California Lemon Laws: Your Rights Are Important!

July 14th, 2009 at 08:57pm Under Consumer Law

What is California Lemon Law?

It is a state granted consumer right that preserves consumers against the faulty purchases or defective i.e. Lemon Products. The product can be anything. The California Lemon Law bears a special adherence for the faulty or defective automobiles.

It is formally known as Motor Vehicle Warranty Rights Act. The California Lemon Laws states that if a vehicle turns out to be defective in the warranty period so that it can be dangerous for the owner of the vehicle or makes a serious injuries to the vehicle owner then the consumer has all the rights to ask for the refund or the replacement of the product.

Once the flaws are bought to the notice of the manufacturer, the manufacturer is bound to do the repair work or replacement (if the vehicle is not repairable). If the manufacturer does not make some genuine attempts, the company must either replace the defective vehicle or refund the consumer’s money.

If the manufacturer refuses to do the right steps then the consumer have option to file a Lemon Lawsuit in Court. If the manufacturer doesn’t accept the decision of the Court then it comes under the violation of the law and the manufacturer has to pay all the charges and rentals and even your lawyer’s fee.

Under What Circumstances Can Consumers Seek Protection Under the California Lemon Law?

When

What you need to do if you are in a similar situation?

The consumers need to attend specific requirements like:

Not only on vehicles but this law is applicable on other things too like Puppy and appliances. California Puppy Lemon Laws are laws that will provide you the compensation if the Pet store owner has sold you the puppy that was sick or infected from a critical disease. In this situation you can use the California Puppy Lemon Law and get the compensation or replacement of the puppy. But in this one you are entitled to return the puppy within 2 weeks untill the puppy is suffering from the inborn disorders. Similar to these Appliance Lemon Law is applicable when the seller has sold you the faulty appliance. Similar to California Lemon Laws you can use the California Appliance Lemon Law to get the right compensation.

Coachella Valley & Imperial Valley Agricultural Attorney Looks at the New Country of Origin Labeling Law (cool) and How it Will be Applied

July 14th, 2009 at 08:58am Under Consumer Law

No matter where you live in California, whether it is in a farming or agricultural area or city such as the Coachella Valley, the Imperial Valley, San Diego, CA, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Orange County, Anaheim, Camarillo, Irvine, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Bernardino, Temecula, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Victorville, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Ventura, La Jolla, Del Mar, San Marcos, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Fallbrook, Pacific Beach, El Cajon, Chula Vista, or Escondido, you will be pleased to see a change at the grocery store when you buy food and drink, or agricultural products.

The change has to do with the law. No, California agricultural lawyers won’t be in the produce aisle. And California food and drink or regulatory attorneys won’t be lurking near the frozen foods. California personal injury attorneys won’t be looking for slip and fall accident victims. But the change will please customers nonetheless. 

Until now, most consumers had no idea from which country the food they were eating came from. With the new COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) law taking effect after September 30, 2008, all that will change, with a few exceptions and a few quirks.

After years of lobbying for delays by grocery lobbying groups who argued the law would be too costly to implement, and who lobbied for delays, COOL has at last taken effect.

Now when you buy that apple, pick up a package of most meats, or bag a head of lettuce, you will be able to glean from either a label, sticker or notice of some kind what country it came from. Unfortunately, as of yet, the law does not extend to dairy products and with the milk scare from China, one can hope that calls for it to be expanded to include these products will be heeded.

The law also does not apply to organ meats such as heart, liver or kidney but how many households see those meats on the dinner table?The law also provides exceptions for processed foods such as bacon or everyone’s favorite, Spam, foods that are mixed together such as peas and carrots, but it’s likely to help consumers feel much safer in being able to avoid food from certain countries, especially during food poisoning outbreaks, and feel better able to buy American if they want to.

The law was established in the 2002 Farm Bill, but was successfully delayed by lobbying groups until now. Concern about unsafe imports from China and elsewhere finally overcame food industry efforts to delay it. It was amended in the 2008 Farm Bill to include more foods. Retailers have six months to get to know the regulations and come into compliance (so there’s a grace period here). Then the government is supposed to announce a final set of regulations incorporating seafood and shell fish regulations already in effect.

The law makes one think that lobbying efforts may be the reason for some of the strange distinctions in COOL. For instance macadamia nuts are included, but not walnuts. Did the walnuts have a better lobbyist than the macadamia nut lobbyist, or was the macadamia state senator absent when the Farm Bill was passed?

There are also exceptions in COOL for butchers, fish markets, restaurants, restaurants in hotels, school cafeterias, and small retailers. Additionally if spices, sauce or breading has been added, no labeling is required. Though not exactly food, the law also does not apply to pharmaceuticals, though there are calls to extend the law to them. Produce mixed in displays may simply be labeled as being “from two or more countries of origin.”

Consumers are likely going to be surprised when they see how much of their food is imported. “I’ve been eating what?” and “This comes from where?” will likely be heard by check out clerks as consumers stand in line and look over the new labels.

COOL has long been a goal of U.S. farmers and ranchers who believe that identifying foreign food imports may encourage shoppers and manufacturers to buy more U.S. foods. Meat packers, on the other side of the barbed wire, opposed COOL citing the costs it will involve in its implementation.

But as this country’s economic crisis grows, shoppers may be more and more inclined to buy American not just for safety but to help other Americans. Who nicer to help than American farmers?

Lawmakers and consumer groups are angry that the USDA seems to be attempting to evade congressional intent by allowing steaks and other meat cuts to be labeled with multiple country of origin labels. Congress only intended that exception for ground beef or for animals raised in more than one country. It has been said that there is a chasm of difference between the statutory language that was passed by Congress and the rule allowing multiple of country origin labels drafted by the USDA.

