American Principles On Consumer Rights

• In America  the following are the important rules and principles on which the whole set of consumer laws operates.More or less these set of principles are the base of consumer laws in most of the countries of the world.
• Consumers have the right to freely express their opinions, preferences, and grievances to the companies and governments that provide products and services to them. American Consumer Opinion® will always report consumers' viewpoints honestly and accurately to these organizations.
• Consumers have an inalienable right to privacy. American Consumer Opinion® protects the privacy and anonymity of its panel members. Private data about these individuals (name, email address, street address, phone number, income, education, family composition, etc.) is never sold or leased to anyone. Statistical summaries of groups of consumers are compiled into reports, but the individual data of each person is always secure and private.
• Consumers are entitled to free markets and free choice. American Consumer Opinion® will strive to promote free markets and free choice for consumers, so that they can choose how, when, and where they want to spend their money, energies, and time.
• Consumers are entitled to the benefits of competition, wherein many companies and organizations are striving and competing to satisfy consumer needs and preferences. American Consumer Opinion® will work to promote competition around the globe.
• Consumers are entitled to truth in advertising about the products and services they buy. American Consumer Opinion® will strive to promote this ideal through its advertising-testing services.
• Consumers are entitled to safe and healthful products that perform as promised. American Consumer Opinion® will strive to support continuous product improvements through its product testing services.
• Consumers are entitled to a safe environment. American Consumer Opinion® will work through its clients, its corporate activities, and its consulting services to promote behaviors, products, and services that help to preserve, protect, and restore the earth's natural environment.
• Children have a special right to protection, and extra measures will be taken to ensure their safety. American Consumer Opinion® encourages parents to review any online survey directed to a child. No child under 14 years of age will be surveyed by American Consumer Opinion® without parental permission.

How consumer forums operate?partone

I will not go into the technical part or manuall paper work but will try to give a general outlook and simple understanding about how consumer forums operate in our country.consumer forums are established in each and every district in all states of India under the enactment of consumer protection Act 1986.
The main role of the consumer law is to protect consumers from cheating in many manners and different forms and helping them get quality goods and services for the money they spend and at the same time protecting consumer interests for the benefit of larger masses.Elemenating malpractices by business owners and sellers.
So when a consumer feels aggrieved and even after trying do not get satisfactory answers to his grievance from the owners or sellers of a poduct or service he can lodge a complaint at the consumer forum but to lodge a complain the law provides that an office of the company or sellers should be in the area where the complaint is lodged,If that company do not have any business in the area where the consumer stays he can not lodge a complaint .
when a complaint is received it is scrutinized and looking into the papers an initial hearing is set on a day to hear the complaint of the petitioner by himself or through his advocate if he has appointed someone.Once this preliminary hearing is done the forum decides whether the complaint can be admitted or rejected.Once it is admitted further notification to the owners or sellers who are the opposite parties are made and next dates are fixed for further hearing and contest,otherwise the process stops there.