Lok Sabha Question No. 3160 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-21
Subject: e-Commerce Consumers
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SRIRAM MALYADRI, GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT, VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI, C.S. PUTTARAJU, V. PANNEER SELVAM, G. HARI

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Department of Consumer Affairs

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3160 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2017

## E-COMMERCE CONSUMERS

3160.  SHRI MALYADRI SRIRAM: SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT: SHRI B. VINOD KUMAR: SHRI C.S. PUTTA RAJU: SHRI V. PANNEERSELVAM: SHRI G. HARI:

## Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC  DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of complaints against e-commerce companies have increased by more than 300 percent during the last three years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  action  taken  by  the  Government  for  quick  redressal  of  the  complaints  of  the  consumers against these companies;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that there is no clear definition of e-commerce and there is no clear  policy  regarding  the  operation  of  various  portals  doing  e-business,  if  so,  the  reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  plans  to  make  it  mandatory  for  e-commerce  firms  to  put  product pictures on the site in a manner that the printed MRP is visible and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  is  planning  to  address  the  issues  such  as  the  place  of business,  jurisdictional  issues,  non-availability  of  common  dispute  resolution  system  etc.  with regard to e-commerce firms and the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)   : The  number  of  complaints  against  e-commerce  companies,  as  registered  in  the  National Consumer Helpline, over the last three years are as under:
- (b)  : The  redressal  of  the  complaints  are  registered  by  a  complainant  with  the  three  tier  system  of quasi-judicial bodies namely the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission established under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Besides, Consumer Grievances addressed to the National  Consumer  Helpline  (NCH)  are  redressed  by  forwarding  the  complaints  to  concerned departments and the companies and constant monitoring the progress in their redressal. The NCH has established partnership with 225 companies under a convergence programme for speedy redressal.

| Call received at National Consumer Helpline in e-commerce Sector   | Call received at National Consumer Helpline in e-commerce Sector   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year                                                               | Calls                                                              |
| May 2014 - March 2015                                              | 16919                                                              |
| April 2015 - March 2016                                            | 28331                                                              |
| April 2016- February 2017                                          | 48998                                                              |

(c)  : The  Government  is  aware  about  the  functioning  of  e-commerce  companies.  The  rights  of  the consumers  involved  in  e-commerce  are  equally  protected  as  per  the  provisions  of  the  Consumer Protection Act, 1986, in a manner similar to transactions involving goods and services.

(d)  : The draft amendment to the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011 made under the provisions of Legal Metrology Act, 2009 proposes that the mandatory labelling declarations as per the rules shall be displayed on the online trading platforms.

(e)  : A  consumer  dealing  in  e-commerce  can  file  complaints  in  consumer  courts  for  deficiency  in service and defective products, under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 which has provisions regarding jurisdictional issues. The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, introduced in August, 2015,  seeks  to  strengthen  the  provisions  regarding  jurisdictional  and  also  has  provisions  regarding Alternate Disputes Resolution.

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