Question

What can a consumer do if they experience an unethical business?

Answer 1

Consumers often perceive businesses as showing unethical behaviour in their pursuit of profits and beating competition. Consumers may adopt the following measures to counter such unethical behaviour from the businesses.

1. Complaining to Consumer Protection Authorities- many states have consumer protection authorities to safeguard consumer interests and prevent cases of unethical behaviour from the businesses such as fraud and cheating. Consumers may seek help from such authorities if they perceive any unethical behaviour from the companies.

2.Mobilizing consumer awareness groups against unethical companies- This has happened many a times that aware and active consumer's associations have successfully managed to oppose unethical business practices.

3. Running a Social media campaign against the unethical companies- In this era of digitisation information can be sent across the world very swiftly and easily which has a chilling effect on the reputation of the businesses, unethical companies can be best opposed through an online social media campaign.

4. Filing a lawsuit- if the companies' actions are illegal as well as unethical, a lawsuit by consumer groups can lead the company to appropriate punishment.

Thus, consumers have many ways to counter and oppose unethical business behaviour provided they organize themselves well for their collective well being.