What are my e-commerce return and refund rights in India?

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 impose specific disclosure obligations on every e-commerce platform.

Platforms must display seller details — name, geographical address, customer care number, GSTIN for marketplace sellers. Product details — country of origin (mandatory since 2020), expiry date, and terms of warranty or guarantee. Total price including all taxes, shipping and insurance — no drip pricing that reveals extra charges only at checkout. Cancellation policy before shipping. Return and refund policy with clear timelines. Payment methods accepted including refund mechanisms. Grievance Officer contact — name, address and contact details prominently displayed. Importer details for imported products, and service level commitments for delivery times.

Non-disclosure or false disclosure is an unfair trade practice. Penalties: up to ₹10 lakh from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for a first instance, up to ₹50 lakh for subsequent violations, banning of the seller from the platform, and refund plus damages to affected consumers.

The Rules impose tight response timelines. Grievances must be acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within one month (Rules 4(6) and 5(7)). Refund processing must complete within 14 days of accepting a return.

Refund must be to the same payment instrument originally used — UPI back to UPI, credit card back to credit card. Forced wallet or store credits are an unfair trade practice unless agreed upfront. Cancellation refunds follow the same 14-day window from cancellation. For perishable goods or hygiene products, platforms can impose stricter return policies but must clearly disclose them at point of purchase. For COD orders, refund runs via bank transfer to a verified account.

Failure to refund attracts liability of both the platform and the seller. Persistent violations can be reported to the CCPA for systemic action. For UPI or online payment fraud tied to e-commerce, see our UPI fraud guide.

Counterfeit or wrong products are directly addressed by the framework. Under Rule 6(2), the platform must comply with the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and exercise due diligence to prevent counterfeit listings — failure exposes it to joint liability with the seller. Sections 82-87 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (product liability) make manufacturer, seller and platform jointly liable for defective or counterfeit products causing harm.

Your right is to a full refund plus compensation for consequential loss — medical expenses for counterfeit medicines, time and travel for repeated complaints. Criminal liability follows too: for branded counterfeits, the seller faces Trade Marks Act prosecution alongside BNS cheating provisions under Section 318/319.

Steps: take unboxing photos and video (critical evidence); file a return through the platform within its return window; if the platform refuses, file a Consumer Commission complaint via E-Daakhil; report to CCPA for systemic counterfeit issues; for branded counterfeits, complain to the brand owner, who often pursues legal action that benefits affected buyers; and for dangerous counterfeits (medicine, electricals), file an FIR. Engage a reputable, specialised consumer lawyer.

The Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 by CCPA explicitly recognise and prohibit 13 dark patterns.

False urgency — '5 people watching!', '2 left in stock!' when untrue. Basket sneaking — auto-adding unwanted items. Confirm shaming — guilt-inducing language discouraging opt-outs. Forced action — extra terms required for basic access. Subscription trap — easy sign-up, hard cancellation. Interface interference — hidden buttons, deceptive design. Bait and switch — different product or price at checkout than at listing. Drip pricing — extra charges revealed only at checkout. Disguised advertising — paid content masquerading as reviews. Nagging — repeated prompts. Trick wording. SaaS billing traps. Rogue malware.

Fake reviews: IS 19000:2022 (BIS Standard) requires platforms to take steps against fake reviews, with penalties up to ₹10 lakh for violations. Report dark patterns to the National Consumer Helpline (1915) or CCPA at consumeraffairs.nic.in. CCPA has imposed penalties on multiple platforms in 2024-25.

Escalation runs through a well-worn ladder.

Level 1 — Platform Grievance Officer (mandatory under Rule 4(5)): email or raise in-app; wait 48 hours for acknowledgement and 1 month for resolution; keep all correspondence.

Level 2 — National Consumer Helpline (NCH): call 1915 or visit consumerhelpline.gov.in. This is a free facilitation service by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs; NCH staff coordinate with the platform. Most cases resolve here.

Level 3 — Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA): for systemic violations affecting many consumers. CCPA can investigate, impose penalties, and ban sellers or products. Apply via the consumer helpline portal or directly.

Level 4 — Consumer Commission via E-Daakhil: E-Daakhil portal. District Commission for claims up to ₹50 lakh; fees from ₹100; lawyer not mandatory; typical disposal 6-18 months. See our faulty product complaint guide. Level 5 — High Court writ for platforms violating IT Rules systemically — engage a reputable, specialised consumer / cyber-law lawyer.

The NCH is the most underused — it resolves 70%+ of e-commerce complaints without litigation.