How to file a Consumer Complaint in India

What is a Consumer Dispute?

In the era of cut-throat market competition, every seller or service provider is trying its level best to provide the best to a consumer so as to survive in the market. However, like the other of the same coin, the greed of profit maximization and control over market share has also lead to the adoption of unfair trade practices among the sellers to entice the customers by making false promises and then later cheat them by delivering substandard goods or services. As such the rate of exploitation of the consumer has also increased in past few years. A consumer dispute generally arises in situations where the buyer of goods or services (of any kind) has a grievance with regard to the goods bought or services availed and the same is not resolved by the concerned manufacturer of goods or by the service provider.

What is the Remedy?

In order to provide a speedy remedy to the consumers who are being victimized for using/availing bad quality goods or services, the government came up with Consumer Protection Act which provides for different institutional forums and commissions to adjudicate upon the dispute and provide adequate relief to the consumer.

What is the procedure for filing a Consumer Complaint?

A consumer complaint can be filed at the consumer dispute redressal forum/commission which is being established at district, state and national level. Any complaint where the total of the value of goods or services along with the value compensation claimed falls between Rs. 0- 20 lacs is filed at the district consumer forum. Similarly, the jurisdiction of state consumer commission lies between Rs. 20 lacs to 1 crore and for National Consumer commission it is more than Rs 1 crore.

Generally, a consumer complaint, unlike other court cases, can be filed by the complainant himself/ herself, however, it is always preferable to file a consumer through a legal counsel to avoid legal and technical glitches or other hassles that may arise while filing a case or during the proceedings of the case and may even unnecessary delay the proceedings of the case.