Online shopping in India is about to get a major transparency overhaul as the government has recently amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. With the new rules, the consumers will finally get relief from inflated discounts, hidden fees and more that has long frustrated the consumers. The authorities have introduced nine changes that will come into effect starting January 1, 2027. The rules include the genuine prior prices, clearly label sponsored listings, and stop manipulating search results. Consumers will also gain stronger grievance rights, including complaint copies and closer ties to the National Consumer Helpline. Here’s a breakdown of what’s changing and how it affects you as a buyer.
According to the new rules, a platform has to clearly display both the reduced price and the ‘prior price’ when announcing a discount. Keep in mind the price the government is referring to is the lowest price at which the product or service was offered during the previous 30 days. This would help the users understand if the discount is worth it or not.
Under the new amendments the e-commerce platforms cannot manipulate search results in ways that mislead consumers or make results less relevant to their queries. Hence, the buyers will no longer be influenced by such patterns.
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Paid listings and sponsored products must carry clear and prominent disclosures. Consumers should be able to distinguish advertisements from ordinary search results or recommendations.
The new rules also clearly state that the platforms must comply with the 2023 Dark Patterns Guidelines. Not only that but they are also instructed to conduct an annual self-audit and prominently display a compliance certificate.
If a person registers a complaint with an e-commerce platform, then the consumers will be entitled to receive a copy of their complaint as recorded by the platform’s grievance officer. The copy should clearly state the record of their grievance.
E-commerce brands are also asked to become partners in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). Doing so will strengthen the link between platforms and the national grievance-redressal system.
To give the consumers more clarity about the products they are planning to purchase, the government has also instructed the platforms to clearly mention key details about the product, including the best-before dates, return and refund policies, warranties, delivery and payment information.
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Platforms cannot charge bundled fees for unrelated services, except under specified loyalty or membership provisions. For imported products, they must also disclose the importer’s details and country of origin.
With the new amendments, the government clarified that the e-commerce platforms can’t use your personal data to push their own products or favoured sellers, especially without your consent.