How to File a Consumer Case through Consumer Complaint Number

Consumers of Indian products or services may face different types of issues. The government of India has opened a Grievance Redressal Cell to solve the issues of consumers. This is done solely to protect the rights of consumers. The dissatisfied consumers can file a case with the consumer court against the seller or the root company for supplying the faulty goods or services. They can contact the consumer forum by giving a call to the consumer complaint number dedicated to receiving calls from harassed consumers.

What is a Consumer Court in India?

According to the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, The Consumer Redressal Court has been initiated to adjudicate the disputes of consumers in India. The consumer court is divided into three phases that are district, state, and national level courts. Each of these courts has a specific valuation selected by the law depending on the monetary level of application. 

District Court Complaint: When the consumer is facing issues of services or product valuation up to 20 lakhs, they can file a case with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF). Read more

State Court Complaint: 

A consumer can file a case to the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) if the monetary value is more than 20 lakhs but it does not cross 1 crore. 

National Consumer Court Complaint: 

When the monetary value is more than 1 crore, the consumers can apply the case to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).

Consumer Complaint Number or Consumer Helpline:

• Consumer complaint number or consumer helpline number is 1800-11-4000 or 1915 (8:00-18:00)
• Or you can use 8800001915 to get support through text messages.
• You can download the NCH application from the App Store or Play Store.
• You can sign up online through the link: (https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/user/signup.php)
• You can register your name through the UMANG APP. 
• You can also file your grievance through WhatsApp (https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=918800001915&text&type=phone_number&app_absent=0)

The process of applying and tracking grievances:

Consumers sign up--> upload documents related to your product or service and personal identity--> track grievances on the portal. This is a simple diagram of how the process works. 

But is every user a consumer? Let’s learn and read more

Who is a consumer?

A consumer is a person who avails of a service from any service provider or purchases a product either for personal, family, office, or anywhere it can be used. The product or service considerations may be:

• Promised 
• Paid 
• Partly promised and partly paid

The consumer can also be a beneficiary of using the goods or services if the original consumer allows or permits the person to use the service or product. The person has to buy the product for personal use and not for resale purposes. The person who resells is a reseller or B2B customer, not an end user. 

Who is authorized to complain in a consumer court?

The following people are authorized to raise a complaint in the consumer court:

• A consumer
• Voluntary consumer association
• Any registered company or association under the specific Act
• One or more consumers having the same interest 
• If the consumer passes away, their legal hair can raise a consumer complaint

When can a consumer lodge a complaint? 

The consumer or the legal hair of the person or his representative can raise a complaint if 

• Any of the grounds that break the consumer's right
• The consumer can raise a complaint before completing the two years of purchase.
• The complainant must have legal knowledge and capacity to file the complaint, which means that they are sane.

If anybody falls within the range of consumer or customer, they can raise a complaint under specific grounds by finding the consumer complaint number of any other process. The complaint also means the written form of allegation submitted by the complainant. 

What would be the basis for complaint filing?

• If a service provider or seller practices any unfair tricks on the trade to cleat consumers
• Selling of defective goods, agreed to be bought, already bought. 
• If the consumer does not get the expected service or feels a deficiency in services, 
• The goods are overcharged or services are provided at excessive prices. 
• The price list shows a charge and sold with another charge 

Where will they complain?

The consumers can complain to the district, state, or national consumer court. It is discussed beforehand. The criteria for complaining about specific courts or terms are also mentioned there. The names of the courts are:

• District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF)
• State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) 
• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC)

How will you process a file to complain in the consumer court?

Here are the steps that you can follow while lodging a consumer complaint: 

Step-1:

Sending Intimation via Notice:

The consumer sends a legal notice to the seller of goods or service provider. The notice displays the intention of the consumer and what the consumer wants related to the product or the services. The notice also intends that the issues of the consumer be finalized without approaching to the forum. If the seller or service provider to not agree to compensate or provide any satisfactory remedy, the case goes to the Consumer Redressal Court. The layer advocates for justice.

Step-2:

Preparing a draft for a consumer complaint

If the service provider or the seller does not want to pay the compensation or the remedy of the same, the advocate of the complainant can file a formal complaint under the Consumer Protection Act 2019. However, the complaint does not require the appointment of a lawyer. The aggrieved person or the sufferer can apply directly to the court. The following things must be included in the application: 

1. Name and address of the complainant(s) and the name and details of the opposition party/ parties.
2. The cause and action, the date, time, and venue
3. Relevant factors, incidents, relating the cause and actions 
4. The amount the complainant claims to the opposition party for solving the issue or the inconveniences they have suffered or experienced. 
5. The signature of the complainant or his authorized agent

Step-3:

Document Attachment

You have to submit copies of relevant documents, and material evidence (if applicable) in support of your claim to the consumer court. The documents include:

• A copy of the cash memo or bills, delivery receipt, packaging of the product, the records of online booking (if it is online booked), warranty or guarantee certificates
• You must submit a copy of a written complaint mentioning the name of the complainant and the opposition party.  
• A copy of the notice you have sent to the seller or manufacturer. You may be asked to show the document of posting the letter from the post office.

Step-4:

Select the appropriate forum

Select the appropriate forum in accordance with the money cheat for the product or services. Select the district, state, or national consumer court. Depending on the Compensation sought, you have to select the court. The criteria are mentioned beforehand. Notice that. 

Step-5:

Pay the required court fees

The fees of the court depend on the forum. It also depends on the value of the goods you have purchased, and the relative compensation sought. 

