‘Consumer Awareness about E-commerce and Misleading Advertisements’ discussed

 IndiaCSR News Network

MUMBAI: The Department of Food & Civil Supplies, Mumbai, Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission and the Department of Legal Metrology, Mumbai jointly organized a discussion on ‘Consumer Awareness about E-commerce and Misleading Advertisements,’ at Sydenham College Assembly Hall, Churchgate, Mumbai on 6 January 2015. The event started with a short film, “Grahak Pal” prepared by GCSI, where they have shown various examples of misleading advertisements.
Dr. M.S. Kamath, Hon. Secretary, CGSI and Mr. R.B. Biwalkar, MD, E-Maya Social Commerce Ltd. were the main speakers at the event. Dr Kamath spoke at length about misleading advertisements and its implications in the society. Mr. Biwalkar’s topic was on Awareness about E-commerce (Online Shopping and transactions).
Speaking about misleading advertisements, Dr. Kamath pointed out congratulatory message hoardings put up on the lamp posts on the occasion of various political leaders’ birthdays, undergarment advertisements where the model is shown as the person with super human powers, fairness cream advertisements with claims that can fetch high paid jobs and luck in even in matrimony, shampoos with dry fruit contents etc.
“There should be a regulatory agency to control and restrict these types of misleading advertisements,” said Dr Kamath.

Bivalkar spoke about the risk involved in online shopping. One should avoid it or should take precaution while doing so since it can leak the credit/debit card information to others. He also emphasized the importance of using a different email ID while doing online shopping. “It is important to check the return, refund and shipping policies on the website properly before placing the order,” he said.
Chief guest Mr. Girish Bapat, Minister Consumer Affairs urged the consumers to be alert and be selective while buying goods and services. “We are living in the world of advertisements and it is important to be careful,” he said.
Speaking at the occasion guest speaker Ms. Vidya Thakur, Minister of state for Women, Child and Rural development, Consumer Protection Food & Civil Supplies explained the importance of being careful before ordering online after watching advertisements of television. “It is very important that one is not paying more than the MRP and checking the expiry of goods and medicines before using them,” she said.

Earlier, Mr. Bapat inaugurated the event by lighting the traditional lamp along with the other guests: Justice R. C. Chavan, President of Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ms. Vidya Thakur, Minister of state for Women, Child and Rural development, Consumer Protection Food & Civil Supplies, Mr. Raj Purohit, MLA, Ms. Shweta Singhal, Controller of Rationing and Director of Civil Supplies, Department of Legal Metrology and Mr. U. D. Walunj, Deputy Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies & Consumer Protection.

The discussion on ‘Consumer Awareness about E-commerce and Misleading Advertisements’ was well attended by a large number of people from different walks of life.