law: Consumer Protection Act, 1986
  2 Definitions.
  (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise
  
  requires, -
  (a) "appropriate
  
  laboratory" means a laboratory or organization –
  ( i )
  
  recognized by the Central Government;
  (ii) recognized by a
  
  State Government, subject to such guidelines as may be prescribed by the
  
  Central Government in this behalf; or
  (iii) any such laboratory
  
  or organization established by or under any law for the time being in force,
  
  which is maintained, financed or aided by the Central Government or a State
  
  Government for carrying out analysis or test of any goods with a view to
  
  determining whether such goods suffer from any defect;
  ( aa )
  
  "branch office" means –
  ( i )
  
  any establishment described as a branch by the opposite party; or
  (ii) any establishment carrying on either the same or substantially the same
  
  activity as that carried on by the head office of the establishment;
  (b)
  
  "complainant" means -
  ( i )
  
  a consumer; or
  (ii) any voluntary
  
  consumer association registered under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), or
  
  under any other law for the time being in force; or
  (iii) the Central
  
  Government or any State Government who or which makes a complaint;
  (iv) one or more
  
  consumers, where there are numerous consumers aving 
  
  the same interest;
  (c)
  
  "complaint" means any allegation in writing made by a complainant
  
  that –
  ( i )
  
  an unfair trade practice or a restrictive trade practice has been adopted by
  
  any trader;
  (ii) the goods bought
  
  by him or agreed to be bought by him suffer from one or more defects;
  (iii) the services
  
  hired or availed of or agreed to be hired or availed of by him suffer from deficiency
  
  in any respect;
  (iv) a trader has
  
  charged for the goods mentioned in the complaint price in excess of the price
  
  fixed by or under any law for the time being in force or displayed on the goods
  
  for any package containing such goods,
  (v) goods which will
  
  be hazardous to life and safety when used, are being offered for sale to the
  
  public in contravention of the provisions of any law for the time being in
  
  force requiring traders to display information in regard to the contents,
  
  manner and effect of use of such goods.
  with a view to
  
  obtaining any relief provided by or under this Act;
  (d)
  
  "consumer" 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 are availed
  
  of with the approval of the first mentioned person;
  Explanation: For the purposes of
  
  sub-clause ( i ), "commercial purpose" does
  
  not include use by a consumer of goods bought and used by him exclusively for
  
  the purpose of earning his livelihood, by means of self-employment;
  (e) "consumer
  
  dispute" means a dispute where the person against whom a complaint has
  
  been made, denies or disputes the allegations contained in the complaint;
  (f) "defect" means any fault, imperfection or shortcoming in the
  
  quality, quantity, potency, purity or standard which is required to be
  
  maintained by or under any law for the time being in force or under any
  
  contract, express or implied, or as is claimed by the trader in any manner
  
  whatsoever in relation to any goods;
  (g) "deficiency"
  
  means any fault, imperfection, shortcoming or inadequacy in the quality, nature
  
  and manner of performance which is required to be maintained by or under any
  
  law for the time being in force or has been undertaken to be performed by a
  
  person in pursuance of a contract or otherwise in relation to any service;
  (h) "District
  
  Forum" means a Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum
  
  established under clause (a) of section 9;
  ( i )
  
  "goods" means goods as defined in the Sale of Goods Act, 1930 (3 of
  
  1930);
  (j) "manufacturer" means a person who –
  ( i )
  
  makes or manufactures any goods or parts thereof; or
  (ii) does not make or
  
  manufacture any goods but assembles parts thereof made or manufactured by others
  
  and claims the end-product to be goods manufactured by himself; or
  (iii) puts or causes
  
  to be put his own mark on any goods made or manufactured by any other
  
  manufacturer and claims such goods to be goods made or manufactured by himself.
  Explanation: Where a manufacturer
  
  dispatches any goods or part thereof to any branch office maintained by him,
  
  such branch office shall not be deemed to be the manufacturer even though the
  
  parts so dispatched to it are assembled at such branch office and are sold or
  
  distributed from such branch office;
  ( jj )
  
  "member" includes the President and a member of the National
  
  Commission or a State Commission or a District Forum, as the case may be;
  (k) "National Commission" means the National Consumer Disputes  Redressal Commission established under clause (c) of
  
  section 9;
  (l)
  
  "notification" means a notification published in the Official
  
  Gazette;
  (m) "Person"
  
  includes, -
  ( i )
  
  a firm whether registered or not;
  (ii) a Hindu undivided
  
  family;
  (iii) a co-operative
  
  society;
  (iv) every other
  
  association of persons whether registered under the Societies Registration Act,
  
  1860 (21 of 1860) or not;
  (n)
  
  "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the State Government,
  
  or as the case may be, by the Central Government under this Act;
  ( nn )
  
  "restrictive trade practice" means any trade practice which requires
  
  a consumer to buy, hire or avail of any goods or, as the case may be, services
  
  as a condition precedent for buying, hiring, or availing of other goods or
  
  services;
  (o) "service" means service of any description which is made
  
  available to potential users and inc