Consumers are people who buy and use goods or services. Consumers have a right to file a complaint for any of the services or goods used by them under Consumer Protection Law. Under Consumer Protection Law, a ’consumer’ means:
Person buying and using goods and services: A consumer includes any person who buys goods and services, as well as anyone who uses them. For instance, a person who watches a movie after buying a movie ticket is a consumer and similarly, a person who uses a gift voucher gifted from someone else is also a consumer.
Person using goods for self-employment, and not for commercial purposes: The consumer protection law does not apply to people who use goods and services for commercial purposes. However, there are some exceptions to this. For example, people who use goods for self-employment are considered as consumers. For example, artists who buy art supplies for their work or beauticians who buy beauty products are consumers.
Person using online facilities: A consumer also includes any person who buys or hires goods or services online. For example, if you order from an online clothes website, you are a consumer.
People facing issues related to food: Consumers also include people who may be facing issues related to food items, such as adulteration, poor quality, width of service, etc. For instance, issues related to food can cover problems across a wide range of products, starting from water that goes into the production of items like juices as well as the sale of animals like chicken, mutton etc. that are expressly intended for human consumption.
Sita Das has been working as a freelance journalist. She writes columns and news-reports for various newspapers and news-portals and is paid on the basis of each column and report. For the purpose of her writing work, she purchases a Pacer laptop. However, within a month of the purchase, the laptop crashed and there was a motherboard failure. Which of the following statements is correct?
Correct Answer :
Since she is using the laptop for the purpose of earning her livelihood, she will be a consumer.
Solution :
Correct Answer: Since she is using the laptop for the purpose of earning her livelihood, she will be a consumer.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
Step 1: Analyze the passage guidelines
According to the provided text regarding Consumer Protection Law, a "consumer" includes:
1. A person who buys and uses goods or services.
2. A person using goods for self-employment (earning a livelihood) and not for large-scale commercial purposes. The text explicitly highlights that people who use goods for self-employment (such as artists buying art supplies for their work) are considered consumers under the law.
Step 2: Apply the facts of Sita Das's case
- Sita Das is a freelance journalist who works independently and is paid on a per-column/report basis (self-employment/earning her livelihood).
- She purchased a Pacer laptop specifically to carry out her writing work.
- Since she uses the laptop for self-employment to earn her livelihood rather than for a commercial trading enterprise, she falls under the self-employment exception mentioned in the law.
Step 3: Evaluate the options
- Option 1: Incorrect. Earning a livelihood through self-employment does not disqualify her from being a consumer.
- Option 2: Incorrect. Purchase of goods explicitly falls under Consumer Protection Law.
- Option 3: Correct. Since she uses the laptop for earning her livelihood (self-employment), she is legally considered a consumer.
- Option 4: Incorrect. Option 3 is the correct statement.
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