How do I know if I am a “consumer” in defective products law?

In California, depending on the context, "consumer" can have different meanings. Generally, a consumer is someone who is buying something that they will use personally and not for further sale or business purposes. If you are a consumer in the context of defective products law, then, you qualify as a consumer if you have purchased a product from a business, and then use that product yourself and not for further sale or business purposes. In California, a consumer is also someone who has an agreement with a business to receive services or goods in exchange for payment. For example, a consumer might hire a contractor to repair a roof or pay a business for a particular product. Under defective products law, a consumer can also mean someone who is a third party beneficiary to a contract between a business and another person. This means that if a person purchases a product from a business and then gives it to someone else as a gift, the recipient of the gift may have the same legal rights that the purchaser had. Under California law, a consumer can also refer to a person who has suffered harm due to a defective product. A defective product, for these purposes, is one that does not work as intended, or does not offer the benefits that the company claims it does. In sum, if you have purchased a product from a business, have an agreement with a business to receive services or goods, are a third party beneficiary to a contract, or have been harmed by a defective product, then you qualify as a consumer under California defective products law.

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How do I know if I am a “consumer” in defective products law?

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