It has been suggested by some that it was meat packers who didn’t want the obligation to sort out cattle from Canada and Mexico, who are the reason why at least to start, beef may be labeled with just a North American country of origin label, as opposed to a U.S. country of origin label. Sadly, with this country’s lack of geographical knowledge (just watch Jay Leno when he asks people on the street where Canada is), many people will assume that “North American” means that the beef couldn’t possibly have come from outside the U.S., much less Mexico.

Consumer advocacy groups hope that the USDA will make rule changes as it receives more feedback. Thirty-one Senators, including Barack Obama have already written the Agriculture Secretary calling for more restrictive meat labeling rules. U.S. Cattlemen have also asked the USDA to address the loophole for beef and see that the statute is faithfully implemented.

There are other discrepancies with how the law will be applied. Fish caught off the coast of Alaska by a Chinese or Japanese owned ship may be labeled as a product of China or Japan. Beef raised in another country that spends 30 days in a feed lot in the U.S. can be labeled as coming from the U.S.

Retailers are given discretion how they label the food. Meat counters, for instance, may simply list all the countries where the meat is produced, or they can label each cut. Hamburger will still likely give the consumer pause as meat that is ground up may come from numerous countries.

Since all chicken and goat consumed in the U.S. comes from the U.S., the chicken and goat industries asked to be included in the law.

Once compliance goes into effect, businesses may be fined $1,000 per violation. The law is expected to cost at least $2 billion to implement.

If you have an agriculture, food & wine or agricultural issue in the Coachella Valley, San Diego, Palm Springs, Orange County or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Coachella Valley Agriculture Lawyers, and Palm Desert and Newport Beach Food & Wine Attorneys. For this reason, be sure to hire a California law firm with agriculture lawyers who can represent you from Brawley to El Centro, Palm Springs, Laguna, Newport and Huntington Beach, Corona del Mar, Anaheim, Irvine, La Jolla, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Palm Desert, Yorba Linda, Carlsbad, San Diego, Costa Mesa, Westminster, and Murrieta, to Indian Wells and La Quinta.

If you have an agricultural or food and wine issue, and need to know your rights, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn how we can assist you. You can also call us to speak directly to Sebastian Gibson on the phone about your legal matter.

Lemon Law Car – When Your New Car Goes Sour

July 14th, 2009 at 02:57am Under Consumer Law

Every state in the U.S. has a version of the lemon law. This law and qualification requirements are not exactly the same from from state to state, but the basic rights under the law provide you with basically the same level of protection. That is, if you purchase a car that turns out to be a “lemon,” you are entitled for a refund or replacement vehicle. But you have to know your state’s law to claim your lemon.

Your state probably also has some type of law that requires car manufacturers to honor car warranties under certain conditions. These laws also vary from state to state. It is up to you as the consumer to do some research to determine the laws and statutes in your particular state.

For example, the Texas law is available to consumers who buy or lease new vehicles in Texas. This law obligates manufactures to repair, replace, or refund the price of motor vehicles that prove to be defective time and time again. While the lemon law covers many different defects of a vehicle, you have to know the letter of the law to get your vehicle declared a lemon.

In California, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, or “lemon law” as it is more commonly called, benefits consumers greatly. The California law provides protection when purchasing new and used vehicles, making California consumers the most protected car buyers in the country. Offenders must offer a refund or replacement car for purchases that turn out to be “lemons” under the California law.

So if you live in California you are pretty lucky if you need to use the lemon law. However, your state may have laws that are almost as good. You should go to Google and search for “lemon law” plus your state’s name to find out exactly what your state’s laws are.

Winning a lemon law battle can be time consuming. However, this law is there to protect you, and it’s becoming easier to win your case.

First of all you should get your state’s information on lemon laws, consider all of your options, call the lemon law 800 number, and put your trust in the men and women who know what to do to get you a fair settlement. They will answer all of your questions, for example, “Who pays lemon law court fees?” Every state has lemon laws that are a little different, but by all means put your faith in the system.

Using the power of your state’s law system, you will find all the answers you need. They will do the work for you and charge you little for the work. In the end, if they win the case, the person who sold you the lemon will pay your court fees anyway!

In many states, arbitration is used to solve problems when a car still under warranty turns out to be a lemon.

Lemon law provisions, like those of the California, often allow for a specific arbitration process that saves you time and money over expensive court hearings. Under the California law, there is an arbitration process that the Better Business Bureau uses that helps consumers with lemon cars.

Check into the exact lemon law requirements of your state, and before going immediately to court, it may be in your best interest to use an arbitrator.

Just be sure to get started right away by making the right contacts and keeping documentation.

Arizona Lemon Law

July 13th, 2009 at 08:57pm Under Consumer Law

Arizona Lemon Laws and the federal Lemon Law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) provide for compensation to Arizona consumers of defective automobiles and trucks and other vehicles and products including motorcycles, RV’s, boats, computers and other consumer products.

If you purchase or lease a vehicle in Arizona and then discover that it has defects that substantially affect its safety, use or value, Arizona Lemon Law may help you gain satisfaction from the vehicle’s manufacturer. Under the Arizona Lemon Law, new cars, leased cars, pre-owned cars, RV’s, motor homes, motorcycles, boats and other consumer vehicles qualify for protection if they were accompanied by a written warranty. While the law cannot help everyone with a “lemon”, and some people may have to hire an attorney to get their cases resolved, the law does create important rights for the consumers.

Circumstances in which the consumers seek protection under Arizona Lemon Law:

A. It is presumed that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a motor vehicle to the applicable express warranties if either:

1. The same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers during the shorter of the express warranty term or the period of two years or twenty-four thousand miles following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer, whichever is earlier, but the nonconformity continues to exist.

