Ravi purchased gold jewellery from a reputed jewellery store. He ensured that the jewellery had a hallmark which confirm its purity and authenticity. To avoid paying goods and services tax (GST) he asked the salesperson to write the gold weight and making charges on a slip of paper and hand over it to him. Which of the following responsibilities of a consumer was not fulfilled by Ravi while purchasing jewellery ?
Ravi purchased gold jewellery from a reputed jewellery store. He ensured that the jewellery had a hallmark which confirm its purity and authenticity. To avoid paying goods and services tax (GST) he asked the salesperson to write the gold weight and making charges on a slip of paper and hand over it to him. Which of the following responsibilities of a consumer was not fulfilled by Ravi while purchasing jewellery ?
Options
Correct option: (B) Ask for a cash memo on purchase of goods and services.
Why this is right
- A responsible consumer must always ask for a cash memo (proper bill), which is proof of purchase and is essential to file a complaint later.
- Ravi, to avoid GST, accepted the details on a plain slip of paper instead of a proper cash memo/bill. Thus the responsibility he did not fulfil was 'ask for a cash memo on purchase of goods and services'.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for selecting (B) Ask for a cash memo on purchase of goods and services.
- 2Justification: accepting a plain slip instead of a valid bill/cash memo to avoid GST breaches this responsibility.
Hint
Ravi took the details on a plain slip to dodge GST instead of a proper bill — which consumer duty does that skip?
Quick Oral Answer
Ravi failed to ask for a cash memo — accepting a plain slip to avoid GST leaves him without valid proof of purchase for any future complaint.
Analysis & Explanation
An application MCQ testing the responsibilities (duties) of a consumer, as opposed to consumer rights.
Concept
- Along with rights, consumers have responsibilities: be aware, buy standardised (hallmark/ISI/Agmark) goods, read labels, assert for a fair deal, be honest, and crucially ask for a cash memo as proof of the transaction.
Why (B) is correct
- By taking the weight and making charges on a plain slip to dodge GST, Ravi failed to obtain a valid cash memo/bill — the proof needed to seek redressal if the jewellery is later found defective.
Why the distractors were actually fulfilled
- (A) Be aware / make a wise choice — Ravi chose a reputed store and checked details, so this was fulfilled.
- (C) Buy standardised goods — he ensured the hallmark confirming purity, so he bought a standardised/quality-assured product.
- (D) Assert yourself for a fair deal — checking hallmark, weight and making charges shows he asserted himself; this too was fulfilled.
Exam trap
- The GST-avoidance detail signals a missing valid bill — link 'slip of paper instead of a bill' to the cash-memo responsibility.
Common Mistakes
- 1Choosing (C) because gold has a hallmark — but Ravi DID buy hallmarked (standardised) goods, so that responsibility was fulfilled.
- 2Overlooking that a plain slip is not a valid cash memo and cannot serve as proof of purchase for redressal.
- 3Confusing consumer rights with consumer responsibilities — the question asks about a duty not fulfilled.
Interesting Facts
A cash memo/bill is legally important as it serves as proof of purchase required to file a complaint in consumer courts.
Hallmarking of gold jewellery became mandatory in India in a phased manner from 2021 under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Asking for a proper bill also promotes tax compliance, as GST evasion via 'kacha' slips harms both the exchequer and the consumer's own protection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is asking for a cash memo a consumer responsibility?
A cash memo is legal proof of the purchase. Without it, a consumer cannot substantiate a complaint or claim redressal for defective goods or deficient services, so obtaining one is a key consumer duty.
Didn't Ravi fulfil his duty by checking the hallmark?
Yes, checking the hallmark means he bought standardised, quality-assured goods — that responsibility was fulfilled. The duty he skipped was asking for a proper cash memo, since he accepted a plain slip to avoid GST.