Step-6:

Submitting an affidavit

A consumer who has been suffering with his product or services, and wants to get solutions from the Consumer Court needs to submit an affidavit to the court. The affidavit must state that the information in the statement he has submitted to the court is right in his belief and conscience.

Then, you will get judgement from the Consumer Redressal Court. 

What are the grants applicable under the Consumer Protection Act?

• The customer may get the paid amount or purchased amount for the product or services. Along with it, they may get compensation for the damages or discomfiture suffered, and the cost of litigation or as per the demand is processed.
• There are some cases where products are found defective. The Consumer Forum Concludes with proper tests of the defective product, material defect, etc., and provides solutions against it. They may pass the order to cure those defects. 
• Replacement of goods may also happen from the service providers’ end if possible and the customer is satisfied.
• If the complainant can prove that they have suffered a lot for the faulty device or faulty services, and there is a lot of mental agonies, physical complexity, or other property loss for the use of any purchased goods, they may get compensation on this ground. 
• The consequence can raise a concern to the common mass and the consumer court can ban the product from sale in the market, and they may also order to withdraw all products from the market on this ground. 
• They may order the removal of deficiency in service if possible and executable.
• When an unfair dealing of business is detected and the consumers are getting harassed spontaneously, and the cause of action was such practice, the authority has the power to execute a complete or conditional ban on the business.
• According to the cost of litigation, the complainant may get an adequate litigation charge if claimed.

What is the time limit to file a case in the Consumer Court?

There is a time limit for appealing for a refund of compensation. The consumers must raise a legal complaint within 2 years from the date of purchase. Even if you face the problem from day one of taking the service or purchasing a product, you can do it later, any day in two years. However, you know, “the sooner, the better”. You should raise a complaint as soon as you face the issue.

However, the Consumer Forum may accept the complaint if the complaint has sufficient reasons and validation. The delay would be condoned if the reason or dispute is justified.

Can I appeal to another court if I am not satisfied with the order of the consumer court?

The law allows you to appeal to another court if the judgement of the consumer court is not satisfied. The dissatisfied consumer can appeal for a solution to the state or national consumer forum. In this factor, the complainant has to pay a court fee of 5,000 rupees, and a demand draft in the name of The Register of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The entire process should be completed within 30 days of the judgement of the previous court. 

What happens when anybody does not get a satisfactory judgement from the national consumer court?

The consumer can file the case in the Supreme Court of India if the National Consumer Court cannot provide any satisfactory decision. The petition must be filed within 30 days of the judgement order of the previous court. 

The judgement chronology is:

• District consumer forum 
• State consumer forum 
• National consumer forum 
• Supreme Court

In this way, the Consumer Protection Act will protect consumers in all respects. The unfair trade policy cannot cheat Indian consumers as they are empowered with the Consumer Protection Act 2019. The previous version of the Consumer Protection Act has been modernized for the need of time. Online marketplaces have increased a lot and therefore a new set of provisions has been added, amendments have been to the previous Consumer Protection Act and customers are now getting premium protection from the court. 

So, raise a complaint by dialing the consumer complaint number, calling the consumer helpline, or contacting Online Legal India to get all legal solutions on this ground. This is a trusted name for solving consumer complaint cases across India. 

FAQs

1. Who is not a consumer according to law?

• A certain type of people are not the consumers according to The Government of India.
• A person who obtains something/ the product or service 
• Goods or gadgets availed of free of cost 
• Goods received for resale and commercial purposes
• Avails the service under a contract of service (Annual Maintenance Contract)

2. What is called a misleading advertisement?

The misleading advertisements might be various types that tell something and then happen something else. Let’s observe how misleading advertisements are predominant.

• Falsely described services or products  
• Give a false statement, guarantee, or mislead the consumers by the product’s substance, nature, quantity, or quality.
• Conveys or states the goods which are not at all of quality.
• The vendor or company deliberately conceals some important information, weak points, deformities, or shortcomings.
• When any service providers, sellers, or manufacturing companies conceal the information or fulfill the upper informed criteria, they are called false or misleading advertisements.

3. Who can be made liable for a false or misleading advertisement?

Manufacturers, celebrity endorsers, advertisement agencies, publishers, or all promoting agencies can be made liable for conducting and promoting such a falsely described product or goods or services.

4. What is an e-commerce entity?

An e-commerce entity is a person who operates owns or manages a digital platform or provides a platform facility or electronic facility for running an electronic commerce web portal.

5. What is an ecommerce portal?

According to the Consumer Protection Act 2019, the digital network, platform, or portal designed and executed for selling goods or services is called an e-commerce website/portal. 

6. What is CCPA?

CCPA stands for Central Consumer Protection Authority. The new act for consumer protection gives the authority to the central government to establish CCPA so that they can monitor or regular the violation of rights of the consumer issues, unfair trades, misleading advertisements, and more. CCPA can maintain the interests of consumers, and protect and enforce their rights to implement.

7. How can I get a consumer complaint number?

If you want to get it, you can search for it on the web. Get it from our end. Consumer complaint number or consumer helpline number is 1800-11-4000 or 1915 (8:00-18:00). It is a National Consumer Helpline.

8. Are there any suo motu cases in consumer court?

Yes, the central authority of the Consumer Redressal Court can raise a suo motu case against any service provider, product manufacturer, or seller. When they observe that the Consumer Protection Act is voided massively to any area, and the goods or products are being sold illegally, they can take serious action against the offenders.

Are there any consumer complaints that you are not able to resolve? Contact Online Legal India to get professional support and advice. We also offer case filling in support of the clients. What are you waiting for? Contact us without calling the consumer helpline or consumer complaint number. We will process it all for you.