New Delhi: The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 has been enacted to better protect the interests of the consumers. The provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, covers all goods and services and all modes of transaction including e-commerce. A consumer can file a complaint relating to e-commerce transactions in the appropriate Consumer Forum established under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. There is no proposal to bring in a separate legislation for e-commerce platforms.
Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 a consumer can file a complaint in the appropriate Consumer Forum. However, before approaching a Consumer Forum there is mechanism for alternate dispute resolution through the National Consumer Helpline (1XXX-XX-4000 and short code 14404) at New Delhi and Online Consumer Mediation Centre in the National Law School India University Bengaluru.
The details of complaints received in the National Consumer Helpline against direct selling /e-commerce companies during 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 (up to December, 2016 ) are as under:
| Organization | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 (upto Dec) | Total |
| Bookmyoffer.com | 0 | 71 | 449 | 520 |
| Snapdeal.com | 37 | 52 | 120 | 209 |
| e BAY | 10 | 30 | 135 | 175 |
| Flipkart.com | 25 | 40 | 92 | 157 |
| Whaaky.com | 36 | 35 | 79 | 150 |
| Askmebazar.com | 27 | 116 | 6 | 149 |
| Shopclues.com | 46 | 55 | 47 | 148 |
| Amazon.in | 7 | 15 | 114 | 136 |
| Paytm.com | 13 | 31 | 46 | 90 |
| HOME SHOP18 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 70 |
| Naaptol.com | 15 | 10 | 13 | 38 |
| Shop CJ Network India Pvt. Ltd | 16 | 4 | 10 | 30 |
| Myntra.com | 9 | 9 | 2 | 20 |
| Jabong.com | 1 | 2 | 15 | 18 |
| Other – Ecommerce | 136 | 205 | 243 | 584 |
| Total | 418 | 690 | 1386 | 2494 |
The received complaints were dealt with as per consumer grievance redressal procedure.
There is no proposal for setting up of National Consumer Safety Authority. However, the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, already introduced in Parliament, seeks to provide for establishment of a Central Consumer Protection Authority to look into, inter alia, unfair trade practices.
This information was given by Shri C.R. Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
