Filing a consumer complaint
Sold a defective product, denied a refund, cheated by a service? You can file a consumer case online without a lawyer and claim compensation. Here's the route.
Your right
You have a right to seek redress for a defective product, deficient service, or unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Consumer law is one of the few places an ordinary person can take on a company and win without hiring a lawyer. A shop that won't honour a warranty, a builder who didn't deliver, an online seller who shipped a fake, a service that overcharged — all of these are grounds for a consumer complaint. You can now file the whole thing online, and the commissions can order a refund, replacement, and compensation.
Step by step
- 1
Try the National Consumer Helpline first
Before a formal case, call 1915 (the National Consumer Helpline) or register on its portal. Many disputes are settled here through mediation, without needing to file a case at all — and it costs nothing.
- 2
Gather your proof
Keep the bill or invoice, the warranty card, screenshots of the order and any chat, photos of the defect, and a record of your attempts to get it fixed. A complaint with clear documents is far stronger.
- 3
Pick the right commission by value
Cases are filed by the value of the goods or services: the District Commission handles claims up to ₹50 lakh, the State Commission from ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, and the National Commission above ₹2 crore.
- 4
File online on e-Daakhil
Register on the e-Daakhil portal, file your complaint with the facts and the relief you want (refund, replacement, compensation), upload your documents, and pay the small filing fee. You can pursue most cases yourself, without a lawyer.
If you get no response
If the District Commission rules against you
You can appeal to the State Commission, and from there to the National Commission. Each level reviews the one below it.
If a company ignores an order
An order of a consumer commission is enforceable. Non-compliance can attract penalties and even attachment of property, so the order has real teeth once passed.
Legal basis
What you'll need
- The bill, invoice, or proof of purchase
- The warranty / guarantee card, if any
- Photos or evidence of the defect or deficiency
- A record of your earlier attempts to get the seller to fix it
- A clear statement of the relief you want (refund, replacement, compensation)
At a glance
- National Consumer Helpline
- Call 1915
- District Commission
- Claims up to ₹50 lakh
- State Commission
- ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore
- National Commission
- Above ₹2 crore
- What it costs
- The National Consumer Helpline is free. e-Daakhil filing fees are modest and scale with the claim value; you don't need a lawyer to file.
- Where to go
- The National Consumer Helpline (1915) for mediation, or the e-Daakhil portal to file a formal case.