The National Consumer Helpline was launched on 15 March 2005 as part of the ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ campaign by the Department of Consumer Affairs. By helping consumers file complaints and teaching them about their rights, the NCH ensures that businesses are held accountable, and customers are treated fairly. Data indicates that 1/3rd of all the complaints made on NCH in the last four years are related to e-commerce companies, and more than 30% of these are related to Flipkart.
Imagine ordering a product online, eagerly waiting for it, and receiving something completely different from what you ordered, or being charged extra for a service you didn’t use. Many consumers face problems such as defective products, delayed services, or unfair charges at some point. Situations like these can leave consumers feeling helpless. The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) is a service designed to help people deal with such issues. The helpline ensures that consumers understand their rights and know what steps to take to get their issues resolved. It is an important resource for anyone who needs support in resolving problems with consumer businesses. By helping consumers file complaints and teaching them about their rights, the NCH ensures that businesses are held accountable, and customers are treated fairly.
NCH was launched in 2005
The National Consumer Helpline was launched on 15 March 2005 as part of the ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ campaign by the Department of Consumer Affairs. Initially, it provided telephonic advice, information, and guidance to consumers through a toll-free number (1800-11-4000) available on BSNL and MTNL lines. Over time, the service has evolved, improving accessibility and expanding the range of support offered to consumers.
Currently, an integrated Grievance Redress Mechanism (INGRAM)- a centralized, IT-enabled platform (https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/) is in place. The platform brings all stakeholders such as Consumers, Central and State Government Agencies, Private Companies, Ombudsmen, call centres etc. onto a single platform. The portal is ideal for addressing consumer grievances at the pre-litigation stage. It is accessible to all consumers across the country and supports grievance registration in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, Punjabi, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Assamese, among others. Consumers can conveniently lodge their complaints through multiple channels, such as a toll-free number (1915), WhatsApp, SMS, email, the NCH app, the web portal, and the Umang app.
Grievance registered on NCH is forwarded to the concerned company
When a grievance is registered through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), it is entered into the system, and a unique docket number is generated. The grievance is then forwarded to the relevant company, agency, regulator, or ombudsman for resolution. The concerned agency updates the action taken in real-time, and follow-up reminders are sent at regular intervals to ensure timely resolution.
Recently, on 24 December 2024, celebrated as National Consumer Day, the Ministry launched the ‘Jago Grahak Jago App,’ ‘Jagriti App,’ and ‘Jagriti Dashboard.’ These digital tools aim to tackle the growing issue of dark patterns—deceptive tactics used by businesses to manipulate consumer decisions on e-commerce platforms. This initiative followed the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)’s 2023 Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, which identified 13 such practices, including false urgency, basket sneaking, subscription traps, interface interference, and bait-and-switch tactics. In this backdrop, we look at trends in complaints related to e-commerce registered in NCH.
Eightfold increase in consumer grievances has been registered in the last decade
According to data sourced from NCH’s annual reports and parliament response (Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3815 dated 18 December 2024), there has been a notable increase in grievances registered on the NCH. In 2014-15, the helpline received around 1.55 lakh calls, which grew to 12.36 lakhs in 2023-24, reflecting an eightfold increase. An increased number of consumers aided by improved accessibility and technological advancements such as multi-channel grievance registration through WhatsApp, SMS, email, and apps like Umang and NCH are using the platform to register their grievances. A general increase in the use of app/web-based selling platforms may also have led to this increase.
Share of grievances related to e-commerce, which once constituted 5%, has increased to one-third
Of the 1.55 lakh calls made to the NCH in 2014-15, the share of grievances related to e-commerce was about 11%. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, the share of e-commerce related grievances was only 5%. However, during the last decade, their share increased to nearly 40% in 2022-23. In 2023-24, it stood at 36.1%. In absolute numbers, the number of grievances related to e-commerce went up from a little less than 17,000 in 2014-15 to nearly 4.46 lakhs in 2023-24.
Between 2020-21 and 2023-24, a total of 12.9 lakh grievances out of a total of 36.61 lakh grievances registered were related to e-commerce (35%), up from 5% in 2012-13 and 2013-14. This steep increase can be attributed to the general rise in online shopping. As online shopping has become more popular, the volume of transactions has grown, leading to a rise in consumer issues such as delayed deliveries, faulty products, and misleading advertising. The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in consumers changing their shopping habits. Furthermore, as seen earlier, improvements in grievance reporting systems, along with heightened consumer awareness, have made it easier for people to voice their complaints.
Most e-commerce grievances related to delivery of defective/wrong product or refunds
In the annual reports of the National Consumer Helpline, the data related to the most common types of grievances received in the e-commerce sector has been published from 2015-16 to 2020-21. For 2016-17, the top 5 categories have been mentioned and for most other years, the top 10 are mentioned. The annual reports mentioned these categories without any standardization and hence minor adjustments were made to these groupings to come up with seven broad categories of grievances. For instance, in a few years, complaints about defective and wrong products were reported separately, while in others, they were combined. To ensure consistency for comparison, the categorization has been adjusted accordingly.
As per the data from the NCH annual reports, the share of grievances related to non-delivery or late delivery of products and payment refunds has increased since 2016-17 while that related to delivery of defective/wrong products has reduced. Grievances related to payment refunds constituted 28% of the total grievances in 2020-21.
Delivery of defective/wrong product was the most common type of grievance in 4 out of 6 years considered and constituted about one-fourth to one-fifth of the grievances registered during this period. Grievances related to deficiency in services dropped in 2020-21.
Ten companies accounted for two-thirds of the grievances in 2022-23 and 2023-24
As per the data provided by the government in parliament, the top 10 e-commerce companies in terms of complaints have seen a notable rise in consumer complaints. In the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, these companies were responsible for about half of all e-commerce related grievances on the National Consumer Helpline. This share grew to approximately two-thirds in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
It is important to note that the data includes only complaints formally registered with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) through its official channels, such as the web portal, SMS, or the NCH app. Complaints made directly to e-commerce companies are not included unless they are also filed with the NCH. Typically, consumers first seek resolution by contacting the company’s customer service. If the issue remains unresolved, they may escalate the complaint to the NCH. Therefore, the increasing number of complaints registered with the NCH could indicate that consumers may not be fully satisfied with the resolution provided by these companies, prompting them to seek further assistance.
In each of these years, grievances registered against Flipkart were the highest among e-commerce platforms. For instance, in the fiscal year 2023-24, Flipkart accounted for 1,60,857 out of the 4,45,960 grievances registered against e-commerce companies, making it the most complained-about platform for the fourth consecutive year. Between 2020-21 and 2023-24, more than 30% of the grievances registered against e-commerce companies on the NCH were related to Flipkart.
Grievances against Amazon account for roughly 10-13%, each year while that against Myntra ranged from 3-5%. Platforms like Meesho, AJIO, and Jio Mart have seen a notable increase in grievances in recent years which indicates their growing presence in the e-commerce sector.
Increased Consumer Awareness is a Positive Sign
The significant rise in consumer complaints to the National Consumer Helpline, especially about e-commerce platforms, shows that consumers are more aware and willing to report issues, which is a positive development. The Department of Consumer Affairs has also improved the helpline by adding new technologies and digital tools to handle more complaints and help consumers better. The helpline’s capacity has grown manifold, with calls increasing from about 14,795 in January 2015 to over 1,41,817 in January 2024. This growth is due to technological upgrades and efforts to encourage consumers to report their problems, as stated in the Parliament.
At the same time, however, the significant increase in complaints against major e-commerce companies suggests issues with major e-commerce players. It is time for them to improve their systems as more and more Indians shop online.
