What is Consumer Rights and Consumer Protection Law?
Consumer rights and consumer protection law provides a way for consumers to protect and safeguard themselves against abusive business practices. The consumer protection laws in Pakistan have been enacted to make sellers of goods and services accountable and liable when they seek to benefit by taking advantage of a consumer’s lack of information or bargaining power.
Consumer protection laws also protect consumer from fraudulent and misleading business practices.
To the Consumer
If you believe a seller has violated your consumer rights, we have the best lawyers to aid and assist you on ways in which you may be able to collect financial compensation as well as send a message to the offender that abusive business practices will not be tolerated.
To the Manufacturer/Seller
Our law firm has the best team of expert lawyers who can assist and advice you on measures to adopt in order to bring your business practices in line with the consumer protection laws of Pakistan. Our lawyers also have vast experience in representing clients before judicial and non-judicial forums for violating consumer rights and consumer protection laws.
Given below is a quick guide to rights of consumers and liability and obligations of manufacturers under the consumer protection laws of Pakistan.
Liability for defective products
The manufacturer of a product shall be liable to a consumer for damages proximately caused by a characteristic of the product that renders the product defective when such damage arose from a reasonably anticipated use of the product by a consumer.
Defective in construction or composition
A product shall be defective in construction or composition if, at the time the product was manufactured, a material deviation was made from the manufacturers’ own specifications, whether known to the consumer or not.
Defective in design
A product shall be defective in design if, at the time the product left its manufacturer’s control
(a) there existed an alternative design for the product that was capable of preventing the damage to a consumer; and
(b) the likelihood and gravity of damage outweighed the burden on the manufacturer of adopting such alternative design and any adverse effect of such alternative design on the utility of the product.
Defective because an adequate warning has not been given
A product shall be defective if an adequate warning about the product that it possessed a characteristic that could cause damage, has not been provided at the time the product left its manufacturer’s control or the manufacturer has failed to use reasonable care to provide an adequate warning of such characteristic and its danger to users and handlers of the product.
Defective because it does not conform to an express warranty of the manufacturer
A product shall be defective when it does not conform to an express warranty made at any time by the manufacturer about the product if the express warranty has induced the claimant to use the product and the claimant’s damage was proximately caused because the express warranty was untrue.
Liability arising from defective or faulty services
A provider of services shall be liable to a consumer for damages proximately caused by the provision of services that have caused damage.
Obligation of Manufacturers:
- Prices to be exhibited at business place
- Receipt to be issued to purchaser
- Clearly mention the return and refund policy
- Not indulge in unfair practices