Consumer - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition consumer

Definition :

Consumer, 'consumer' would include 'any person who consumes electrical energy supplied by a person who generates electrical energy for his own consumption', Jiyajee Rao Cotton Mills Ltd. v. State of Madhya Pradesh, AIR 1963 SC 414: (1962) Supp 1 SCR 282.

The definition of the word 'consumer' shows that it would include a person who consumes energy generated by himself. The proposition that in the matter of the levy of electricity tax the Court should differentiate between cases wherein the energy consumed has been generated by someone other than the consumer and those wherein such energy has been generated by the consumer himself cannot, therefore, be countenanced, State of Mysore v. West Coast Papers Mills Ltd., (1975) 3 SCC 448: AIR 1975 SC 5: (1975) 2 SCR 127.

The word 'consumer' is a comprehensive expression. It extends from a person who buys any commodity to consume either as eatable or otherwise from a shop, business house, corporation, store, fair price shop to use of private or public services. In Oxford Dictionary a consumer is defined as, 'a purchaser of goods or services'. In Black's Law Dictionary it is explained to mean, 'one who consumes. Individuals who purchase, use, maintain, and dispose of products and services. A number of that broad class of people who are affected by pricing policies, financing practices, quality of goods and services, credit reporting, debt collection, and other trade practices for which state and federal consumer protection laws are enacted', Lucknow Development Authority v. M.K. Gupta, (1994) 1 SCC 243: AIR 1994 SC 787.

Means a consumer of any article or process. [The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 (63 of 1986), s. 2 (c)]

Means any person who is supplied with energy by a licensee or the Government or by any other person engaged in the business of supplying energy to the public under this Act or any other law for the time being in force, and includes any person whose premises are for the time being connected for the purpose of receiving energy with the works of a licensee, the Government or such other person, as the case may be. [The Indian Electricity Act, 1910, s. 2 (c)]

Means any person who

(i) buys any goods for a consideration which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any user of such goods other than the person who buys such goods for consideration paid or promised or partly paid or partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment, when such use is made with the approval of such person, but does not include a person who obtains such goods for resale or for any commercial purpose; or

(ii) hires or avails of any services for a consideration which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any beneficiary of such services other than the person who hires or avails of the services for consideration paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment, when such services re availed of with the approval of the first mentioned person but does not include a person who avails of such services for any commercial purpose. [Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986), s. 2 (1) (d)]

Means any person who--(i) buys any goods for a consideration which has been paid or promised or party and partly paid promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any user of such goods other than the person who buys such goods for consideration paid or promised or partly paid or partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment when such use is made with the approval of such person, whether such purchase of goods is for resale or for any commercial purpose or for personal use; (ii) hires or avails of any services for a consideration which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any beneficiary of such services other than the person who hires or avails of the services for consideration paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment, when such services are availed of with the approval of the first-mentioned person whether such hiring or availing of services is for any commercial purpose or for personal use. [Competition Act, (12 of 2003), s. 2(f)]

Whether the Regulations and the Directives applied to public authorities such as the council, and whether the council was a 'seller or supplier' and the applicants were consumers within the meaning of the Regulations and the Directive, R (Khatun) v. Newham LBC (CA), (2004) 3 WLR 417.

That in spite of the commercial activity, whether a person would fall within the definition of consumer, Kalpavruksha Charitable Trust v. Toshniwal Brothers (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd., (2000) 1 SCC 512.

Means someone who concludes a contract for a purpose which can be regarded as being outside his trade or profession, Society Bertrand v. Paul Ott KG, (1978) ECR 1431 ECJ.