Consumer Protection

In a significant ruling clarifying the scope of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (CPA 2019), the Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that services rendered by advocates do not fall within the purview of consumer protection law. The decision in A.S.S.K. Durga Prasad v. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Writ Petition No. 29425/202526), delivered on 24 June 2026 by Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari and Justice Subhendu Samanta, reaffirms a well-settled principle: the rela

Buying a brand new car is a significant financial decision, and every buyer expects the vehicle to be in factory-fresh condition. But what happens when a dealer secretly repairs a new car before handing it over, hoping the buyer will never find out? As per media reports, a consumer commission recently ordered a Maruti Suzuki dealer to refund Rs 6.6 lakh to a buyer after it was discovered that the dealer had secretly repaired a brand new Swift Dzire before delivery. The ruling

An inflated or wrong electricity bill is one of the most common consumer grievances in India, and the law provides a dedicated, largely free ladder of remedies. Under Section 42(5) of the Electricity Act 2003, every distribution licensee must establish a Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF), and under Section 42(6) a consumer dissatisfied with the forum's decision can go to the Electricity Ombudsman appointed by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission. This guide exp

The Central Consumer Protection Authority has taken action against 27 restaurants for continuing to levy mandatory service charges on customer bills, treating the practice as an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act 2019. Penalties of up to Rs 50,000 have been imposed, along with refund orders and directions to overhaul billing systems so that service charge is clearly presented as optional. The crackdown comes despite the Delhi High Court u

Online shopping has made disputes over defective goods, fake products, late delivery and refused refunds extremely common, and the law gives you clear tools to respond. Knowing how to file a complaint against an e-commerce company in India can turn a frustrating experience into a quick resolution. Your rights flow mainly from the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, which place specific duties on online platforms and sellers. Wha

Knowing how to claim health insurance in India can be the difference between a smooth hospital discharge and a stressful financial shock. There are two main routes: a cashless claim at a network hospital, where the insurer pays the hospital directly, and a reimbursement claim, where you pay first and recover the money later. This guide explains both processes, the timelines that protect you and what to do if your claim is delayed or rejected. Cashless Claims at Network Hospit

Flight disruptions are frustrating, but Indian passengers have defined rights when an airline delays, cancels, or denies them boarding. These rights are set out by the aviation regulator in the Civil Aviation Requirements, specifically CAR Section 3, Series M, Part IV. This guide explains what compensation and assistance you can claim for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding, when airlines are not liable, and how to file a complaint if your claim is ignored. Your Rights

If you or a family member has suffered harm because of a doctor's or hospital's carelessness, you can file a medical negligence complaint in India and seek compensation. Medical services provided for payment fall within the definition of service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which means an aggrieved patient can approach the consumer commissions. This guide explains what counts as negligence, the forums available, the step-by-step process, the documents you need, an

Charging above MRP is one of the most common forms of overcharging that ordinary consumers in India face, whether at a cinema kiosk, a railway stall, an airport shop or a neighbourhood store. The maximum retail price printed on a packaged product is a legal ceiling, and selling above it is treated as an unfair trade practice. A consumer who is charged even a few rupees more than the printed price has a clear right to a refund of the excess and, in many cases, to compensation.

A homebuyer who rents out a residential flat does not automatically lose the protection of consumer law. The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that the dominant purpose behind a purchase, not the later act of leasing, decides whether a buyer is a consumer entitled to relief against a developer. The ruling in Vinit Bahri v. M/s MGF Developers Ltd., reported as 2026 INSC 114, restores certainty for thousands of flat purchasers who let out their homes for practical reasons. Under Sec

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has issued notices to at least eight e-commerce entities over the unrestricted online sale of hazardous chemicals and explosive substances. The action targets platforms including IndiaMART, Justdial, Sigma-Aldrich India, Dial4Trade, and ExportersIndia, among others, for listing products such as ammonium nitrate, gun powder, picric acid, and PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate

Should a substantial question of law in a consumer dispute be decided by a bench that may include technical, non-judicial members? That constitutional question is now before the Delhi High Court, which has issued notice on a public interest litigation challenging provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The petition goes to the heart of how the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) functions, an institution central to the enforcement framework we des

Every air traveller in India has enforceable air passenger rights when a flight is delayed, cancelled, or when boarding is denied due to overbooking. These rights are set out by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in its Civil Aviation Requirements, specifically Section 3, Series M, Part IV, which deals with the facilities airlines must provide to passengers affected by denied boarding, cancellation and delay. Knowing these rules helps you insist on the refund, rebookin

In a ruling that strengthens consumer protection against unsolicited telecom charges, the Shimla District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on 10 June 2026 held Bharti Airtel Limited liable for activating a Rs 592.32 recharge plan on a subscriber's number without obtaining prior consent. Commission President Baldev Singh and member Nidhi Sharma directed Airtel to refund the amount along with Rs 5,000 as compensation for the mental agony suffered by the complainant, Arun

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has penalised edtech company PhysicsWallah and software firm McAfee for deploying dark patterns, the manipulative interface designs that nudge users into choices they did not intend to make. The orders, passed in mid 2026, are among the clearest enforcement signals yet that misleading digital design can attract regulatory penalties in India. The action builds on India's existing framework against deceptive online practices and

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Coimbatore, has directed motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield and its authorised dealer Bharat Automotives to jointly pay Rs 5.1 lakh in compensation to a consumer whose motorcycle suffered repeated mechanical and electrical defects despite several warranty repairs. The order is a notable example of consumer forums holding both manufacturers and authorised dealers jointly liable for persistent product defects, and it reinf

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an advisory prohibiting hotels and restaurants from adding extra charges such as "LPG charges," "gas surcharge," or "fuel cost recovery" to customer bills. The CCPA has stated that such practices constitute unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This advisory follows a growing trend of hospitality establishments adding undisclosed surcharges to bills beyond the menu prices, catching consumers

The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has dismissed an appeal filed by Religare Health Insurance Co. Ltd., holding that an insurance claim cannot be repudiated merely on suspicion of a pre-existing disease in the absence of cogent medical evidence. The order, passed in April 2026, reinforces a principle that has been developing across consumer forums and courts in India: that insurance companies bear the burden of proving that a disease was pre-existing, and

India's e-commerce refund regime has evolved substantially under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and ongoing regulatory amendments through 2026. E-commerce platforms and sellers must provide automatic refunds when products contain defects or deficiencies, without charging cancellation fees. Refund timelines must be reasonable and typically processed within specified periods. The regulatory framework emphasizes transparency about country-of-origin with mandatory filters effec

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 received significant amendments in 2025, introducing mandatory case resolution timelines and legal definitions for dark patterns—deceptive design practices used by online platforms. Effective immediately, consumer courts must resolve cases within 90 days of filing, fundamentally accelerating dispute resolution for millions of Indian consumers. The Central Consumer Protection Authority has issued detailed guidelines identifying and penalizing