2. The motor vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of thirty or more calendar days during the shorter of the express warranty term or the two year period or twenty-four thousand miles, whichever is earlier.

B. The term of an express warranty, the two year period and the thirty day period are extended by any period of time during which repair services are not available to the consumer because of any war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or other natural disaster.

C. The presumption prescribed in this section does not apply against a manufacturer unless the manufacturer has received prior direct written notification from or on behalf of the consumer of the alleged defect and has had an opportunity to cure the alleged defect.

Visit http://www.lemonlawamerica.com for more information on Arizona lemon law and other state lemon laws.

Differing from some laws in other states, the Arizona Lemon Law allows unsatisfied car buyers to sell the defective vehicle, or to trade it in for a different automobile. To preserve the consumer rights outlined in the Arizona Lemon Law , vehicles with warranty defects offered for sale must be accompanied by a written disclosure that declares the owner is aware of the automobiles defects (a written statement from a professional inspector is better), and the vehicle’s manufacturer needs to be notified of the unsatisfied buyer’s intention of sale or trade.

Marketing For Law Firms Via Attorney-Client Matching Services – Part I

July 13th, 2009 at 02:57pm Under Consumer Law

What are these new attorney-client matching services? Who are the players? What do they cost? What is the risk to me? What is the return for me? What is the buzz on them? Are they ethical as marketing for law firms? Will they save me money and are they for me? Will they get me clients I would not have otherwise?
In part one of this article we will look in depth at a relatively new wrinkle in marketing for law firms known as “attorney-client matching services”. Part one focuses on the facts about these firms. Part two gives you my conclusions and recommendations as a result of my research. First a little background is in order. The legal services market segment is expected to reach $82.5 billion in 2008 according to Euromonitor International a market intelligence firm. In recent history consumers have been finding attorneys through word-of mouth or through the yellow pages. Often the word-of mouth advice does not deliver people to the best possible solution for their particular needs and the yellow pages is certainly not a great place to select a lawyer I am sure you would agree. Additionally, according to the Pew Internet & American Life over four million consumers and small businesses currently search for legal services via the Internet every month with these numbers expected to rise to over seven million by 2007. I think you can see this is a huge market getting larger. It is imperative that attorneys understand this marketplace if for no other reason your potential clients and clients are moving to the Internet and yellow page advertising is a dying marketing for law firms vehicle. Understanding attorney-client matching services is one new way to tap into this Internet marketplace.
What I will not be talking about here is attorney-listing services. Please don’t get confused between attorney-listing services and attorney-client matching services. The two majors in the attorney-listing services arena are Lawyers dot com or FindLaw dot com that are used by many in marketing for law firms. With attorney marketing one might want to get a minimal listing on one or both of these two major sites. Both do drive a large amount of traffic to their sites for sure (in the millions of visitors per year). If you do get a listing then track your results carefully and see if being in the middle of a pack of listed attorneys actually does produce clients for you. Please don’t spend more on them than the basic listing that will run about $150 or so per month, at least until you can document results with the basic listing. Also, don’t buy your website through either of them, even if after testing you find good results, for many reasons that can be found under the Internet marketing tab on my website. One last note here, you probably don’t want to test most of the lesser attorney-listing competitors like LawInfo dot com, LawCore dot com or AttorneyFind dot com is my take, however if you do be sure to track your results. The rest of this article is about attorney-client matching services.
Attorney Marketing Via Five Attorney-Client Matching Players
In the attorney-client matching field there are five competitors for the attorney marketing dollar offering online attorney-client matching services. The first and originator is LegalMatch dot com and its newer competitor being CasePost dot com as well as a third competitor LegalFish dot com. The two big players that offer almost everything in attorney marketing, Lawyers dot com and FindLaw dot com; have also recently begun to offer a version of attorney-client matching services. Lets begin with LegalMatch that was established in 1999 and is based in San Francisco. LegalMatch uses a double blind matching system. By double blind they mean the consumer does not see identifying information about who the lawyers are and the lawyer does not see identifying information about who the consumers are although all the cards are put on the table for both to see before any contact is made between them. Through an allocation model LegalMatch makes the decision about which lawyers get the consumer’s information. Consumers can opt into “priority service” for a fee to talk with a LegalMatch staff attorney about their case and work with that attorney in selecting the attorney for their case. LegalMatch does have partnerships with the Utah State Bar Association, ATLA and NACDL. Membership fees for this marketing for law firms vehicle run from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (they will finance the membership fee if desired) depending on practice area and geographic location of the attorney. For example, a PI attorney in Los Angeles would likely be charged more than a family law attorney in Los Angeles, while the family lawyer in Peoria is likely to pay less than the family law attorney in Los Angeles. Their guarantee consists of extending your membership at no fee until your revenues have exceeded the fee you paid them. The details of the guarantee are available on their website.
Are There Legal Marketing Ethics Issues with Attorney-Client Matching?
A relevant digression here, since this model is not a lawyer referral program, a pre-paid legal service plan, a joint or cooperative advertising or a directory listing service it is not subject to ethics rules around much of marketing for law firms it has been asserted. Recently the Professional Ethics Committee of the Texas State Bar was looking into these practices and that committee received a seven-page letter (May 26, 2006) from the FTC that was agreed to by a unanimous vote of the FTC commission members that this attorney marketing practice is indeed ethical.
Already the states of North Carolina and South Carolina found the practice ethical. The Rhode Island Supreme Court specifically named in an ethics opinion that online matching services are ethical. Finally, the Utah State Bar (a mandatory bar) has retained LegalMatch as their lawyer referral service clearly indicating their thinking about LegalMatch’s ethical nature it seems to me. Naturally you do need to check with your state bar to be sure this is an ethical practice in your state. Now back to the options in the marketplace.
CasePost, based in Southern California, was established in 2002 is a second player in this area of marketing for law firms. They operate in a similar fashion as LegalMatch in matching clients with lawyers; however, the directory of attorneys is shown to the consumer immediately. The consumer can decide whether they want to remain anonymous or give their contact information to the attorneys. The consumer is limited to four attorney responses. Thus the consumer determines what attorneys will get their information. In May of 2006 CasePost has made a major expansion as a result of their partnership with HandelOnTheLaw dot com that is powered by a successful nationally syndicated radio show on over 120 stations with attorney Bill Handel. This show has been running since 1985. They also have a strategic relationship with LegalZoom dot com that began in 2006 that has increased their reach. Like LegalMatch the membership fees for this attorney marketing vehicle are from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (financing is available if desired) depending on practice area and location. Their guarantee to a member is based on a minimum amount of referrals over the year.
LegalFish is a third player in this arena. It entered the marketplace in 2003 and is based in Chicago. It is a bit different than the other two in a few ways. Like the other players the consumer can input their information and post their cases to the site as well give their identifying information or not. In a number of cases LegalFish will contact the posting consumer themselves by telephone or email to delve deeper into the needs of the consumer so they are not totally automated. There is an allocation model used by LegalFish in referring the cases to their members. Another difference is LegalFish charges a monthly fee for this marketing for law firms vehicle ranging from $180 to $750 to members that are non-contingency based practices. For contingency based practices the fee ranges from $1600 to $5000+ monthly only if the client retains the attorney. If LegalFish does not deliver a referral to a member that retains that attorney they don’t charge a fee to that attorney for the month (a form of a guarantee). Creating something of a “shared risk” system. Naturally, with this type of shared risk system, long-term success for both parties is based on LegalFish’s ability to generate new client opportunities and create demand for legal services, and their member attorneys’ ability to convert those referrals to paying clients. Both parties have to “pull their weight”. Finally, LegalFish reports they are particularly committed to serving the solo and small firm market with ten employees or less.
The next player in this marketing for law firms arena is Lawyers dot com (mentioned earlier in this article about their directory listing or attorney-listing service) with their new Attorney Match Service. If you go to their homepage what stands out on that homepage is their “Find A Lawyer Quick Search”. This is their free to the consumer attorney-listing service (this is why you might want to test a listing with them and track results). To get to the Attorney Match Service you have to know to click on “Contact Lawyers” navigation tab or notice it up there at the very top of the home page. Clicking on that takes you to a page where you input your zip code and the practice area you are seeking, however, it also tells you how many lawyers there are listed that “are interested in receiving your request”. You are required to fill in the identifying information with other case information. Once you do that you see the attorneys listed and pick the ones you want to send your request to and wait for their replies. The fee for the attorney member is $495 per year, however, you must have a biographical level listing on the site to be on the Attorney Match Service and that is $150 and up per month depending on the size of your firm. There is no guarantee for this service.
The final player in this marketing for law firms arena is Thompson’s Findlaw (mentioned earlier as an attorney-listing service) with their new attorney-matching website http://www.LegalConnection.com. The FindLaw system is similar to the Lawyers dot com system with three steps of #1 Select your legal need; #2 Tell us about your case; and #3 Choose the attorney that’s right for you. It is different from Lawyers dot com’s system since they have broken it out of their attorney-listing services completely with its own dedicated website. Their fees generally run from $500 to $1000 per month depending on your practice area and geographic location. They do not have a guarantee. They do report that they do set targets for each geographic area as well as practice combination and then will manage their marketing to get positive results for attorneys.
Well, now we have all the players in this particular niche of marketing for law firms with a lot of information. I think it would be imperative for me to mention one more item. Both Legal Match and CasePost have negative information on the Internet and it needs to be considered. If you go to Google and search just the term LegalMatch and then do the same with CasePost you will be able to find details about the negative information. One location that covers the negative information on LegalMatch with relevant links is at Wikipedia dot org (go to the site and look up LegalMatch) although that is disputed as not being sufficiently neutral in tone, which is one of Wikipedia’s requirements. If you want to see a string of negative information on CasePost go to: http://counsel.net/chatboards/marketing/topic111/6.23.04.11.34.29.html . I am not sure one needs to be overly concerned about this information since it is mostly in the past and you need to consider it.
See Part II of this article for my conclusions and recommendations as a result of my research. I can tell you now that this approach does have some merit but there are definite cautions as well so do read Part II.

