Consumer Protection Act of 1986

[edit] Consumer Protection Council

Consumer Protection Councils are established at the national, state and district level to increase consumer awareness.^[1]

[edit] Central Consumer Protection Council

It is established by the Central Government which consists of the following members:

• The Minister of Consumer Affairs, - Chairman, and
• Such number of other official or non-official members representing such interests as may be prescribed.

[edit] State Consumer Protection Council

It is established by the State Government which consists of the following members:

• The Minister in charge of consumer affairs in the State Government - Chairman.
• Such number of other official or non-official members representing such interests as may be prescribed by the State Government.
• such number of other official or non-official members, not exceeding ten, as may be nominated by the Central Government.

The State Council is required to meet as and when necessary but not less than two meetings every year.

[edit] Consumer Disputes Redressal Agencies

Main article: Consumer Court

• District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF): Also known as the "District Forum" established by the State Government in each district of the State. The State Government may establish more than one District Forum in a district. It is a district level court that deals with cases valuing up to 20 lakh (US$36,400).^[1]

• State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC): Also known as the "State Commission" established by the State Government in the State. It is a state level court that takes up cases valuing less than 1 crore (US$182,000)^[1]

• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC): Established by the Central Government. It is a nation level court that works for the whole country and deals with amount more than 1 crore (US$182,000).^[1]

[edit] Objectives

[edit] Objectives of Central Council

The objectives of the Central Council is to promote and protect the rights of the consumers such as:-
a) - the right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property.
b) - the right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services, as the case may be so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.
c) - the right to be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices.
d) - the right to be heard and to be assured that consumer's interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums.
e) - the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of con­sumers; and
f) - the right to consumer education.

[edit] Objectives of State Council

The objects of every State Council shall be to promote and protect within the State the rights of the consumers laid down in clauses (a) to (f) in central council objectives.

[edit] Jurisdiction

[edit] Jurisdiction of District Forum

1) - Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the District Forum shall have jurisdiction to
entertain complaints where the value of the goods or services and the compensation, if any, claimed does not exceed rupees twenty lakhs.
2) - A complaint shall be instituted in a District Forum within the local limits of whose jurisdiction:-

a) - the opposite party or each of the opposite parties, where there are more than one, at the time of the institution of the complaint, actually and voluntarily resides or carries on business or has a branch office or personally works for gain, or

b) - any of the opposite parties, where there are more than one, at the time of the institution of the complaint, actually and voluntarily resides, or carries on business or has a branch office, or personally works for gain, provided that in such case either the permission of the District Forum is given, or the opposite parties who do not reside, or carry on business or have a branch office, or personally work for gain, as the case may be, acquiesce in such institution; or

c) - the cause of action, wholly or in part, arises.

[edit] Jurisdiction of state council

1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the State Commission shall have jurisdiction:-

a) - to entertain

i) - complaints where the value of the goods or services and compensation, if any, claimed exceeds rupees twenty lakhs but does not exceed rupees onecrore; and

ii) - appeals against the orders of any District Forum within the State; and

b) - to call for the records and pass appropriate orders in any con­sumer dispute which is pending before or has been decided by any District Forum within the State, where it appears to the State Commission that such District Forum has exercised a jurisdiction not vested in it by law, or has failed to exercise a jurisdiction so vested or has acted in exercise of its jurisdiction illegally or with material irregularity.

[edit] Jurisdiction of National Council

Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the National Commission shall have jurisdiction—
a) - to entertain

i) complaints where the value of the goods or services and compensation, if any, claimed exceeds rupees one crore; and

ii) appeals against the orders of any State Commission

b) - to call for the records and pass appropriate orders in any consumer dispute which is pending before or has been decided by any State Commission where it appears to the National Commission that such State Commission has exercised a jurisdiction not vested in it by law, or has failed to exercise a jurisdiction so vested, or has acted in the exercise of its jurisdiction illegally or with material irregularity.

[edit] Limitation period

1) - The District Forum, the State Commis­sion or the National Commission shall not admit a complaint unless it is filed within two years from the date on which the cause of action has arisen.
2) - Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), a complaint may be entertained after the period specified in sub-section (1), if the complainant satisfies the District Forum, the State Commission or the National Commission, as the case may be, that he had sufficient cause for not filing the complaint within such period: Provided that no such complaint shall be entertained unless the National Commission, the State Commission or the District Forum, as the case may be, records its reasons for condoning such
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Protection_Act_of_1986

