Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Consumer awareness poor: survey

Special Correspondent

Nearly half of those polled did not know disputes can be taken to court

CUDDALORE: Even while the gold price is going up, consumers lack basic awareness about the purity of jewellery, wastage and cost. Over 78 per cent do not attach any importance to these factors, and concentrate only on design.

Similarly, 54 per cent buy saris named after actresses, and do not bother about the texture of materials or the mills that have made them.

These findings came to light during a survey conducted in the thick of the festive season by 50 National Service Scheme volunteers of the Thiruppadiripuliyur Government Girls' Higher Secondary School here.

M. Nizamudeen, general secretary, Federation of Consumer Organisations — Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (FEDCOT), has helped the volunteers prepare the questionnaire.

The volunteers, led by NSS Programme Officer Mary Devaraj, posed the questions to consumers after they bought the valuables. Seventy-five per cent of them said most of the jewellery shops did not issue bills. Even if they did, they did not specify the caratage, wastage and making charges, vital data required for moving the consumer court, in case of a dispute.

Less than 56 per cent of the consumers were aware that the unfair trade practices could be contested in the consumer courts. They did not even insist upon the correctness of bills. Hardly 30 per cent knew that the rate of sales tax should be mentioned in the bills.

As for dress materials, none checked whether every metre carried the imprint of the mills and the maximum retail price. Fifty-four per cent did not care for the quality of materials, but sought to buy saris named after the cine actors or television serials; 48 per cent complained that the showrooms never disclosed the cost price or the original price during the discount sale.

As far as hotels or eateries were concerned, 82 per cent of the customers said the bills did not carry the names of dishes and their prices; 28 per cent alleged that child labour was rampant in hotels; only 18 per cent said the kitchens were clean; and 50 per cent felt the quantity or weight of dishes should be specified.

Mr. Nizamudeen said that thanks to the formation of 200 school consumer clubs across the district, the students had become knowledgeable enough to raise pertinent issues.

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