Overview

As a consumer, you have several rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. If a seller has sold you a defective product or a service provider has provided inadequate service, you can seek relief under the law by filing a Consumer Complaint.

A Consumer Complaint is a formal complaint against a seller or service provider and is filed before the appropriate consumer forum (also called consumer court). The Complaint is filed when the seller or service provider fails to rectify the problem even after receiving a legal notice.

The Complaint contains details and documentary evidence about the defective product and/or service, along with the compensation and relief sought by you. Consumer Courts in India are separate from other courts and established exclusively to provide relief to consumers and therefore, are known to provide quick and effective legal relief.

Get Started to file Consumer Complaints

Checklist for Online Filing of Consumer Complaints

According to the Consumer Protection Act, you can file a Consumer Complaint if you are:

• A consumer - i.e. an individual who purchases goods or avails services for his/her personal use (but not for resale or commercial purposes).
• Any registered volunteer organization that acts on behalf of consumers (e.g. The Consumer Guidance Society of India).
• A group of consumers having a common interest.
• Legal heirs of a deceased consumer.
• Relatives of a consumer.
• Legal guardian of a consumer, in case the consumer is a minor.

Benefits of Filing Consumer Complaints

Listed below are the benefits of filing Consumer Complaints:

• A full refund of the amount you have paid.
• The defect in the goods or service deficiencies will be rectified.
• Replacement to the defective product.
• Reimbursement of all legal costs incurred in filing the complaint.
• Compensation for any loss or suffering (including mental agony).
• The seller may be ordered to discontinue his/her unfair trade practice.
• The complaint can be filed in the District/State, where the seller resides or conducts his/her business, or in the place where the purchase was made or the service was rendered.
• If the sale or purchase was made online, then the place mentioned in the terms of service for dealing with disputes, on the seller's website, shall be chosen for filing the complaint.

Rights as a Consumer

What are your rights as a consumer:

• Right to Choose:
  The right to choose from a variety of products and service at competitive prices, that are available for sale.
• Right to be heard:
  In violation of your consumer rights, you have the right to be heard and seek redressal through consumer courts or national forums.
• Right to Information:
  The right to information about the products or services available for purchase.
• Right to safety:
  The right to be protected against any hazardous or potentially dangerous products or services.
• Rights against Unfair Trade Practices: Right to oppose practices, such as refusal to issue a bill, No refund, No bargaining, No exchange policies etc.

How to File a Consumer Complaint

• Step 1 : Send a Written notice:
  The first step is to send a written notice to the Seller or Manufacturer explaining the problem and the reason why you are unhappy with the product or service. For claims over Rs. 10,000, it is highly recommended that you consult a lawyer and send the notice through the lawyer, on an official letterhead. This will indicate to the seller that you are serious about taking legal action.
• Step 2 : Wait for the seller to respond:
  Once you send the legal notice, it is likely that the company will respond to your issue. Some might offer you fair compensation. At this stage, you must know what reasonable compensation is acceptable to you. Demanding a very high amount as compensation will get you nowhere as courts will not entertain. If there is no response within the stipulated time, which is usually 15 days, you have the right to approach the consumer forum.
• Step 3 : Choose the correct forum:
  Based on the value of goods or services you have purchased or the compensation you claim, you can approach the appropriate consumer forum/commission, i.e., the District Forum, State Commission or the National Commission. You have the option of filing the complaint yourself or appointing an advocate to represent you before the forum/commission. The time taken for the proceedings can range between 6 to 18 months.
• Step 4 : File a written complaint:
  Each forum has a prescribed format you must adhere to while filing the written complaint. You must attach all the relevant documents supporting your complaint, like invoices, receipts, delivery challans, communication in writing (emails and SMS also), etc. It is important to submit the legal notice that you went to the seller or service provider so that the court is convinced that you tried to resolve this dispute out-of-court.
• Step 5 : Court fee for consumer complaint:
  To file a consumer complaint, you must pay a court fee.
  If the case is decided in your favour, the Court will direct the seller to compensate you including all your legal costs, such as court fees and lawyer fees.

Why Filemydoc.com for Consumer Complaints

Some of the best reasons to choose us are:
1. 3 Working Days: Just share your details asked by our experts and we will do the rest for your Consumer Complaints.
2. Customer Score: We make your interaction with government as smooth as is possible by doing all the paperwork for you. We will also give you absolute clarity on the process to set realistic expectations.
3. Strong Legal Team: Our team of experienced legal and business advisors are a phone call away, should you have any queries about the process. But we'll try to ensure that your doubts are cleared before they even arise.

FAQs on Consumer Complaints

Popular Services from Filemydoc.com