E-commerce Tops Complaints as Consumer Dept Secures ₹45 Cr Refunds in 8 Months

• Consumer Affairs dept facilitated ₹45 crore in refunds across 31 sectors in 8 months (April-Dec 2025) via National Consumer Helpline (NCH).
• E-commerce emerged as the dominant source of grievances, accounting for nearly 40,000 complaints and ₹32 crore in refunds.
• Travel & Tourism, agency services, electronic products, and airlines were other significant sectors for refunds.
• NCH acts as a pre-litigation resolution mechanism, resolving disputes before court intervention.
• Government is actively cracking down on "dark patterns" and deceptive online practices, with 13 patterns recognized and binding guidelines issued.

Why It Matters: Consumer Affairs dept secured ₹45 crore in refunds, with e-commerce leading complaints, highlighting NCH's role.