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Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

      

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

Sales promotion involves taking measures such as advertising intended to win over and attract customers.Nowadays,people have more money to spend on goods produced in a highly competitive commercial world than was the case twenty years ago. Protection of the consumer is therefore necessary. As far as a law is concerned, both the seller and buyer are treated almost equally. However, the right of the buyers stems from the fact that the purchase of goods involves a contract between the seller and the buyer. The law recognizes that the buyers are responsible for ensuring that they set out to buy.
At times, consumers feel that they are exploited and they complain. At other times, a grievance may be voiced and yet no remedy is affected. This may be due to the consumer’s ignorance of their rights, their unwillingness to complain or simply indifference on their part.
Consumers dealing with public utility corporations, such as Post Office, sometimes experience frustrations yet they are taxed in order that such institutions may be financed. However weak the consumers are, they should at least be safeguarded from trade abuses such as rising prices of monopolies, poor weight and measures, false or misleading statemments,description,brand names or trademarks applied to both goods and services and in hygienic conditions.
The Kenya Consumer Organization is a voluntary organization that looks at the welfare of the consumers. It acts as a ‘watch dog’ on various aspects of consumer problems. These problems include overcharging, poor quality of goods on sale, artificial shortages, faulty packaging and refusal to sells or conditional selling to non-regular customers. If consumers find that what they have purchased is not up to the expected standard, they can direct their complaints to the organization. They are then asked to forward the faulty item plus the receipt to the organization. The item is examined and if the complaint is confirmed to be genuine, the organization sends a representative with the faulty item and the receipt to where it was purchased.
The representative explains the situation to the seller and requests either to replace the item or refund the money. If the seller is uncooperative; the organization then informs the Price Control Department which takes up the matter. Should the trader remain adamant, he or she will be prosecuted and fined if guilty.
Members of the organization also visit factories involved in production of consumer commodities. The aim of such visit is to inspect the processing and general cleanliness of such places and the quality of goods being produced and offered to the consumer. The organization then makes recommendations and if the factory fails to make the necessary rectification, the relevant authority is notified. This may result in legal action being taken against the factory
The Kenya Bureau of Standards is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that products manufactured in Kenya, either for the local market or export, measure to the international standard and specification. It also educates consumers on standardization. To promote standardization in industry and commerce, his bureau prepares specification and provides facilities for examination and testing of any commodities manufactured, produced and treated. It also controls the use of standardization and distinctive marks. Where necessary, the bureau also tests imported commodities.
The weight and measure department, on its part, ensures that all types of weighing and measuring instruments used in the country are accurate .Regular inspection and examination of these instruments is therefore a requirement.
The ministry of health is charged with the duty of ensuring that foods are hygienically prepared and supplied to the consumer. In conjunction with the ministry of Livestock Development, and especially the veterinary Department, the Health Inspectorate ensures that all slaughter houses are clean and that meat is inspected before being supplied. Health Inspectorate ensures that all slaughter houses are clean and that meat is inspected before being supplied. Health Inspectors also visit public eating-places and markets to ensure that general cleanliness is maintained.
The Dairy Board is a section of the ministry of Livestock Development, and is primarily charged with the supervision of dairy products. These include milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt and cream. The government also provides consumer protection through controlled monopoly and legal restrictions of charges and profits in certain commodities and services .Nationalization of certain commodities and services. Nationalization of certain services such as post and Telecommunications, banking, transport, health, education and water supply curbs exploitation.
(Adapted from commerce by R.N Gichira Macmillan 1982, 86-91
a) Why do consumers ‘grievances sometimes go uncorrected?

b) How is the position of consumers presented in this passage?

c) Rewrite the following sentence beginning 'Both ...'
As far as the law is concerned, both the seller and the buyer are treated almost equally.

d) Identify any four bodies that are concerned with consumer protection as highlighted in the passage.

e) What measures are taken by the Kenya consumer’s organization towards consumer protection?

f) In not more than 40 words, summarize the role that Kenya Bureau of Standards plays in consumer protection.
g) How is nationalization of service important in protecting consumers?

h) (i) What measures do you think consumers can take to facilitate their own protection?
)
(ii) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
Legal restrictions
ii) Curbs
iii) Sales promotion

  

Answers


Martin
a) They go uncorrected because of consumers ignorance, unwillingness to complain and indifference to the situation.
b) Consumers arev presented as vulnerable to exploitation as long as tgey remain ignorant of their rights ?therefore require protection from exploitation.

c) Both the seller and buyer are treated almost equally as far as the law is concerned.

d) Kenya consumer organization, Bureau of standards, Department of weight and measures, the Dairy Board, Health inspectorate.

e) The measures taken include educating the consumers, inspecting?the factories, investigating consumer complaints, taking up cases against the seller and informing the price department who in turn can prosecute the seller in case the seller is found guilty.

f) Fair copy
Ensures that goods put on the market are of good standards and that there is controlled standardization,provide facilities for testing any manufactured commodities so that they are of international standard,control the use of standardization and distinctive marks.

g) It cuts off private monopoly which can exploit the consumer.

h) i) By being educated , reading extensively and stop being indifferent when seeking help.

ii) Legal restrictions. Lawful control .Curbs .Controls or restrains .Sales promotion. Publicize matters concerning
trade.
marto answered the question on June 11, 2019 at 12:42


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