Consumerism made it possible for people to have greater access to the goods and services that increase their quality of life. Along with it, there are many consumers’ rights in place. When these rights are taken advantage of, the people affected will certainly suffer. That’s why it’s important to know more about the protection of consumers. Here are some of the ways to protect your consumer rights, and improve your quality of life altogether.
Think Twice
It is advised that before you make any kind of purchase, you should rethink it twice. This is especially important before you make a risky or large purchase. Be sure to check if the item or items you want to purchase don’t have a smaller price somewhere else. You should also talk over the purchase with the family members or friends who have made a similar purchase, or at the same retailer. There are a few more actions you can take to evaluate your purchase with ease. One of them is to decide which services or features are crucial and which are unnecessary, as this can save you a lot of money. Another life saving tip is to read the online reviews of the product to check what other buyers have to say, and to see if it’s worth the money.
Online Shopping – Avoid Debit Cards
With the rapid development of technology in the last few decades, it has been made possible for people to make purchases over the internet. This kind of shopping has even become more popular than the traditional way. It might seem easy to shop online, but there are a few things you need to have in mind to protect yourself against consumer rights violations and even against fraud. The number one thing that you need to do is use a credit card when shopping online. A simple reason behind this is that credit card companies are the ones who are responsible for shopping scams. This will ensure you get up to a $50 refund, whereas a debit card does not give you the same kind of protection. Another important thing to pay attention to is to read the website’s security policy to see how it handles disputed charges before you make an online purchase.
Always Check The Warranties
A warranty serves to ensure a customer that the manufacturer will repair or replace the product or parts of the product within a certain amount of time if it breaks down, or if there’s any kind of malfunction. As required by federal laws, warranties must be made available for customers to review them before a purchase has been made. It’s advised that you review the warranty thoroughly. Some of the most important things to look for are how long the warranty lasts for, and if some aspects should be covered, but aren’t. Ask which malfunctions and repairs are included and can be covered by the manufacturer.
Know your basic rights
There has been a huge number of laws passed by Congress and state legislatures that aim to protect consumer’s rights. However, there is no need to know all of these laws by heart, only the most important ones. As the experts from www.criminallawyer-nj.com suggest, a customer should always know their rights to prevent any fraudulent activity from happening. They are as follows:
The right to satisfaction of basic needs
The right to safety
The right to be informed
The right to choose
The right to be heard
The right to redress
The right to consumer education
The right to a healthy environment
These are crucial to know as they can be stepping stones towards protecting your consumer rights, and will help you know if you have a basis to file a lawsuit or a claim against the company that has violated them.
Make a Claim
Sometimes your brand new purchase may turn out to be defective when you bring it home. The next thing you should do right after you’ve noticed that it malfunctions, or it doesn’t work at all is to contact the manufacturer or the retailer of the product. If you’ve turned to the manufacturer, you will usually be forwarded to the customer service department where you will be able to state your case and explain what kind of problem has arisen. As a rule of thumb, the company will try and help you to resolve the issue meaning they will either replace or repair your device because they aim to maintain good customer relations. Be sure to claim within the period of the warranty, otherwise, it will be null and void. Another crucial thing is to have proof of purchase as many companies require them for the claim to be valid.
Be sure to follow through on these suggestions on how to protect your consumer rights because it can save you a lot of unnecessary problems. In doing so, you would not suffer from any kind of fraud or being accused of any wrongdoing.