Consumer Court Law Guides and Articles

Comprehensive consumer court law guides and articles offer insight into the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which protects consumers from unfair trade practices, defective products, and deficient services. These resources explain the legal framework, the consumer's rights, and the process for filing a complaint. 

Key consumer rights

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, outlines fundamental consumer rights for fair trade practices, including the right to safety, information, choice, being heard, redressal, and consumer education. 

The three-tiered consumer court system

India has a three-tiered quasi-judicial system for resolving consumer grievances based on claim value: 

• District Commission (DCDRC): Handles claims up to ₹50 lakh.

• State Commission (SCDRC): Addresses claims between ₹50 lakh and ₹2 crore, and hears appeals from DCDRC.

• National Commission (NCDRC): Deals with claims over ₹2 crore and hears appeals from SCDRC. 

Grounds for filing a complaint

Consumers can file complaints for defective goods, deficient services, unfair practices, overcharging, or misleading advertisements. 

The complaint process

The complaint process involves sending a notice to the seller, drafting a formal complaint with details and desired relief, gathering supporting documents, and filing the complaint with the appropriate commission, which can often be done online. Consumers can represent themselves in hearings. 

Available reliefs

Consumer courts can grant relief such as refunds, replacement of goods, removal of service deficiencies, compensation, discontinuation of unfair practices, or corrective advertisements.