Start with the record of the purchase, not the grievance. Download the order invoice, the payment confirmation and the whole chat or email trail with the seller, and raise the complaint on the National Consumer Helpline before you think of filing. If the matter does not resolve, file the consumer complaint against the right opposite party — which for an online purchase is usually the seller on the invoice, not the marketplace whose website you used — before the commission that has jurisdiction over where you live or work.
Before you start
- The order invoice or order confirmation showing the product, price, seller name and order number.
- Payment proof — the bank statement line, credit card or UPI record showing the debit and the payee.
- The complete return, replacement or refund trail: the return request, the pickup acknowledgement, the refund promise and every denial.
- Screenshots of the product listing as it was when you bought, and of the seller's page and reviews, taken before they change.
- Photographs or a video of the product on arrival if it is damaged, defective or different from the description.
Steps
- Identify who you are complaining against. There are usually three candidates: the seller who dispatched the goods, the marketplace operator who ran the website, and the logistics provider who carried the parcel. The seller is the person you bought from and is normally the primary opposite party. The marketplace is often the wrong respondent, because an online marketplace that merely provides a platform is generally not the seller — but it becomes a proper respondent where it is the actual seller, holds itself out as the seller, or is the one that collected and kept the money.
- Raise a complaint on the National Consumer Helpline first. Registering the grievance there costs nothing, gives both sides a forum to settle, and produces a reference number and a written trail. Many refunds and replacements are cleared at this stage. If the seller ignores the helpline, the trail becomes your evidence that you tried.
- Send a written complaint to the seller. State the order number, what you bought, what went wrong, and precisely what you want — a refund, a replacement, or repair with compensation. Give a reasonable time to comply and keep the dispatch proof.
- Settle jurisdiction. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 allows the complaint to be filed where the opposite party works or carries on business, or where the complainant resides or works for gain. For an online purchase that last option is what usually matters: you may file where you live and received the goods, not only where the seller's office is.
- Value the claim and pick the commission. Whether the complaint goes to the District, State or National Commission depends on the value of the goods or services paid, as the Act fixes. Add compensation for the loss and the harassment only where you can support it.
- Draft the complaint and list the evidence. Attach the invoice, the payment proof, the return and refund trail and the helpline reference. Make the deficiency concrete: goods not delivered, a defective item not replaced, a refund withheld, or a warranty refused without reason.
- File before the consumer commission. Electronic filing is through the e-Daakhil portal of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, or you may file physically at the commission. Serve the seller and, where a case is made out, the marketplace or the logistics provider.
Documents to keep
- Order invoice and payment record.
- The full return and refund correspondence, including door-step pickup acknowledgements.
- Photographs or video of the delivered product and its packaging.
- The National Consumer Helpline reference number and every reply.
- The courier's tracking page, which often shows which party received the returned item.
What goes wrong
- Suing the wrong party. Naming the marketplace when it was only a platform, and not the seller on the invoice, is the commonest defect. Read the invoice; the seller's legal name is printed there.
- Losing the refund trail. Once a return is picked up, buyers stop keeping records. The pickup slip and the refund promise are exactly what proves the deficiency.
- Filing in the wrong place. Filing where the seller is registered, far from home, when the Act lets you file where you live, adds cost for no gain.
- Skipping the helpline and the notice. A complaint without a prior demand looks premature, and the commission may ask why the seller was not approached.
- Over-stating compensation. Large unsubstantiated claims invite scrutiny and slow the matter. Claim what the loss supports.
Common questions
Can I complain against the marketplace instead of the seller?
Only where the marketplace acted as the seller, held itself out as one, or is the party that received and retained your money. Where it merely hosted the listing, the seller is the correct opposite party, though the marketplace may be added if it refuses to disclose the seller.
Do I have to use the National Consumer Helpline before filing?
It is not a legal precondition, but it is the fastest route to a refund and it builds the record. Use it first, then go to the commission if it fails.
What if the logistics company lost the parcel?
Your contract is with the seller, who must deliver. The seller's arrangement with the courier is the seller's problem, so the complaint lies against the seller, who may in turn claim from the carrier.
Where do I file if I bought from a seller in another state?
Where you reside or work for gain is an available forum under the Act. You may file there even though the seller is in another state, so long as you file the proof of your address with the complaint.
Where the loss came from a fraudulent seller or a hijacked payment, the consumer complaint is often paired with a cyber complaint; see our cyber law practice for that side, and our consumer protection practice for the consumer commission route.
FileX Advocates & Legal Consultants, Kolkata, drafts and files these matters before the Calcutta High Court, City Civil and Sessions courts, magistrate, family, consumer and tribunal forums. Call +91 7439811422 or WhatsApp us for a free first consultation.