Consumer means any person who buys goods or hires services for a consideration which has been paid or promised to be paid, partly or fully. The consumer however does not include a person who obtains such goods for resale or for any commercial purpose. Consumer laws are contained in the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.  The Act aims to provide protection to the interests of the consumer, as also the settlement of Consumers’ disputes and the matters incidental to the consumer disputes. The Act is envisaged to promote and protect the following rights of the consumers:-

(i) The right to be protected against the marketing of goods which are hazardous to the life and property.

(ii) The right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of the goods and services.

(iii) The right to be assured access to a variety of goods & services at competitive prices.

(iv) The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation.

The authority under central govt., which keeps a close vigil on the implementation of the rights of the consumer under the act as also which continuously undertakes the task of further planning on how to improve the consumer scenario further and in the larger interest of the consumer on the ground, is Central Consumer Protection Council. The authority of the like nature under state govt. is State Consumer Protection Council.

The consumer dispute redressal agencies are as follows: the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, known as District Forum; the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, known as State Commission, and the National Cosumer Disputes Redressal Commission, known as National Commission. All three Forums command the original jurisdiction to entertain complaints. The District Forum has jurisdiction upto Rs. 5 lacs, the State Commission upto Rs. 20 lacs, and the National Commission more than Rs. 20 lacs. The orders of the District Forum and that of the State Commission are appealable. The appeal against the order of the District Forum lies in the State Commission and that of the State Commission in National Commission.