Nearly 80K complaints bore fruit! Rs 52 crore refunded to wronged consumers—Want to file one?

Isn't it delightful when a complaint that you once registered leads to not only an update but also a timely refund?

"National Consumer Helpline helped me a lot to get my money back." Those were the precise words written by one of the thousands of consumers who received refunds against their complaints in the recent past.

This user, in particular, had lodged a complaint against an e-commerce portal that repeatedly rescheduled delivery without refund. Authorities intervened, and the refund was finally processed.

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A total of 79,521 grievances -- filed using the helpline between April 25 and January 31 -- were addressed with refunds amounting to Rs 52 crore, according to a statement by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

Most consumer complaints lodged in e-commerce category

"The refunds were secured at the pre-litigation stage, enabling consumers to obtain timely relief without approaching Consumer Commissions," according to the ministry.

The complaints -- all resolved at the pre-litigation stage -- were related to as many as 31 sectors, with the highest number of grievances from e-commerce.

The e-commerce sector recorded the highest number of grievances, with 47,743 complaints, leading to refunds exceeding Rs 36 crore.

Along with electronics, the two categories accounted for about 73.6 per cent of the total refunds.

And that's not all.

Complaints in the e-commerce category spanned the length and breadth of the country, from the metros to remote areas.

5 sectors account for the lion's share of refunds

According to the ministry, five sectors accounted for more than 85 per cent of the total refund amount:

• E-commerce
• Travel and tourism
• Agency services
• Electronic products
• General insurance

Source: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

'Thanks for serving justice,' writes a user irked by a food delivery mix-up

“Thanks for serving the justice to me as a customer. You ensured faith in the system. Thanks a lot NCH forum for helping with the resolution. My belief of consumer rights being intact has strengthened with such efforts,” wrote another user, who had no option but to file a complaint after receiving wrong items and less quantity through a food order.

The user received no assistance from the concerned vendor despite his repeated requests.

What is the National Consumer Helpline and how to contact it?

The National Consumer Helpline, run by the ministry's Department of Consumer Affairs, functions as "a single-point access platform for consumers across the country to register grievances in 17 languages", read the statement.

The platform plays a crucial role in providing effective, accessible and time-bound grievance redressal under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 -- a landmark legislation aimed at empowering consumers.

How does the helpline work?

Through the NCH platform, based on a specific model known as the convergence model, consumer complaints are digitally forwarded to the concerned companies for resolution within defined timelines.

How to file a consumer complaint | Toll-free helpline, WhatsApp, email, mobile app...

Did you know that a government helpline lets you file a consumer complaint in easy steps?

Yes, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) is a government initiative aimed at safeguarding consumer rights.

Here are the contact details:

• Toll-free number: 1915
• Website/portal: https://consumerhelpline.gov.in, ingram https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/
• WhatsApp/SMS: 8800001915
• Email: nch-ca@gov.in
• Mobile app: NCH, UMANG