For example, some products may contain radioactive substances such as uranium and thorium that are hazardous for health. Consumers also need to be protected against foods containing preservatives or food that has been cooked in dirty and unhygienic conditions.
- Consumers are ignorant: Most of the time consumers lack knowledge about their rights and the way they can exercise those rights if they are duped or deceived. They do not have the resource to differentiate between genuine or adulterated products. It is because of consumer rights that the consumers are provided with accurate and unbiased information about the products and service they purchase. This enables them to choose something according to their likes and preference and prevents them from being misled or mistreated by the seller/businesses
- Consumers are not united: Consumers are mostly unorganized and haphazardly placed without any association. Consumer protection provides a platform to voice their grievances and seek justice. Protecting consumer rights helps to unite consumers so that they can raise their voice against any issues of unfair trade practice and exploitation.
- Consumers can take legal actions: Consumer rights, laws and regulations ensure consumer welfare as businesses can be held responsible for any injury or damage. Consumer rights should be protected, so that they are not harassed with issues like false weights, unfair price, adulteration, monopoly, misleading advertisements, incomplete information on product package, or any life threatening consequences. By exercising consumer rights, consumers can take legal action against the particular business entity responsible for being unfair to the consumer.
- From business perspective
- Enhancing customer base: If consumers are treated fairly and they are satisfied with the products and services they are offered, businesses gain good reputation. The customer base increases with word of mouth from satisfied customers. To survive in this competitive market, businesses also need consumer protection.
- Serving the society: Manufacturers and sellers have a moral obligation to give back to the society by way of delivering quality goods and services at fair prices. Moreover, the demand from consumers makes room for innovation. This contributes to economic development. Consumer protection leads to business growth due to the creation of dynamic and effective markets.
The role of consumer protection lawyers
There may be situations like someone getting injured by a defective motorcycle, someone getting struck by faulty automatic doors, or a glass getting shattered on someone. In others, where you may have undergone a personal injury or damage due to a defective product delivered by the manufacturer, you are entitled to seek compensation. A consumer protection lawyer can assist you by providing legal representation on your behalf and help you to get the best compensation payouts. To achieve client’s satisfaction, Personal injury lawyers Perth make sure that the personal injury is compensated to the optimum amount. The advice and guidance is customized according to the needs of the client and their knowledge and skills help them to bring just and fair outcome to their clients.
Compensation coverage
- Medical expenses along with future expenses
- Pay for lost pleasure of life, distress, and pain
- Cost of home help and attendant care
- Repair and replacement cost
- Replacement of lost earnings
Get help for personal injury
A personal injury can change your life entirely. You may suffer a personal injury at work or on the road due to another party’s fault and taking legal action for claiming compensation may not be easy. In such circumstances, you can seek help from compensation lawyers Perth who provide personal, professional, and friendly service. They help to maximize your compensation payout in a cost-effective and stress-free manner. Whether you get injured in a road accident, a work accident, in a public place, or due to crime the personal injury lawyers will help you.
