We operate and maintain a network of Consumer Advice Centers (CACs), where trained advisors provide advice over the phone and also address to the queries of the visiting consumers in person. Their advice on pre- and post-purchase includes guidance on reimbursement and redress mechanisms including updating information on legal avenues to enforce consumer laws. The Consumer Advice Centers work closely with the State Consumer Help Lines.

State Consumer Helpline
Building on the experience of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), in 2007 Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) initiated a new plan to implement telephone based helplines for consumers in regional language: the State Consumer Helplines (SCHs).

Services Offered by Consumer Advice Centres
A total of ten CAC have been established in four states of India (Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa ,Gujarat, Bihar and Rajasthan) as a pilot and are enabled with IT platform, equipped with qualified consumer advisors for assisting your queries on:

	Pre-sales information including:
	Product quality (e.g. results of comparative testing, quality labels etc.) Product labeling How to avoid food adulteration Advice how to avoid malpractices Service specific advice on consumer credit, banking and insurance etc
	Post-purchase advice on product and service complaints, clarifying the legal position and offering “next-step advice” for resolution or redress.
	Document and categorize all requests, advice given and complaint histories in an electronic format.
	Consumer safety information detailing potentially dangerous products.
	Educating consumers on sustainable consumption, e.g. hygiene, healthy food, avoiding waste and disposing it correctly, efficient use of energy and water, environmentally friendly products and services.
	Provide services of experts as and when required.
	Provide self-help material in print and online form.
	Provide assistance and advice on ‘next steps’ – complaints, redress, lawsuits, etc. – in case these rights have been violated through unfair trade practices, scams, deceit, or other measures
	Information and guidance on sustainable shopping choices and sustainable consumption behavior