Question

Mention any three ways in which consumers are exploited.

Mention some common ways by which consumers are exploited.

Answer 1

1. Adulteration: Adulteration is the mixing of low-quality goods with premium products and marketing them at the price of the premium products to maximise earnings.
2. Deceptive advertising: Companies often use misleading or false claims to highlight the advantages of their products or to cover up negative impacts. For instance, Vimal Panmasala's advertisement neither emphasises nor dismisses the adverse effects of chewing panmasala or tobacco.
3. Monopolistic Practices: Many companies are seeking to maintain a monopoly over the goods they offer. Monopolists thus charge more for the goods they sell, thereby abusing weaker consumers.

Answer 2

Some common ways consumers are exploited include: underweight and under-measurement of goods, substandard-quality products, selling duplicate articles, charging higher prices than prescribed, lack of safety devices, adulteration and impurities, false or misleading information, artificial scarcity, poor after-sale service, and rude behavior with undue conditions.