45-Day Rule: Your Consumer Complaint Gets Stronger

The Supreme Court ruled that consumer forums cannot extend the 45-day deadline for companies to reply to your complaint. Miss it, and the forum proceeds without their defence. This makes your complaint much harder for big companies to delay.

Here's what happened: The Supreme Court ruled that consumer forums have no power to grant extensions beyond the mandatory 45-day limit for companies to file their written reply to a complaint.. The 45-day clock starts from the date the company is served with notice along with a copy of the complaint — not from any other date the company might argue.. The ruling is prospective, meaning it applies to ongoing and future cases, not to matters already decided under the older, more lenient practice..

What you should do: File your consumer complaint at consumerhelpline.gov.in or your nearest District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and note the exact date of service of notice on the opposite party.. Track day 45 from the notice date — if the company has not filed a reply by then, write to the forum requesting the case proceed ex-parte under the Supreme Court's ruling.. Avoid settling informally once you have filed, especially if the 45-day deadline is close — a company facing an ex-parte proceeding is far more likely to offer a fair resolution quickly..

Keep a copy of the postal acknowledgement or e-notice delivery confirmation — this is the legal proof of when the 45-day countdown officially began, and forums will ask for it.

If this affects your borrowing choices, compare current personal loan options from 100+ lenders on GoCredit.