Consumer Affairs dept facilitates Rs 45 cr refunds in 8 months as e-commerce tops complaints
The travel and tourism industry followed at a distant second, with 4,050 complaints resulting in Rs 3.5 crore in refunds.
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India’s consumer grievance redressal system delivered Rs 45 crore in refunds across 31 sectors in just eight months, reflecting a sharp rise in the use of pre-litigation resolution mechanisms, according to data released by the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Between April 25 and December 26, 2025, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) handled 67,265 refund-related complaints, with e-commerce emerging as the dominant source of grievances. The sector alone accounted for nearly 40,000 complaints and facilitated refunds worth ₹32 crore, more than two-thirds of the total amount.
The travel and tourism industry followed at a distant second, with 4,050 complaints resulting in Rs 3.5 crore in refunds.
Operating under the Department of Consumer Affairs, the National Consumer Helpline functions at the pre-litigation stage, aiming to resolve disputes before consumers approach courts or consumer commissions under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The data underscores the helpline’s growing role as a first line of resolution for consumer disputes.
Beyond e-commerce and travel, agency services generated refunds of Rs 1.35 crore, while electronic products accounted for ₹1.17 crore. The airlines sector saw refunds totalling ₹95.56 lakh during the same period.
Together, the top five sectors were responsible for over 85 percent of all refunds facilitated by the helpline, highlighting where consumer friction remains most concentrated in India’s rapidly digitising economy.
The tightening enforcement comes amid the government’s broader crackdown on deceptive online practices or “dark patterns”. Recently, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said the ministry is actively identifying manipulative digital tactics and taking swift action. The government has formally recognised 13 dark patterns and issued binding guidelines to curb unfair trade practices.
The push is backed by faster grievance resolution via e-Jagriti, with over 1.4 lakh cases filed and resolved in 2025, alongside ₹42.6 crore in refunds processed via NCH between April and mid-December.