Problem With your Vehicle in California? Know More About California Lemon Law

July 13th, 2009 at 08:57am Under Consumer Law

Lemon laws are U.S. state laws that offer remedies to consumers for products such as boats, cars, computers, motorcycles, refrigerators, RVs, etc. that frequently fail to meet the set standards of quality and performance. These products are commonly referred to as “lemons”. There are both state and federal lemon laws that protect the interests of consumers. The rights afforded to consumers by lemon laws may exceed any warranties expressed in purchase contracts.

The California Lemon Law states that if a purchased vehicle turns out to be defective in the warranty period rendering it unfit for use or inflicts some serious injuries to the user, then the consumer has every right to ask for refund or replacement.

If you purchase or lease a vehicle in California and then discover that it has defects that substantially affect its safety, use or value,California State Lemon Law may help you gain satisfaction from the vehicle’s manufacturer. Under the California Lemon Law, new cars, leased cars, pre-owned cars, RV’s, motor homes, motorcycles, boats and other consumer vehicles qualify for protection if they were accompanied by a written warranty. While the law cannot help everyone with a “lemon”, and some people may have to hire an attorney to get their cases resolved, the law does create important rights for the consumers.

Visit www.lemonlawamerica.com for more information on California lemon law and other state lemon laws.

Circumstances in which the consumers seek protection under California Lemon Law:

The defect of the product is a manufacturing defect

The vehicle has been repaired at least four times and still the defect persists.

