Today, March 15 is celebrated as World Consumer Rights Day every year, as a means of increasing global awareness about consumer rights and their needs. Reports state that, this day was inspired by President John F Kennedy, who sent a special message to the US Congress in 1962, where he formally addressed the issue of consumer rights.

The theme of 2018 World Consumer Rights Day is 'Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer'. The intention is to ask for access to secure internet for all. It also encourages action against scams and frauds and also better consumer protection online. Often as a consumer, we are not aware of our rights and often even if we have grievances about a particular service or a brand, we don’t take action against it.  On the occasion of World Consumer Right Day, LatestLY lists down 3 simple steps which you can use to file a Consumer Complaint online.

Register: Register yourself at Consumer Online Resource and Empowerment Centre, it is a complaint and grievance redressal system run by the Consumer Co-ordination Council and supported by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India.

File a Complaint: Depending on the nature of the complaint and the issue against the brand or service, you can lodge your complaint on the portal. There is a dropdown menu of sectors and brands, which are registered with Department of Consumer Affairs.

Attach Supporting Documents: If you have any supporting documents to support your complaint, then you can upload it.

Track the Status of the Complaint: Once the complaint is submitted, it comes with an electronically generated number, which can be used to track the status of your complaint.

According to the Consumer Protection Act, it protects the consumer from unfair trade practices, food adulteration, short weights and measures and misleading information.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2018 05:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).