Important Toll Free Phone Number List

Description Number Blood Bank 1910 Women in Distress 1020 CATS 1099 eye bank helpline 1919 Child Labour complaint Old age help line anti courreption Help Line 1098 Heart Attack 1050 Heart Brigade 1051 Police 100 Fire brigade 101 Accidents 102 AIDS Control Centre 1097 Local Assistance 199 Airlines Toll Free Phone Numbers : Indian Airlines 1800 180 1407 Jet Airways 1800 22 5522 SpiceJet 1800 180 3333 Air India 1800 22 7722 KingFisher 1800 180 0101 Automobiles Toll Free Phone Numbers : Mahindra Scorpio 1800 22 6006 Maruti 1800 111 515 Tata Motors 1800 22 5552 Windshield Experts 1800 11 3636 Banks Toll Free Phone Numbers : ABN AMRO 1800 11 2224 Canara Bank 1800 44 6000 Citibank 1800 44 2265 Corporatin Bank 1800 443 555 Development Credit Bank 1800 22 5769 HDFC Bank 1800 227 227 ICICI Bank 1800 333 499 ICICI Bank NRI 1800 22 4848 IDBI Bank 1800 11 6999 Indian Bank 1800 425 1400 ING Vysya 1800 44 9900 Kotak Mahindra Bank 1800 22 6022 Lord Krishna Bank 1800 11 2300 Punjab National Bank 1800 122 222 State Bank of India 1800 44 1955 Syndicate Bank 1800 44 6655 Cell Phones Toll Free Phone Numbers : BenQ 1800 22 08 08 Bird CellPhones 1800 11 7700 HTC 1800 11 33 77 Motorola MotoAssist 1800 11 1211 Nokia 3030 3838 Sony Ericsson 3901 1111 Computers/IT Toll Free Phone Numbers : Adrenalin 1800 444 445 AMD 1800 425 6664 Apple Computers 1800 444 683 Canon 1800 333 366 Cisco Systems 1800 221 777 Compaq HP 1800 444 999 Data One Broadband 1800 424 1800 Dell 1800 444 026 Epson 1800 44 0011 eSys 3970 0011 Genesis Tally Academy 1800 444 888 HCL 1800 180 8080 IBM 1800 443 333 Lexmark 1800 22 4477 Marshal’s Point 1800 33 4488 Microsoft 1800 111 100 Microsoft Virus Update 1901 333 334 Seagate 1800 180 1104 Symantec 1800 44 5533 TVS Electronics 1800 444 566 WeP Peripherals 1800 44 6446 Wipro 1800 333 312 xerox 1800 180 1225 Zenith 1800 222 004 Couriers/Packers & Movers Toll Free Phone Numbers : ABT Courier 1800 44 8585 AFL Wizz 1800 22 9696 Agarwal Packers & Movers 1800 11 4321 Associated Packers P Ltd 1800 21 4560 DHL 1800 111 345 FedEx 1800 22 6161 Goel Packers & Movers 1800 11 3456 UPS 1800 22 7171 Education Toll Free Phone Numbers : Edu Plus 1800 444 000 Hindustan College 1800 33 4438 NCERT 1800 11 1265 Vellore Institute of Technology 1800 441 555 Amity University NCR Delhi 1800 110 000 Healthcare Toll Free Phone Numbers : Best on Health 1800 11 8899 Dr Batras 1800 11 6767 GlaxoSmithKline 1800 22 8797 Johnson & Johnson 1800 22 8111 Kaya Skin Clinic 1800 22 5292 LifeCell 1800 44 5323 Manmar Technologies 1800 33 4420 Pfizer 1800 442 442 Roche Accu- Chek 1800 11 45 46 Rudraksha 1800 21 4708 Varilux Lenses 1800 44 8383 VLCC 1800 33 1262 Home Appliances Toll Free Phone Numbers : Aiwa/Sony 1800 11 1188 Anchor Switches 1800 22 7979 Blue Star 1800 22 2200 Bose Audio 1800 11 2673 Bru Coffee Vending Machines 1800 44 7171 Daikin Air Conditioners 1800 444 222 DishTV 1800 12 3474 Faber Chimneys 1800 21 4595 Godrej 1800 22 5511 Grundfos Pumps 1800 33 4555 LG 1901 180 9999 Philips 1800 22 4422 Samsung 1800 113 444 Sanyo 1800 11 0101 Voltas 1800 33 4546 WorldSpace Satellite Radio 1800 44 5432 Hotel Reservations Toll Free Phone Numbers : GRT Grand 1800 44 5500 InterContinental Hotels Group 1800 111 000 Marriott 1800 22 0044 Sarovar Park Plaza 1800 111 222 Taj Holidays 1800 111 825 Insurance Toll Free Phone Numbers : AMP Sanmar 1800 44 2200 Aviva 1800 33 2244 Bajaj Allianz 1800 22 5858 Chola MS General Insurance 1800 44 5544 HDFC Standard Life 1800 227 227 LIC 1800 33 4433 Max New York Life 1800 33 5577 Royal Sundaram 1800 33 8899 SBI Life Insurance 1800 22 9090 Mattresses Toll Free Phone Numbers : Kurl- on 1800 44 0404 Sleepwell 1800 11 2266 Investments/Finance Toll Free Phone Numbers : CAMS 1800 44 2267 Chola Mutual Fund 1800 22 2300 Easy IPO’s 3030 5757 Fidelity Investments 1800 180 8000 Franklin Templeton Fund 1800 425 4255 J M Morgan Stanley 1800 22 0004 Kotak Mutual Fund 1800 222 626 LIC Housing Finance 1800 44 0005 SBI Mutual Fund 1800 22 3040 Sharekhan 1800 22 7500 Tata Mutual Fund 1800 22 0101 Paints Toll Free Phone Numbers : Asian Paints Home Solutions 1800 22 5678 Berger Paints Home Decor 1800 33 8800 Teleshopping Toll Free Phone Numbers : Asian Sky Shop 1800 22 1800 Jaipan Teleshoppe 1800 11 5225 Tele Brands 1800 11 8000 VMI Teleshopping 1800 447 777 WWS Teleshopping 1800 220 777 Travel Toll Free Phone Numbers : Club Mahindra Holidays 1800 33 4539 Cox & Kings 1800 22 1235 God TV Tours 1800 442 777 Kerala Tourism 1800 444 747 Kumarakom Lake Resort 1800 44 5030 Raj Travels & Tours 1800 22 9900 Sita Tours 1800 111 911 SOTC Tours 1800 22 3344 Ticketvala .com 1800 209 2222 UPS : APC 1800 44 4272 Numeric 1800 44 3266 Indian Railways : Indian Railway General Enquiry Number 139 Indian Railway Central Enquiry Number 139 Indian Railway Reservation Enquiry Number 139 Others Important Helplines : Consumer Helpline 1800 11 4000 loreal garnier 1800 223 000 KONE Elevator 1800 444 666 Indane

...source:SA post