The defect is detected but not repaired within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles.

There are several steps that the consumer must take to effectively use the lemon laws of California State. (1) Keep a detailed repair record, complete with dates of the repair attempts, when the vehicle was out of service, and a list that explains exactly what the trouble is, such as “cutting off” or “stalling”; (2) send a certified, return receipt requested letter to the manufacturer’s consumer relations office and the manufacturer’s nearest regional office listed in your manual; (3) after you have followed the previous steps and met the criteria as defined by your state’s lemon law, request a refund or replacement, less depreciation, of the vehicle.

Differing from some laws in other states, the California Lemon Law allows unsatisfied car buyers to sell the defective vehicle, or to trade it in for a different automobile. To preserve the consumer rights outlined in the California Lemon Law , vehicles with warranty defects offered for sale must be accompanied by a written disclosure that declares the owner is aware of the automobiles defects (a written statement from a professional inspector is better), and the vehicle’s manufacturer needs to be notified of the unsatisfied buyer’s intention of sale or trade.

Visit www.LemonLawAmerica.com for more information on State Lemon Laws and consumer protection tips from the well experienced attorney’s.

Consumer Awareness

July 13th, 2009 at 02:58am Under Consumer Law

(Research Paper)

INTRODUCTION

In the early times, consumer was considered as King of the market but in the contemporary society, consumers are no longer safe against the mal practices such as, substandard goods and unsatisfactory services. The consumer has every right to reject any product or services rendered by any manufacturer in the market and can mould them to produce goods of their choice. Indian Consumer are ignorant, illiterate and do no know the role of consumption vis-a-vis economic system as well as quality of life. When they are ignorant of their rights, they cannot know their responsibility as consumers. Consumers in the market find themselves deceived by wrong weights and measures, adulterated and substandard products causing great damages to health. Neelkanta and Anand (1992) found that people prefer to absorb and endure the wrong done to them rather than fight against injustice. This is because consumers do not know the ways and means of facing them confidently. At present the consumer movement in India is in its infancy. Vast majority of the people are not even aware of consumerism as a movement closely connected with the protection of their interest. Many constitutional provisions have been made by government to protect the consumers. Until and unless the consumers avail of these provisions, the protection of consumer becomes inevitable. There is a great need to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities.

The current investigation has been undertaken to seek answers to key aspects such as level of consumer awareness regarding legislation and organization with the specific objective such as :

• To assess the awareness of respondents towards (i) consumer terminology (ii) legal laws.

• To ascertain the awareness of respondents regarding consumer organizations and various information sources.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

(a) Research Design : Survey method was used with a structured type questionnaire as the data-collecting instrument.

(b) Pre-Testing : Pre-testing was done on 20 subjects (10 males and 10 females) for clarity and reliability of the tool.

(c) Sampling Procedure : The sample for the study was selected from Indore district. Selective sampling was chosen after critical review of literature. It has been observed that consumer behaviour has been imposed on a range of people belonging to middle class. Both rich and poor have different problems.

Therefore the present study was limited to middle class society. Fifty percent respondents were males and 50 percent females having formal education.

(d) Data collection : In total 150 questionnaires were distributed out of which 120 sample was finally selected.

(e) Analysts of Data : The statements on consumer awareness were framed after critical review of literature and discussions with experts in the field. The answer to these statements were sought in terms of ‘right’, ‘wrong’, ‘not sure’ and ‘don’t know’ which were scored as follows :

Right : 3 points

Not sure : 2 points

Wrong : 0 point

Scoring pattern was reverse in case of wrong statements. Thus minimum score was 0 and maximum possible = 105. Mean and Standard deviation were calculated and range was formed to categorize the respondents as follows :

Low awareness : 0 – 35

Partial awareness : 36 – 70

High awareness : 71 – 105

‘t’ – test was used to study the difference between awareness level and sex of respondents.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Consumer Awareness : It was observed from Table 1 that out of total 41.6 percent respondents have low level of awareness regarding consumer terms. Amongst, this, 15.0 percent are males and 26.6 percent females. Only 23.3 percent respondents had partial awareness out of which 15.0 percent are males and 8.3 percent females. Out of total, 35 percent respondents had high level of awareness with 20 percent belonging to males and 15 percent to females. Findings of John’s study (1974) also confirmed that majority of respondents hae partial consumer awareness.

Table 1 : Distribution of sample according to their level of consumer awareness (N = 120)

Respondents

Low

Partial

High

Frequency

% age

Frequency

% age

Frequency

% age

Males

18

15.0

18

15.0

24

20.0

Females

32

26.6

10

8.3

18

15.0

Total

50

41.6

28

23.3

42

35.0

LEGAL AWARENESS

Regarding legal awareness showed that majority of males and female respondents were aware about the legal laws protecting the consumers against adulteration of food stuffs (90 percent males, 86.6 percent females), adulteration of drugs (90 percent males, 86.6 percent females), short weighing (86.6 percent each of males and females); false weights and measures (86.6 percent males, 76.6 percent females) ; using stones for weights (80.6 percent males, 63.3 percent females) ; using hand made balance (76.6 percent males and 50 percent females) and using deceitful packaging (70 percent males and 43.3 percent females). It was concluded from the above findings that males were having better awareness regarding legal laws than female respondents.

Table 2 : Distribution of sample according to level of consumer legal law awareness (N = 120)

S.

N.

Legal Laws

Males

Females

Yes

No

Yes

No

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

1.

Adulteration of food stuff

54

90

6

10.0

52

86.6

8

13.3

2.

Adulteration of drugs

54

90

6

10.0

52

86.6

8

13.3

3.

Short weight & measures

52

86.6

8

13.3

52

86.6

8

13.3

4.

