World Consumer Rights Day: Consumers are deceived by scales

Today is March 15, World Consumer Rights Day. This day is being celebrated with the international slogan of 'Safe and Inclusive e-Commerce, Consumer Rights'.

This day is commemorated on March 15, 1962, when the security, information, choice and hearing were introduced as the four rights of consumers, introduced by US President John F. Kennedy. Then, in 1985, the UN General Assembly adopted a treaty with eight additional powers.

On the same basis, each country has issued consumer laws. We never think about whether the scales we weigh on the market are accurate. Although there are many examples of shopkeepers being deceived when buying goods based on their weight, this trend has increased due to consumers not paying attention.

Although most of the items used in daily life are weighed and sold, it has been found that the scales used in them are out of regulation. Due to the inactivity of the Department of Quality and Measurement, not only the scales that have not been renewed and the scales have not been certified, but also the scales that have been weighed in the market, have been compelled to deceive the consumers.

In Nepal, according to Section 6 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2054, every consumer who buys or consumes goods or services is guaranteed various rights but consumers are deprived of exercising those rights. Although most of the items used in daily life are weighed and sold in the Himalayan district of Myagdi, most of the scales used to weigh them are also being used illegally. Due to the inactivity of the Quality and Measurement Division Office, it has been found that goods are being weighed in the market without renewal, uncertified weights and prohibited scales.

As a result, traders are getting fat and consumers are cheated every day. Similarly, when the price of the same goods varies from shop to shop, consumers are forced to pay three times the price of the same goods. Entrepreneurs are prohibited from using lid scales purchased for weighing purposes without testing. However, the Department of Quality and Measurement has stated that more than 50 per cent of entrepreneurs in the Kathmandu Valley have not been tested. Consumers' Forum Myagdi has stated that consumers are likely to be deceived by untested scales.

Similarly, the consumers are always complaining about the adulteration of consumer goods and the black market in the market. Krishna Bahadur Thapa, professor of economics and former campus chief of Myagdi Multipurpose Campus, said that even though consumers have the right to consume clean consumer goods and services, the adulteration of consumer goods endangers the health of consumers.

During the market monitoring conducted by the District Market Monitoring Committee, Myagdi on the occasion of the last ten years, it was found that 55 per cent of the scales used in the market were against the standards. During the monitoring, it was found that meat traders, vegetable and fruit traders of the Beni Bazaar area had used uncertified illegal Indian lids and scales. An official of the District Administration Office, Myagdi, said that action would be taken against the businessman who cheated the consumers.

He informed that more market monitoring will be tightened now as there is ample evidence of consumers being deceived by scales. Human rights activists are of the view that consumers should not complain to the concerned authorities even if they are cheated when buying meat, fruits, vegetables and other items from the shops on the street. Chairman of the Consumer Rights Forum, Myagdi, Thahar Bahadur Bhandari said that the process of consumer fraud will not be stopped if the concerned bodies do not take strict action to stop it.

According to human rights activists, the businessmen are cheating the consumers by making the lids too light. One kilogram lid contains one thousand grams but various monitoring reports have shown that luggage weighing only 900 grams is being weighed as one kilogram. Similarly, consumers are often confused when they have to pay the same price for each item separately. Consumer Tej Prasad Poudel, who bought sugar at Rs 90 per kg from a shop in Bagarphant on Sunday, said that he bought it at Rs 95 per kg from a village shop. Consumer rights are enshrined in Article 44 of the Constitution of Nepal. However, in practice, the stakeholders understand that consumers are always being deceived.

Shyam Sapkota, a consumer of Myagdi, said that the condition of its implementation was deplorable even though it was mentioned in the constitution that quality goods and services would be provided to the consumers. Entrepreneurs are deceiving consumers by making lids less weight. The red letter on the indicator at the top indicates how much the item weighed after placing the item on the electronics scale. The indicator should show the same weight as the weight of the goods placed on the flat part of the scale. However, entrepreneurs have been using calibration tests to make 20 to 50 grams more. By doing this, if 50 grams more is made in the calibration, then if you put an object equal to 450 grams, then the scales show the quantity of 500 grams 9 1/2 kg.

Similarly, many traders who sell fruit on carts or bicycles use forked scales with double scales. The weight of the scales on either side of the scale should be equal. However, traders use one heavy scale and the other relatively light scale. Cover on light scales and keep fruits on heavy scales. Even a small amount of fruit on a heavy scale can do a lot and consumers will be deceived, say rights activists.