As the e-commerce market continues to climb in India, the number of complaints against e-commerce firms has also been on the rise, registering a 42% increase in one year and a 15-fold increase in the past four years, according to data given in Parliament by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The e-commerce sector has seen exponential growth in the past few years, nearly doubling in value in 2016-17 compared to the previous year. Here's a look at the growth of the e-commerce sector over the years. The valuations are based on the Economic Survey 2017-18 and industry reports.
The number of complaints registered by the National Consumer Helpline (run by the Department of Consumer Affairs) against e-commerce firms has been on the rise, in tandem with the increase in the number of online buyers.
The chart below shows the rise in number of complaints against e-commerce companies and the growth of online buyers (industry estimates from ASSOCHAM and others).
The National Consumer Helpline has partnered with 66 e-commerce companies and the complaints received are transferred through the system to these companies for redressal, the reply stated.
According to the written reply in Parliament, consumers will be protected by the Consumer Protection Bill 2018, which will be taken up in the ongoing Monsoon session of the Lok Sabha.
The Bill seeks to provide a Central authority capable of investigating complaints, refunding consumers and imposing penalties.