False weights & measure

52

86.6

8

13.3

46

76.6

14

23.3

5.

Misuse of weights & measures

44

73.3

16

26.6

38

66.3

22

36.6

6.

Using stones for weights

48

80.6

12

20.0

38

63.6

22

36.6

7.

Using handmade balances

46

76.6

14

23.3

30

50.0

30

50.0

8.

Using deceitful advertisement

46

76.6

14

23.3

34

56.6

26

43.3

9.

Using deceitful packaging

42

70.0

18

30.0

34

56.6

26

43.3

10

Without giving weighed contents

44

73.3

16

26.6

38

63.3

22

36.6

AWARENESS OF RESPONDENTS REGARDING PRODUCT STANDARD :

Level of awareness regarding various terminologies was observed in Table 3. The data showed that 53.3 percent males and 66.6 percent females were aware of term Ag mark. The term I.SI. was known to 60 percent males and 66.6 percent females respondents. About 30 percent males and 40 percent female respondents were aware of the term mercerization. It was inferred from the finding that more number of female respondents were aware of these specific terms than men. It may be attributed to the fact that it is related more to clothing which is frequently purchased by women than men.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION REGARDING PRODUCT STANDARD:

Majority of male and female respondents got some information of consumer interest through T.V. (86.6 percent males and 6.6 percent females) followed by radio, newspaper and magazines (Table 4). Journals were least commonly used sources of information (33.3 percent males and 36.3 percent females). It can be concluded that mass – media can effectively be used to promote information and awareness especially to educated respondents belonging to middle income group. Mass – media can also play an effective role for masses belonging to different socio-economic categories also.

AWARENESS REGARDING CONSUMER ORGANIZATIONS:

The data in Table 5 showed that 80 percent males and 53.3 percent females were aware about consumer organizations working in and around their area. On the contrary, only 40 males and 26.6 percent females had shown any interest in joining these organizations. The reason given by majority of them was lack of time and no interest in joining them, as it will yield no results. Parameshwar (1988) analyzed that unless the government and voluntary organization can’t achieve the desired results.

Table 3 : Distribution o sample according to their awareness of consumer technology (N = 120)

S.

N.

Legal Laws

Males

Females

Yes

No

Yes

No

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

1.

Agmark

32

53.3

28

46.6

40

66.6

20

33.3

2.

ISI

36

60.0

24

40.0

40

66.6

20

33.3

3.

Sanforized

18

30.0

42

70

24

40.0

36

60.0

4.

Mercerized

8

13.3

26

86.6

12

20.0

48

80.0

Table 4 : Distribution of sample according to mass media information sources (N = 120).

S.

N.

Legal Laws

Males

Females

Yes

No

Yes

No

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

1.

Television

52

86.6

8

13.3

56

93.3

4

6.6

2.

Radio

38

63.3

22

36.3

34

56.6

26

43.3

3.

Newspapers

36

60.0

24

40.0

42

70.0

18

30.0

4.

Journals

20

33.3

40

66.6

22

36.6

38

63.3

5.

Magazines

34

56.6

26

43.3

42

70.0

18

30.0

H 0 : Sex Postulated to be Positive Co-relates Level of Awareness of Selected sample :

Level of awareness between males and females was tested by employing ‘t’ test. The results indicated that awareness level of both male and female respondents showed significant difference. Male respondents were significantly more aware than the female respondents. ‘t’ value – 3.40*. Thus, overall the findings gave an insight into the extent of consumer lack of awareness of many facts that are of much relevance for their own welfare.

Table 5 : Distribution of sample according to their awareness of consumer organization

S.

N.

Legal Laws

Males

Females

Yes

No

Yes

No

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

Frequency

%age

1.

Consumer organizations working in the area

48

80.0

12

20.0

32

53.3

28

46.6

2.

Interest in joining

24

40.0

36

60.0

16

26.6

44

73.3

FINDINGS

With reference to the above analysis it is inferred that :

1. Television was the main media for both the male and female respondents, which influenced their buying most.

2. There existed a significant difference between the awareness level of the male and female respondents regarding consumer terminology and consumer protection laws. Males were more aware about the popular consumer terminologies than females.

SUGGESTIONS AND ANNOTATION

• It may be recommended that Mass Media and educational institutions need play an effective role in consumer awakening and imparting information regarding organizations working for the consumer’s interest in their area.

• It is extremely imperative to encourage volunteers ; who are gallant, audacious and forthright, concerned in consumer protection movement.

• Organisations, NGO’s, institutions and agencies allied to consumer movements should hearten administrative advocacy in setting consumer disputes.

• Government should enter into theaters with various countries in order to ensure extra territorial operation of the act.

• Government should be pro active towards the cunning policies of MNCs to exploit the consumer.

• A heavy sum should be taken from the multinational companies in the form of security money at the time of their establishment and incorporation.

• Government should make efforts to create a consensus for ‘global consumer policy’.

• Administrative advocacy should be encouraged in order to reduce the burden of consumer redressal agencies.

REFERENCES

Anonymous : Consumer Guidance Society of Bombay. Keem at 5(3&4) : 2-3 (1976).

Bhatia, V : A Study of Homemaker’s Buying Behavious and Attitude Towards Certain Marketing Practices in the city Baroda. M.Sc. thesis (unpublished) M.S. University, Baroda (1973).

Bhatt R : Buying powers of urban poor and public distribution. Keem at, December 1 (977).

Gupta M. and Ogale, N : Educational needs of consumers regarding consumer protection laws. Journal of Research. H.A.U. Hissar, 18 (3) : 236-241 (1988).

John M. : Awareness of Consumer Responsibilities. M.Sc. thesis, (unpublished) M.S. University, Baroda (1974).

