
How to File a Consumer Complaint in India
Most people buy something or use a service expecting it to work the way it should. When it fails, it naturally leaves them feeling cheated or annoyed.
4 min read
The written complaint a consumer makes about a product or a service. Sent to the seller first, and the document a Commission will expect to see if it goes further.
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A written complaint by a consumer who is not satisfied with a product or a service they paid for.
A consumer complaint is a written complaint filed by a consumer who is not satisfied with either the product or the service provided by a company or by the seller of that product. It can be made directly to the company, the producer or the seller, or it can be filed with a Consumer Commission, which resolves it on the facts given by both parties.
It can only be filed by the consumer, and not by anybody else on their behalf. That is the rule that catches people out most often: a friend or a relative who bought the item is the consumer, not the person using it.
The complaint is made on plain paper, addressed to the party being complained about, and signed by the consumer. In practice it is sent to the seller first: a Commission will want to see that the other side was given a chance to put things right, and most matters end there.
This is the complaint letter. Representing you before a Consumer Commission is a separate engagement, so tell us on the call if that is where this is heading.
What was bought, when, what was promised and what happened, in date order. Most complaints fail on being unreadable rather than on being wrong.
The invoice, the warranty card, the order confirmation and any emails. A complaint with no proof of purchase is a complaint by somebody who may not be a consumer.
A refund, a replacement, a repair or compensation: say which, and say how much. "Take necessary action" gives the other side nothing to agree to.
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The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which replaced the 1986 Act and has been in force since July 2020. Complaints are now heard by District, State and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions.
Under the 2019 Act a complaint may be filed where you reside or work, as well as where the opposite party carries on business. Under the old Act it was generally the seller’s location only.
Complaints may also be filed electronically, so an online seller in another state is no longer a reason not to pursue it.
Two years from the date the cause of action arose. A Commission may admit a later complaint if it is satisfied there was sufficient reason for the delay, but that is not something to rely on.
No. A consumer may appear in person before a Commission, which is deliberate, because the Act was written to be usable without one.
A drafted complaint still helps, because it is the document everything after it is built on.
Not as the complainant. The complaint has to be filed by the consumer. A recognised consumer association, or a legal heir where the consumer has died, are the recognised exceptions.
The facts in order, the relief stated, and something that stands up if it goes further.
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