WELCOME TO VOCTA BANGLADESH
VOCTA is a voluntary consumer training and awareness organization working to promote and protect consumers’ rights. VOCTA is being run by a group of highly experienced and dedicated consumer activists with versatile professional and educational backgrounds. With more than 2000 individual members, VOCTA’s organizational goals are to create a national platform for protecting consumers and campaigning for internationally establishing consumer rights. This is achieved by influencing consumer protection policy, conducting and promoting research, informing and educating consumers as well as assisting them with complaints and disputes. Key campaign areas include food safety, financial services and education younger consumers of their rights.
Know Your Consumer Rights
Below are the eight basic consumer rights as defined by Consumers International (2011) and adopted by Bangladesh’s Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection. The perception or understanding of these rights by consumers is referred to as consumer awareness.
1. The first right concerns basic requirements
2. The second right concerns safety
3. The right to information is the third
4. The right to choose is the fourth
5. The fifth is the right to representation
6. The right to redress is the sixth
7. Consumer education is the subject of the seventh right
8. Finally, the eighth right is about maintaining a healthy environment
Know Your Responsibilities as Consumer
Consumer protection is a collective effort. Its actualization requires input, not just from manufacturers, service providers and government, but also the consumer. The consumer has the responsibility to
1. Be Aware
2. Be Alert
3. Think Independently
4. Speak Out
5. Be an Ethical Consumer
6. Complaim
7. Share Experience
8. Respect the Environment
