Go see www.indianrail.gov.in…

Have you found the worst website ever? You don’t have to go all the way searching for it. It is just at your finger tips. Just type “www.indianrail.gov.in“.

Recently my friend asked me the train enquiry phone number. I asked him to dial 131. He said it is not working from his cell phone. I understood that there is some other option for this. I thought of taking their websites. I searched google and when I clicked on the first search itself, I got the great Indian Railway’s site. Indian Railway is declared as worlds largest and busiest networks in the world. Why they want a site like this?

More than fifteen minutes I was searching on the site for the contact number. I am not exaggerating; this is a true thing that I came across. As a consumer whom should I contact to get the numbers? Usually we spend very few minutes on sites to search something. If we don’t get it immediately we will leave that site. But here it was a challenge for me to get the number. I simply wasted my time on this useless site.

Do you know which company designed the website for Indian Railway? It is CRIS -Centre for Railways Information System, which is an organization under the Ministry of Railway. No wonder their website is just as bad as the Indian Railways. I don’t know why they want to keep the phone numbers so secretly. As a consumer don’t we have the right to get the number? Moreover it is difficult to find the address for lodging complaints or suggestions. I think consumer complaints have no values for them. Anyway I am thankful to the designers. I think Indian Railways is beyond complaints.

Once I tried for e-ticketing. After filling the details the gateway got hung and when I checked my account details, the amount was reduced. There were no tickets under the category booked tickets. On the attempt for cancellation of the ticket, I couldn’t get it done properly. When I tried on the numbers displayed for cancellation enquiry, no one picked up the phone.

I feel like the responsible ones are simply sitting and enjoying their time. No wonder most consumers are leaving India as soon as they become graduates. India keeps on developing during the past sixty years and when we are going to get a label as developed country?

Retail Outlets near Railway Station- Future Groups Plans

India’s Future Group, operator of the Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar outlets, is planning to expand over the next year by starting outlets near railway stations. I personally feel that, the plan of the Future Group to start outlets near railway stations should be warmly welcomed by consumers.

They are initially targeting busy railway stations as they can catch more consumers. Right now they run two Big Bazaar stores near the Delhi Metro station. They recently inaugurated one near Sealdah railway station, expecting to attract more than 80,000 consumers a week compared to an average of 50,000 consumers at other Big Bazaar outlets. There are more than ten lakh passengers moving through this railway station everyday. Moreover they are planning for community retailing, in which the stores would be customized to meet the specific needs of local community.

I travel by train to my working place. By the time I return from my office, I usually wastes half hour sitting at the railway station. Several times I wished of such an outlet as I had to spend some extra time for my daily purchase of grocery and other stationery items. For that too, I have to visit separate shops for getting each item. If consumers get all the things at a single point they will be really blessed.

I was recently travelling to my native place. I rushed all the way from home to railway station to catch the train. I did not even get enough time to do all my shopping and I had to purchase clothes for my family members. When I reached the railway station I was told that the train will be some forty five minutes late as it is not new a thing with Indian Railways. I thought of going for a shopping. But I was sure that I will definitely get lost in the traffic and I do not want to miss the train too. I couldn’t find a good shopping outlet nearby. I just wasted my time by simply watching the whole mass. I really thought if I could get a good shopping outlet there. As a consumer I definitely want to welcome their plan. I think they would have made the decision before.

A good percentage of people use railways for their transportation, even if the services are not up to the mark. The idea of starting retail outlets definitely helps the consumers to save their valuable time. There are very few shopping outlets nearby railway station, even if we find one; they will not meet our requirements. Intelligently Future Groups have targeted at the right point.