Parmeshwar, K.R. : Protect consumer against quality tricksters. Yojana 32 (5) : 29 -31 (1988).

Lemon Laws – Protecting Consumer Rights

July 13th, 2009 at 02:57am Under Consumer Law

Lemon Laws were established in 1978 as a way to ensure consumers have a voice if their car is not repaired properly or if the vehicle they have purchased is in constant need of repairs. Lemon laws protect the rights of the individual to drive a car that is safe and in good working condition.
Before any lemon law existed, consumers were left in the dark if their vehicle didn’t work properly or was always breaking down. Basically, you were at the mercy of the manufacturer or auto repair shop and had no real power to fight back. Oftentimes car owners were forced to continually pay for expensive repairs out of their own pocket – not something everyone could easily afford to do. Lemon laws, however, have changed all that.
In addition, constant repairs also meant missing work, or being forced to find other means of transportation while the car was in the shop. But lemon laws do more than just help the consumer. Lemon laws also make life easier for the manufacturer because it allows companies to learn from their mistakes, improve customer service, and have knowledge of any problems customers may be having with their cars. The lemon law can actually make the manufacturer aware of problems beforehand, in order to avoid a lawsuit.
The lemon law allows the consumer to contact the manufacturer if something is wrong with the vehicle so that the situation is remedied before things spiral out of control. The lemon law then allows the company to find out what the problem is and gives them a chance to make corrections. Once the consumer has allowed for such a resolution to occur, if the problem still isn’t solved, the lemon law makes it possible to seek legal recourse.
But an automobile lemon law is not necessarily straightforward. You can claim a vehicle only if it fits under certain requirements of the automobile lemon law. For instance, a basic requirement is that the dealer and manufacturer have been given a certain amount of time to make amends. However, to ensure everything is properly documented for the automobile lemon law, make sure you keep copies of all repairs and work orders. With an automobile lemon law, it’s always best to keep records. This is the only way to ensure you have the automobile lemon law working for you.
What about used cars? Is there a used car lemon law? The short answer is, “yes,” there is a used car lemon law put in place to protect the purchase of a used car, which can be infinitely more complicated. Of course, used cars can run into more problems than new vehicles, which is why the used car lemon law covers different issues. Purchasing from a used car dealer is not necessarily easy for the consumer, which is why the used car lemon law is so important. The used car lemon law protects you when you need it most.
It’s important to note that lemon laws can change from state to state. Laws in Texas, California, New York, and Florida may differ. Before you make any claims, do some research on the lemon laws in your state. The requirements for a claim in Texas may vary widely from those in California, New York, or Florida. The best thing you can do is become an informed consumer, and you will be protected.

In the Quran: What if we are obliged to consume the Forbidden Food?

July 12th, 2009 at 08:57pm Under Consumer Law

The Lion is mentioned in the Bible 119 times, 110 times in the Old Testament and nine times in the New Testament.

The Lion is not mentioned in the Noble Quran; however, wild beasts (wild animals) is mentioned once.

In the Bible, Daniel 7:3-4 say that four great beasts came up out of the sea. The first of them was like a lion which had eagle’s wings.  These wings were plucked off and the lion made to stand on two feet like a man; and the mind (heart) of a man was given to that lion.  Nothing like that is found in the Noble Quran.

In the Quran, verse 5:3 says What if we have nothing to eat but the forbidden food to save our life, would Muslims eat it or no?  They have to eat it to save their life.  If they do not eat, it is a big sin.

==============================================

Daniel 7:3-4 in four different versions of the Bible:

New International Version

Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

New American Standard Bible

“And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

“The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.

English Standard Version

And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

King James Version

And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

==============================================

Chapter 5: AL-MAEDA (THE TABLE)

Verse 5:3 of the Noble Quran in four different translations:

QARIB: you are forbidden (to consume) the dead, blood and the flesh of swine; also flesh dedicated to any other than Allah, the flesh of strangled (animals) and of those beaten, that which is killed by falling, gored to death, mangled by beasts of prey, unless you find it (still alive) and slaughter it; also of animals sacrificed on stones (to idols). (you are forbidden) to seek division by the arrows, that is debauchery. those who disbelieve have this day despaired of your religion. do not fear them, but fear me. this day i have perfected your religion for you and completed my favor to you. i have approved Islam to be your religion. (as for) he who does not intend to commit a sin but is constrained by hunger to eat of what is forbidden, then surely Allah is forgiving, merciful.

SHAKIR: forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked, and the strangled (animal) and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by being smitten with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten, except what you slaughter, and what is sacrificed on stones set up (for idols) and that you divide by the arrows; that is a transgression. this day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and fear me. this day have i perfected for you your religion and completed my favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but whoever is compelled by hunger, not inclining willfully to sin, then surely Allah is forgiving, merciful.

PICKTHAL: forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swineflesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death-stroke), and that which hath been immolated unto idols. and (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. this is an abomination. this day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear me! this day have i perfected your religion for you and completed my favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam. whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is forgiving, merciful.

YUSUFALI: forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. this day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear me. this day have i perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. but if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed oft-forgiving, most merciful.

——-

The meaning of the verse:

Forbidden to you is carrion, that is, the consumption of it, and blood, that is, what has been spilt and the flesh of swine,

And what has been hallowed to other than Allah, in that it was sacrificed in the name of something other than Him, and the beast strangled, to death,

And the beast beaten down, to death,

And the beast fallen, from a height to its death,

And the beast gored, to death by another,

And what beasts of prey have devoured, of such animals except for what you have sacrificed duly, catching it while it still breathes life and then sacrificing it 

And what has been sacrificed in, the name of, idols

And that you apportion, that is, that you demand an oath or a ruling, through the divining of arrows.  There were seven of these [arrows], [marked] with flags, and they were retained by the keeper of the Kaaba. They would use them for arbitrations and when they commanded them they obeyed, and if they prohibited them they would desist; that is wickedness, a rebellion against obedience. And on the Day of ‘Arafat’ in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, the following was revealed: Today the disbelievers have despaired of your religion, of you apostatizing from it, having hoped for it [earlier], for now they perceived its strength; therefore do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, that is, its rulings and obligations

(After this verse, nothing about what is lawful or unlawful was revealed).

