Archive · 10 Oct 2026
Consumer Commission Orders E-Commerce Platform to Pay Rs 1.06 Lakh
A man ordered a new phone online but said the phone he received had already been used.
He said it had someone else’s contacts, photos and videos.
He contacted the shopping platform, but the problem was not resolved.
The platform said it was only connecting customers with sellers and that it had offered him a refund.
The consumer commission said the platform still had a responsibility to help when something went wrong with a sale.
It ordered the platform and the supplier to return his money and pay compensation and costs.
Together, the order totals Rs 1,06,145.
The Visakhapatnam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled for a customer who said he received a used handset instead of a new one.
The phone allegedly contained old contacts, photographs and videos, and its packaging IMEI number reportedly differed from the handset’s.
The platform argued it was only an intermediary and said it had offered a refund that the customer declined.
The commission said intermediary status did not automatically absolve the platform and found its handling of the refund amounted to deficiency in service.
The platform and supplier were ordered to refund Rs 1,145, pay Rs 1 lakh compensation and cover Rs 5,000 in costs.
- Who
- A customer, an e-commerce platform and the handset supplier.
- What
- The Visakhapatnam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered the platform and supplier to pay a total of Rs 1,06,145 after the customer said he received a used phone.
- When
- The order was dated September 30; the phone was delivered on December 12, 2024.
- Where
- Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
- Why
- The commission found that the platform’s failure to resolve the refund issue amounted to deficiency in service and that intermediary status did not automatically remove its responsibility.
Customer and commission
E-commerce platform
Platform responsibility
Customer and commission
The commission said an intermediary could not automatically avoid responsibility for facilitating a sale and delivery, and had a duty to protect consumers from harm caused by listed traders.
E-commerce platform
The platform argued that it only provided a marketplace connecting buyers and sellers, was neither the manufacturer nor the seller, and was exempt from liability under the Consumer Protection Act.
Refund offer
Customer and commission
The commission said the platform could have credited the refund even if the customer declined its offer, and that the customer had to issue a legal notice and approach the commission.
E-commerce platform
The platform said it offered to refund the purchase price, but the customer declined because he was seeking Rs 10 lakh in compensation.
- Commission
- Visakhapatnam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
- Order date
- September 30
- Amount paid
- Rs 1,145
- Refund ordered
- Rs 1,145
- Compensation
- Rs 1 lakh
- Costs
- Rs 5,000
- Total relief
- Rs 1,06,145, including the refund