5.1L Ecommerce Complaints: Is Your Refund Safe?

Over 5.1 lakh Indians complained about ecommerce platforms in 2025 — a 14% jump from last year. Fake products, missing refunds, and delivery fraud top the list. Here's how to protect your money when shopping online.

Here's what happened: Over 5.1 lakh complaints were filed against ecommerce and quick commerce platforms on India's National Consumer Helpline in 2025, up nearly 14% from 4.4 lakh in 2024.. The most complained-about issues include undelivered orders, delayed or rejected refunds, counterfeit products, and misleading product descriptions on major platforms.. The surge signals that as online shopping grows rapidly among Indian middle-class households, consumer protection awareness and platform accountability have not kept pace..

What you should do: File complaints at consumerhelpline.gov.in or call 1800-11-4000 (toll-free) the moment a platform misses its stated refund or delivery deadline — don't wait weeks hoping it resolves itself.. Always pay via credit card or UPI on reputed apps — credit cards offer chargeback rights and UPI transactions leave a traceable audit trail that helps in dispute resolution.. Screenshot your order confirmation, product listing, delivery promise, and all chat support interactions before escalating — consumer courts and the NCH require documented evidence to act..

If an ecommerce platform ignores your NCH complaint, escalate to the Edaakhil portal (edaakhil.nic.in) — you can file a consumer court case online for as little as ₹100 without hiring a lawyer.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.