Know your rights, consumers told

MUSCAT, DEC 11 - The Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) has urged consumers to know their rights as customers of any commercial establishment when they buy a product or service, and be cautious of what they are buying.
Speaking at an awareness campaign titled ‘Consumer Rights and Duties’, a senior official said consumers should know their rights and duties and check the product that they are buying, dates of production and expiry along with its use and impacts.
“Consumers should read all the data on the product literature before purchasing and carefully go through the contents of the packaging. They should also ask for the purchase invoice from the seller before leaving the shop to save your rights”, the official said.
Likewise, one should refrain from buying any inferior quality product or any item the identity of which is not known. Any illegal trade practice should be reported.
“Consumers can, by all means, refuse to buy any anonymous goods and make sure you purchase goods from reliable sources.”
With the aim of inculcating safe and healthy purchase habits among children, PACP officials are visiting schools across the country and educate the future citizens about consumer rights. The awareness programme entitled ‘Small Consumers’ has been hosted by various public schools as part of its strategy to reach out to the young consumers and introduce them to safe consumer culture in ways appropriate to their age levels.
The lecture covers topics including the definition of the PACP and its terms of reference, methods of submitting complaints and communications, and reviewing models of some of the goods that were seized, in addition to advising them on the importance of reading the data card and dates of validity of the product, and getting the purchase bill to ensure consumer rights. Publications imparting awareness to the small consumers are also distributed.