Are Women Safe at Home- Consumer Survey

Are women actually safe at least in her home? This seems to be a big question when you see the surveys that had undergone the recent past. Females have been fighting for centuries to get a rational appeal to her male at least as a partner. All the struggles are in vain only. Finally everything ends in the physical, mental and emotional abuse of women. The real thing that frightens me as this takes place behind the doors of a home. As a consumer don’t we have the right to get protection at least in our homes?
Today even an industrially developed country like US, loses four of its female citizens to domestic violence everyday. The studies are more shocking. Almost four million are physically tortured; half of them need medical aid or hospitalization. That is on an average four women are killed everyday by their husband. Every six minutes, a women is raped somewhere, the surveys are quite shocking. Consumer rights are not given any value in the current scenario. This is an official figure but at least five times of it go unreported.
If this is the condition of women in the most advanced country then how can we expect anything different in economically weaker and socially backward cultures? Traditional societies always blame women and this starts in the womb itself if the tests determine that it is a female over there. In the recent investigation done in Mumbai nursing home it was found that 95.5% of the fetuses were aborted compared to a far smaller percentage of male. Consumers should raise voice against this as it is going to be a serious issue in the future.
The main reason is the far sightedness of the parents. They are actually living in a society where women can be burned to death for not bringing adequate dowry to her married home. In India, an average of five women is killed, usually burnt to death in dowry related violence everyday. If the girl is having a relation to a person other than her caste, then she has to get all the tortures from the society she lives. Even if she is given adequate education there is no guaranty that she will get a secure life in the future. Currently who can provide the basic consumer right of protection to a woman?
According to a study in 2002, almost half of all Indian women are routinely slapped, kicked or beaten, almost fifty percent during their pregnancy. The interesting thing behind this, the reason may be ‘disobedience’. Even if a woman in India knows her consumer rights, rarely she speaks out them in public. The modern crimes laid on her are asking questions, trying to take decisions and refusing to obey blindly. Actually the men cannot accept a woman who isn’t dumb as cattle.
The urban woman in India is rapidly changing. But not the men. The lower income groups reported a 35% sexual violence by men and 61% by the men in highest income groups. This country then has reverse logic, increased consumer education and prosperity has made its men even more barbarous. Nowhere in the history of mankind, have women faced a more dismal situation. Does anyone have any solutions? Please add on.

Consumer Rights

Consumers are people who purchase goods and services to meet their basic needs. Consumers have legal rights to get the product replaced if they find that the product they bought does not meet the quality standards as is mentioned. In the Consumer Protection Act 1986, Consumer Right is defined as the right to be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property. As a consumer you should ensure that all your rights are effectively used.

If you find the goods purchased are not of good quality, the retailer should sort it out for you, not the manufacturer. The Sale of Goods Act 1979 ensures that goods should be of satisfactory quality and fit to do the job intended for. The time you have to check whether goods are faulty depends on what is reasonable for that product. For example, the time needed to check the fault of a kettle and a boat is of great difference. Consumer should lodge a complaint within a week so that you may be entitled to a full refund.

In the case of payment you have more rights on credit cards than debit cards. This consumer right is for those who have no debts. You can also enjoy extra rights such as earning cash back, cheaper spending while abroad, ID fraud protection etc.

If you purchase through internet, the same rights are applicable as if you go and directly purchase from a shop. The Distance Selling Regulations Act also provides consumer protection. That is, if you order something online by phone, fax or mail, you find it undelivered, as a consumer you have the right for a full refund. You should ensure that the delivery dates of the products are clearly mentioned. If it is not mentioned then the maximum allowed time is 30days from the date of purchase. Consumer complaints can be lodged immediately to the necessary authorities.

If you are planning for a holiday, make sure that the days are booked according to the terms and conditions of the hotel. This is where consumers get caught. If you are not provided with the facilities that are mentioned on their brochure, you can ask for a complaint form there itself. If not, as a consumer, you may lose the right to get any compensation.

In any of these cases if you are unsatisfied, then complain to the trader there and then itself. And only pay what you consider to be a reasonable amount. If you are totally unsatisfied, then pay nothing. If you feel forced to pay, then make a claim against them for distress. Take photos, collect evidences as much as you can and pursue a claim at the Court.

All the above specified rights are for consumer protection. These laws are a form of government regulation which protects the interests of consumers. As a consumer we should be aware of our basic rights and the court that deals with these rights.