Consumer of Services

Consumer of services consists of an individual who avails or hires a service for consideration. The consideration, in this case, has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised or is under a system of deferred payment. For example, Akanksha will be a consumer if he/she hires a cab from Uber to go someplace. 

If a service is not used by the person who hires it, but by someone else with the permission or approval of the former, then he/she will also be a consumer. For example, in the previous example, if Akanksha hires a cab from Uber for her friend, then in this case Akanksha’s friend will be considered a consumer. A consumer of services does not include a person who avails or hires a service for commercial purposes. 

Commercial Purpose:  The above two cases do not consist of the use of goods and services for earning livelihood by means of self-employment. For example, if Sayeba purchases a computer to earn her livelihood by doing her job from home, then she will be considered a consumer. 

According to the Consumer Protection Act 2019, a Consumer is a person who buys any goods or avails any services for a consideration, which has been paid or promised to pay, or partly paid or partly promised, or under any scheme of deferred payment. A consumer also includes a person who is using the goods or beneficiary of service with the approval of the buyer and applies to both online and offline transactions through electronic means of teleshopping or direct selling or multilevel marketing. 

In general terms, a consumer is understood as an individual who consumes a product. Whereas the term ‘consumer’ stated under the Consumer Protection Act is comprehensive as it covers not only the consumer of goods, but the consumer of services also.