How to File a Consumer Complaint in India: Helpline, e-Daakhil and Commissions

Step 1: Put your complaint in writing to the company

Before anything else, write to the seller or manufacturer, by email or through their complaint form, explaining the problem and what you want: repair, replacement or a refund. Keep the complaint numbers, emails and service centre job sheets. Online sellers and marketplaces must have a grievance officer who acknowledges complaints within 48 hours and resolves them within one month.

Step 2: The National Consumer Helpline

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH), run by the Department of Consumer Affairs, takes up complaints with companies before you need to go to a commission. Many large companies work with it directly to resolve complaints.

• Call 1915 or 1800-11-4000 (toll-free).
• Or register online at consumerhelpline.gov.in, or through the NCH app.
• You'll get a docket number to track the complaint.

Step 3: File with a consumer commission

If the helpline route doesn't resolve it, you can file a complaint with a consumer disputes redressal commission. You don't need a lawyer: you can file and appear yourself.

Which commission

It depends on the value of the goods or services you paid for:

• District Commission: up to ₹50 lakh.
• State Commission: more than ₹50 lakh and up to ₹2 crore.
• National Commission: more than ₹2 crore.

You can file where you live or work, not only where the company is based.

Filing online with e-Daakhil

The government's e-Daakhil portal lets you file a consumer complaint online, pay any fee and follow the case, without visiting the commission to file it. For complaints about goods or services worth up to ₹5 lakh, there's no filing fee.

The time limit

File within 2 years of when the problem arose. A commission can accept a late complaint only if you show sufficient cause for the delay.

What to include

• Your details, and the seller's and manufacturer's names and addresses.
• What you bought, when, from whom and for how much.
• What went wrong, and what you've done to resolve it, in date order.
• What you're asking for: repair, replacement, refund, compensation and costs.
• Copies of the bill, warranty card, job sheets, complaint numbers, emails and photos.

Mediation

At any stage, the commission can refer the case to mediation if both sides agree. A settlement reached there is final, and it's often much faster than a full hearing.

Evidence wins complaints

A commission decides on what you can show. The bill proves what you bought and when, the warranty card shows the cover you were promised, and job sheets prove how many times it went back for repair. Keep them together, and keep copies, from the day you buy. See what to keep and your consumer rights in India.