A STUDY ON CONSUMER AWARENESS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO GOA

From the Barter system where needs were met through the exchange of goods without the involvement of money in the 18^th century to the present era of digital currency a major revolution has taken place in the exchange of goods and services and here consumer plays a pivotal role in generating effective demand which helps in the upliftment of an economy of a country. The concept of consumer protection is not of new one, it has evolved and developed at a tremendous pace bringing into account new rights and areas in the consumer law arena. Every human being be it from birth to death is a consumer of goods and services. Being ignorant of their rights and responsibilities makes them victims of various unfair trade practices be it unfair pricing, supply of inferior products or misleading advertisements. With the broadening of the market, consumers find it tough to make appropriate choices and receive correct information about any product they purchase or any service they avail. In today’s time where the aim of every seller or producer is to maximize sales and profits, they resort to various unfair or unethical practices to achieve their targets. Hence there arises a dire need to promote consumer awareness by protecting one’s consumer rights at all levels in the country. Goa being the smallest state with a huge inflow of tourists annually, consumer awareness and consumer protection is in need of the hour. Enhancing consumer protection and preventing consumer detriment is something that needs to be looked upon. The present study aims to explore and analyse the perception of consumers towards consumer protection and seeks to ascertain the awareness of consumer protection among consumers in the state of Goa.