Project of Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

Summary Report – March 2017

National Consumer Helpline

Centre for Consumer Studies, Indian Institute of Public Administration,

Indraprastha Estate, Ring Road, New Delhi-110002

Toll-free Number: 1800-11-4000, SMS: +918130009809

Website: www.consumerhelpline.gov.in

NCH – March 2017

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National Consumer Helpline – March 2017

In the month of March 2017, National Consumer helpline registered 38,468

dockets, which includes complaints registered on Website -

www.consumerhelpline.gov.in Out of 38,468 complaints, 27,184 complaints

were handled at Toll free number, 1,134 outbound calls were made to SMS

received, and 10,441 complaints were reported on Website and 67

complaints reported through consumer App.

Department of Consumer Affairs launched the Web chat facility on World

Consumer Rights Day i.e. 15th March 2017 on the portal. From 15 th March to

31st March 2017, 3306 user’s queries and complaints were handled on Web

chat. On an average 220 users are contacting NCH per day through Web

chat.

The NCH Website www.nationalconsumerhelpline.in has registered a hit

count of 2, 09,212 during the month.

Region wise, the maximum numbers of calls were from Uttar Pradesh –

5,259 calls, forming 13.67% of total dockets made. Among the top five states

are Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh registering between

12.% to 7% of total dockets Delhi is at the third position.

Sector wise, the ‘e-Commerce’ sector contributed the highest number of

complaints– 15.27% of the total dockets made i.e. 5874. ‘Telecom’ Sector

was at second position with 11% of the total dockets. The rest of the top five

sectors are ‘Banking’, ‘Electronic Products’ and ‘Agency Services’

registering between 7% to 4% of total docket made.

In the ‘Continual Consumer Education’ series every morning, 26 sessions on

various topics were held.

Convergence – 13004 complaints were registered against Convergence

companies and 7265 responses were received from them, the response at

56%.

Responses from consumers (User Review): Complainants have posted

437 user remarks on the portal. In 263 cases, consumers have confirmed

that their problem was resolved, accounting for 60% of total responses.

Public/Consumer Feedback: There were 74 direct feedback on the

website. 24 consumers were dissatisfied with company response, delay in

response received were 21, satisfied with company response/advice were 11,

Enquires were 1, Suggestions were 6 and Complaints were 11.

Email and Letters: 260 emails were received from Department of Consumer

Affairs, out of which 12o complaints were registered on INGRAM against the

complete & unique complaints received through email. 21 letters received by

post which have been replied to

NCH – March 2017

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S.No. State Count % of Total Docket

made

1 UTTAR PRADESH 5259 13.67

2 MAHARASHTRA 4801 12.48

3 DELHI 4598 11.95

4 RAJASTHAN 2807 7.30

5 MADHYA PRADESH 2771 7.20

6 KARNATAKA 2289 5.95

7 GUJARAT 2202 5.72

8 WEST BENGAL 2162 5.62

9 HARYANA 1983 5.15

10 BIHAR 1839 4.78

11 TELANGANA 953 2.48

12 TAMIL NADU 943 2.45

13 PUNJAB 908 2.36

14 JHARKHAND 710 1.85

15 ODISHA 679 1.77

16 CHHATTISGARH 577 1.50

17 ANDHRA PRADESH 480 1.25

18 ASSAM 456 1.19

19 KERALA 415 1.08

20 UTTRAKHAND 364 0.95

21 JAMMU & KASHMIR 319 0.83

22 HIMACHAL PRADESH 276 0.72

23 CHANDIGARH 136 0.35

24 TRIPURA 86 0.22

25 GOA 68 0.18

26 MEGHALAYA 24 0.06

27 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 19 0.05

28 SIKKIM 16 0.04

29 DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI 15 0.04

30 MANIPUR 15 0.04

31 PUDUCHERRY 13 0.03

32 NAGALAND 12 0.03

33 DAMAN & DIU 11 0.03

34 ANDAMAN NICOBAR 7 0.02

35 MIZORAM 4 0.01

36 LAKSHDWEEP 2 0.01Grand Total 38468 100.00

State wise - March 2017

STATE – WISE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED AT NCH

NCH – March 2017

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E- Commerce15%

Telecom11%

Banking7%

Electronics Products7%

Agency Services4%

Consumer Durables3%

Legal Metrology3%

Petroleum3%

Automobiles2%

Real Estate2%

Others43%

‘Others’sector includes 20% enquiries which NCH has received on World

Consumer Rights Day i.e. 15th March 2017 as the Deparment has sent

SMS to citizens informing about National Consumer Helpline

Gender Wise Calls

SECTOR- WISE COMPLAINTS

Female9%

Male91%Female Male

NCH – March 2017

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.

