The government is working on a plan to bring in mechanism for speedy addressal of consumer related greivances and complaints. This is in view of the growing consumer complaints and a demand from them to do so. The digital economy and lack of adequate redressal mechanisms bt top online ecommerce has platforms have open floodgates for consumer dissatisfacyion. Zee Business’s Ambarish Pandey brings this report.
– Complains seeing an upsurge because of e-commerce portals
– Interests of consumers getting compromised because of monopolies or fewer players
– The customers have fewer choices and that has led to companies indulging in arbitrary practices
– Online players including Ola, Uber/ Swiggy, Zomato / Jio, Airtel, Voda/ Flipkart, Amazon, Reliance not paying enough attention on customer service.
– E-courts will be set-up and all process will be made digital
– No document will be required for giving information
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– Enabling a mechanism where facility to file complaint via email, WhatsApp, hearing and order pronouncement must be considered
– Case will be disposed off in a time-bound manner.
– Action will be taken within 21 days of filing the complaint.
– Order on cases will be pronounced within 3 months while those cases where a probe is made will be settled in 5 months.
– Government will bring together Bureau of India Standards (BIS) and other investigation agencies.
– Aggrieved customers approaching consumer courts must get justice within a time-bound manner.
– Need to unravel names of the companies seeking adjournments time and again.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Consumer Affairs
– The government is taking action on misleading advertisements and even consumers must give their inputs
– A collective action on identical complaints
– Action must be taken on cases which have a mass impact and must be set as examples.
– The government is preparing to fill vacancies to complete pending cases in expeditious manner.
– Facility for consumers to lodge complaints and be part of hearings through video conference.
– Central government working to make improvements in digital courts and portals.
Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary Consumer affairs
– Monopoly of e commerce platforms is on the rise. Moreover, in this digital day and age, the bend towards faceless transaction has increased.
– this has led to growth in number of complains
– An analysis of complaints made on National Consumer Helpline, suggests that the complaints related to ecommerce platforms have accounted for over 50 per cent share.
– This is the reason why there is a need to set-up redressal mechanisms.
– Speed redressal mechanism is being strengthened through adoption of technology.
Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Consumer Affairs
– This step is in view of the growing demand and rising complaints from the consumers in the gigital economy.
– This makes it all the more important to protect consumer interests.
