Consumers’ Rights Protection Awareness and its impact on Behavior: A Case of Street Food Vendors Using Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Ilemela District, Tanzania
Consumers are pivotal in economic transactions, yet their ability to receive fair treatment often hinges on their awareness and effective exercise of consumer rights as governed by consumer protection laws. This study investigated consumers’ rights protection awareness and its impact on the behavior of street food vendors using LPG in selected wards in Ilemela District, Tanzania. Moreover, the study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Additionally, the study employed a descriptive design along with a quantitative methodology. Data collection involved questionnaires with a sample size of 123 participants. The analysis incorporated both descriptive and inferential statistics, such as correlation and regression techniques. The study reveals a generally low level of awareness regarding consumer rights, access to information, and redress mechanisms among street food vendors in the study area. Further, it was revealed that a significant positive relationship exists between consumer rights protection awareness and consumer behavior. Moreover, consumers’ ability to access information about their rights had a significant influence on their behavior. Nonetheless, findings further expose that there is a strong positive correlation between knowledge of redress mechanisms and the level of customers’ rights protection awareness. The study recommends that Ilemela District Commissioner in collaboration with government protection agencies (like the Weights and Measures Agency) should carry out education campaigning about consumer rights protection awareness and how to find reliable facts and information by using various ways such as mobile applications, community workshops, and collaboration with local media. The government protection agencies particularly the Weights and Measures Agency should provide adequate information on how consumers can seek redress mechanisms related to consumer goods like LPG.
Key terms: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Consumer rights’ protection, consumer behaviour, redress mechanism, access information
