Letters: Trusting brands

Apropos the editorial "The Maggi lesson" (June 10), it is true that quality control in edibles is lax in the unorganised business, but then it also does not command the same faith a consumer places in a branded product such as Maggi. A person buying vegetables or eating golgappas from a street vendor is aware of the risk he exposes himself to, while he suspends his judgement in buying a branded product from an established multinational such as Nestle. A brand is founded on trust and Nestle has betrayed it.

Similarly, when celebrities endorse any product, the purchaser-fan may or may not know that the former does not stand by its claims about results and benefits, yet he does believe that his idol would not recommend something that compromises on his safety or health.

Consumers also place a lot of trust in the regulators. When they fail in their duty in exchange for other gains, the consequent price the society pays is irrecoverable. Lastly, all this sloppiness is encouraged by consumer ignorance about the importance of quality in the product, his rights in this respect, slow consumer complaint redressal procedure in the consumer court and general ennui highlighted by the "chalta hai" attitude.

Y G Chouksey Pune

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