And I have completed My favor upon you, by perfecting it [your religion], but it is also said by effecting their safe entry into Mecca; and I have approved, chosen, Islam for you as religion.

But whoever is constrained by emptiness, by hunger, to consume some of what has been forbidden him and consumes it, not inclining purposely to sin, to an act of disobedience; then Allah is Forgiving, to him for what he has consumed, Merciful, to him by permitting it to him, in contrast to the one who [purposely] inclines to sin, that is, the one actively engaged in it, such as a way layer or a criminal, for whom such consumption is forbidden.

What if we have nothing to eat but forbidden food e.g. swine to save our life, would Muslims eat it or no?  They have to eat it to save their life but they have not to eat extra amount; they just eat the amount that would save the life.  Also, it is a big sin if they do not eat and hurt their life!

———————————————–

Back to my question for the smart reader:

Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?

In the Quran: Allah is the Forgiving and the Merciful even in the Law of Food

July 12th, 2009 at 02:57pm Under Consumer Law

The Lion is mentioned in the Bible 119 times, 110 times in the Old Testament and nine times in the New Testament.

The Lion is not mentioned in the Noble Quran; however, wild beasts (wild animals) is mentioned once.

In the Bible, Daniel 7:3-4 say that four great beasts came up out of the sea. The first of them was like a lion which had eagle’s wings.  These wings were plucked off and the lion made to stand on two feet like a man; and the mind (heart) of a man was given to that lion.  Nothing like that is found in the Noble Quran.

In the Quran, verse 5:3 says What if we have nothing to eat but the forbidden food to save our life, would Muslims eat it or no?  They have to eat it to save their life.  If they do not eat, it is a big sin.

==============================================

Daniel 7:3-4 in four different versions of the Bible:

New International Version

Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

New American Standard Bible

“And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

“The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.

English Standard Version

And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

King James Version

And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

==============================================

Chapter 5: AL-MAEDA (THE TABLE)

Verse 5:3 of the Noble Quran in four different translations:

QARIB: you are forbidden (to consume) the dead, blood and the flesh of swine; also flesh dedicated to any other than Allah, the flesh of strangled (animals) and of those beaten, that which is killed by falling, gored to death, mangled by beasts of prey, unless you find it (still alive) and slaughter it; also of animals sacrificed on stones (to idols). (you are forbidden) to seek division by the arrows, that is debauchery. those who disbelieve have this day despaired of your religion. do not fear them, but fear me. this day i have perfected your religion for you and completed my favor to you. i have approved Islam to be your religion. (as for) he who does not intend to commit a sin but is constrained by hunger to eat of what is forbidden, then surely Allah is forgiving, merciful.

SHAKIR: forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked, and the strangled (animal) and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by being smitten with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten, except what you slaughter, and what is sacrificed on stones set up (for idols) and that you divide by the arrows; that is a transgression. this day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and fear me. this day have i perfected for you your religion and completed my favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but whoever is compelled by hunger, not inclining willfully to sin, then surely Allah is forgiving, merciful.

PICKTHAL: forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swineflesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death-stroke), and that which hath been immolated unto idols. and (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. this is an abomination. this day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear me! this day have i perfected your religion for you and completed my favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam. whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is forgiving, merciful.

YUSUFALI: forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. this day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear me. this day have i perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. but if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed oft-forgiving, most merciful.

——-

The meaning of the verse:

Forbidden to you is carrion, that is, the consumption of it, and blood, that is, what has been spilt and the flesh of swine,

And what has been hallowed to other than Allah, in that it was sacrificed in the name of something other than Him, and the beast strangled, to death,

And the beast beaten down, to death,

And the beast fallen, from a height to its death,

And the beast gored, to death by another,

And what beasts of prey have devoured, of such animals except for what you have sacrificed duly, catching it while it still breathes life and then sacrificing it 

And what has been sacrificed in, the name of, idols

And that you apportion, that is, that you demand an oath or a ruling, through the divining of arrows.  There were seven of these [arrows], [marked] with flags, and they were retained by the keeper of the Kaaba. They would use them for arbitrations and when they commanded them they obeyed, and if they prohibited them they would desist; that is wickedness, a rebellion against obedience. And on the Day of ‘Arafat’ in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, the following was revealed: Today the disbelievers have despaired of your religion, of you apostatizing from it, having hoped for it [earlier], for now they perceived its strength; therefore do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, that is, its rulings and obligations

(After this verse, nothing about what is lawful or unlawful was revealed).

And I have completed My favor upon you, by perfecting it [your religion], but it is also said by effecting their safe entry into Mecca; and I have approved, chosen, Islam for you as religion.

But whoever is constrained by emptiness, by hunger, to consume some of what has been forbidden him and consumes it, not inclining purposely to sin, to an act of disobedience; then Allah is Forgiving, to him for what he has consumed, Merciful, to him by permitting it to him, in contrast to the one who [purposely] inclines to sin, that is, the one actively engaged in it, such as a way layer or a criminal, for whom such consumption is forbidden.

What if we have nothing to eat but forbidden food e.g. swine to save our life, would Muslims eat it or no?  They have to eat it to save their life but they have not to eat extra amount; they just eat the amount that would save the life.  Also, it is a big sin if they do not eat and hurt their life!

———————————————–

Back to my question for the smart reader:

Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?