SMS

Letters

Month Total SMS Received

Dockets made in INGRAM

(excludes repeat)

Total Complaints

Received

Disposed

Mar 2017 1772 1134 21 21

Convergence Companies Non Convergence Companies

Month Total

Complaints Received

Responses received

Total Complaints Received

Disposed / Action taken(email sent)

Mar 2017 13004 7265(56%)* 10268 10268

*Response% is with respect to the number of complaints created and responded to

in the same month .It does not include the response received on the dockets

created in the previous month

Complaints are forwarded to NCH through PG Portal www.pgportal.gov.in . The status of

complaints for March 2017 is as under:

No. Complaints

Received/ carry

forward from

last month

Grievance

disposed Pending

Pending

(0-15 days)

Pending

(16 -30

days)

Pending

(31 -50

days)

Pending

(51 to 60

days)

860 475 359 385 251 88 0

GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL@ NCH

CENTRALIZED PUBLIC GRIEVANCE REDRESS AND

MONITORING SYSTEM (CPGRAMS)

STATUS OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM SMS & LETTERS

NCH – March 2017

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Total Email received

Total Emails

received

Complaint received (Unique)

registered on INGRAM

Repeat emails

Incomplete Information-responded on email

Outside the purview of NCH

260 120* 90 47 3

Suggestion*

Request some early action for any corruption related compliant awareness.

Please provide services both of individual and corporate. Because need help to all

Grahak.

A complaint when lodged should acknowledge the receipt through email and the same

need be expeditiously be processed with an intimation to the seller within 3 days. Now it

takes around a month to process a case; by the time, the consumer would have been

changed his mind set into a lenient mood and would lack energy to follow up the case.

Ultimately, fraudulent transactions remain unchecked by the state

Company against whom complaint is a made, should be directed to provide proof if it

has solved the problem.

*Posting Docket No. not mandatory

*Status of Complaints/ enquiries registered on INGRAM (120)

Resolved by

Company

Advised by NCH

on enquiries

In Process

Move to Govt.

Not responded by Company – Further

advise given by NCH

37

12

38

32

1

STATUS OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM DOCA BY EMAIL

SUGGESTIONS ON PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON PORTAL

SUGGESTIONS ON PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON PORTAL

NCH – March 2017

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Source: http://www.thepostread.com/customer-refunded-national-consumer-helpline/

(This story was originally published on The Logical Indian)

Many times during our purchase we experience unsatisfactory service from companies especially if it is online shopping. We also think that government would never respond to our complaints and never complain. But, here is a story about a woman (G Hemavathy) who forced the company (India rush) to pay back for sending her the wrong product by complaining to National Consumer Helpline. Most of the complaints can now be registered online where response mechanism is efficient.

Excerpt

“National Consumer Helpline helped me in refunding my money from the online shopping website. I had ordered a saree, but they had delivered a cheap saree not worth the money I had paid. I requested them to refund my money but they arrogantly refused. I lodged a complaint on consumer helpline.

My name is Hemavathy; I am a working woman. Like most people, I use online shopping websites, which are money savers and time savers, to buy mobiles and clothes. I had ordered a saree from the website in November 2016. I had ordered a synthetic saree worth Rs 725, which included delivery charges as well. I received the product. After opening, I was shocked to see a cheap saree with an odd design. I called their customer care, they asked to follow some procedure after that saree was picked back. Then I just fleeted through the reviews of this site. Most of them had the same complaint: that they were not refunding the money, and we should go for a replacement. I requested their customer care for a refund as I had no trust in them (what is the guarantee that I would get the correct product even if I went for the replacement). Their reaction was, “No, we don’t have a refund policy.” I argued if it was me who wanted a replacement; their policy was fine, but after delivering a wrong product how can they argue as if the mistake was not mine. I replied if they didn’t refund, I would go for consumer care, to which they rudely replied, ‘Go.’

Initially, I felt, so much trouble over Rs 700 would be unnecessary. But this was more about principles than money. I Googled the consumer helpline, wrote a grievance letter, and they advised me to send a written letter to the company that if they don’t refund I ’ll f ile a case against them, keep a Xerox copy with myself and send the letter by speed post so that I have proof with me. An employee of the website, who used to respond to my calls, replied to my emails after I contacted the consumer helpline. Within a week of me sending my grievance to the consumer helpline (help given is free of cost), I received an e-mail from www.indiarush.com where they asked for my bank details. The refunding happened within next three working days but they had deducted ₹50 as delivery charges. I called National Consumer Helpline (NCH) regarding this deduction of Rs 50 they advised to go to the consumer court and shared the address, but I couldn’t move forward because I, being a working woman and mother of a special child, found it is very difficul t to prioritise pursuing the case and my child’s needs.

But at least my hard-earned money was refunded, that too free of cost. This happened with a few (toll free) calls and a few emails. I have shared my experience so that we common people should not be cheated by these fraud companies, which harass and cheat common people.”

CONSUMER DELIGHT @ SOCIAL MEDIA