Salt Lake does not have a consumer court since the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum under the jurisdiction of which the township falls is in Barasat. However, consumers with grievances can visit the second floor of Purta Bhavan which houses the office of the assistant director, consumer affairs and fair business practices, Bidhannagar region, which caters to areas under Bidhannagar north, east and south police stations as well as areas under the airport and the New Town police stations.

“We have had this office since 2013 and have received more than 500 complaints so far,” says deputy assistant director Surendranath Mukherjee. Sector V and Lake Town are currently not within its ambit. “But they soon will be,” he adds.

Now to help consumers file complaints in the district forum, the state government has signed a memorandum of understanding this February with 10 organisations. Consumer Association Bidhannagar, dealing with consumer rights in the township for close to three decades, has been chosen for Bidhannagar.

“We help consumers take recourse to mediation and conduct mediation hearings. But when mediation fails and a person has to go to court, we refer the case to the association to offer counsel,” says Mukherjee. Association members attend the Purta Bhavan office on weekdays.

The service is free. All legal drafting and pleading is taken care of by the association’s lawyers. “Only a fee of Rs 100 is required to be paid for cases seeking a grievance amount of upto Rs 1 lakh. The fee can go up to Rs 500 at the district forum level,” he adds. The state government gives a grant to the association for its services.

“Often, people who come to us are not aware of what a consumer case is. For instance, a dispute with one’s employer would not qualify,” says Mukherjee.

Shantanu Biswas, the president of Consumer Association Bidhannagar, says: “Most often, companies and shop-owners do not reply to customers. When consumers approach us and we contact them, they take the matter seriously and become a lot more responsive.”

“Consumer grievance cases often stand testimony to the apathy showed by shopkeepers and large companies alike when dealing with their so-called valued customers,” says Surendra Jain, execute committee member of the association.

He cites the case of Abhishek Jaipuria, a resident of New Alipore. He had bought a laptop a year ago from a Salt Lake showroom but soon lost his adaptor. When he tried to buy one he found that it was not available for sale. Now, he plans to take the matter to the consumer forum, with help from the association.

Ajit Kumar Saha, a resident of Purbachal, had booked an Andaman tour with a travel agency. “They told me the hotel charges were included in the package fee, but the hotel made me pay up afresh. I have not got a proper reply from the agency yet.” He too has now gone to Consumer Association Bidhannagar.

What consumers can do if they find that their rights have been compromised:

1 Take all the relevant documents about the purchase to the Purta Bhavan office. (If the case is outside the geographical jurisdiction of the office, you may also approach Consumer Association Bidhannagar directly at its EC Market office on Thursdays after 7pm.)

2 You will be required to fill out a form. The regional office will follow up the matter and send the letter to the person or company concerned.

3 The next step is to go in for mediation. “More than 50 per cent cases are solved through mediation itself,” says Kanai Das, consumer welfare officer. During mediation, the two parties sit together and try to work out a mutually beneficial solution. Once the regional office sees that the matter needs to go to the district forum, they refer it to Consumer Association Bidhannagar.

4 A consumer court case normally takes between three and five months. It does not drag for years.

5 You can appeal the verdict in the State Commission and then the National Commission within 30 days of the verdict of the lower court.

Things to note when buying a product or subscribing to a service:

● Always remember to keep relevant documents like the cash memo, any emails or letters exchanged between you and the company, and details of any telephonic conversation.

● Check if the cash memo is authentic. A blank piece of paper mentioning the amount is not a proper cash memo. You need to have details like VAT and service tax printed in it.

● Look at the expiry date whenever buying a product.

● Record details in writing whenever possible.

● Ensure that there is no unfair trade practice involved. Check whether the details of the shopkeeper are true or whether he is falsely representing the goods. Unfair trade practices range from falsely stating that the product has some characteristics (which it does not) to passing off old goods as new.

● If you are buying gold, then check for the hallmark. Though a hallmark is not mandatory, it is an assurance of quality.