How to file a consumer complaint (NCDRC / e-Daakhil) — complete 2026 guide

NCDRC's Annual Report 2024 records that 20.27 lakh consumer cases have been filed in India since 1986, of which 18.86 lakh stand disposed — a 93% disposal rate across forums. The 2019 Act's e-Daakhil + Direct Selling Rules + product-liability provisions have made the system materially faster than its 1986 predecessor.

A “consumer complaint” is a written grievance filed by a consumer under §2(7) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — meaning anyone who has bought goods or hired services for a consideration for personal use (not for resale or commercial purpose, except self-employment).

You can file when any of these happens:

• Defective goods — product doesn't match description, has manufacturing defects, dangerous, or doesn't perform.
• Deficient service — telco, courier, airline, builder, hospital, bank, e-commerce platform falls short.
• Unfair trade practice — false / misleading advertising, fake discount, hoarding, refusing to demonstrate the product.
• Restrictive trade practice — tied selling, refusal to bill, retention of paid amounts.
• Excess price charged over MRP / printed tariff.
• Hazardous goods sold without warning (under product-liability — Chapter VI of the 2019 Act).

The new institutional architecture has three pillars:

• CCPA — Central Consumer Protection Authority (under §10 CPA 2019). Preventive enforcer; can order recall, ban misleading ads, impose penalties up to ₹10 lakh on first contravention and ₹50 lakh on subsequent, and prosecute. CCPA does not decide your individual compensation claim.
• Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions — DCDRC (district), SCDRC (state), NCDRC (national). Adjudicate individual disputes, order refunds / replacements / damages.
• Consumer Mediation Cell — attached to each Commission for voluntary mediation under §74-§81.

Pecuniary jurisdiction (post-30 Dec 2021 Notification):

• DCDRC — claims up to ₹50,00,000.
• SCDRC — ₹50 lakh – ₹2 crore.
• NCDRC — above ₹2 crore.

Territorial jurisdiction under §34: file where (a) the opposite party resides / works for gain, OR (b) the cause of action arose, OR © the complainant resides or works for gain (a citizen-friendly choice introduced in the 2019 Act — you can sue an out-of-state e-commerce seller from your home district).

Call the National Consumer Helpline 1915 (10 am – 5 pm, all days except national holidays) or register on consumerhelpline.gov.in. Trained agents take down the complaint; the seller is contacted via the NCH Convergence Programme — many large brands (Amazon, Flipkart, Apple India, Samsung, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Power, Reliance Jio, etc.) are signatories and respond within 7-15 days. Free.

A 1-page legal notice on plain paper (no advocate stamp needed) by Speed Post and email — gives the opposite party a final 15-day window. Many cases settle here.

• Reference your invoice / order ID / service ticket.
• State the defect / deficiency clearly.
• Quote the section of CPA 2019 you're relying on.
• Demand specific relief (refund / replacement / repair / compensation).

“Claim value” = price paid + compensation sought + interest. Don't undercount — file at the right level the first time. If you file at DCDRC for ₹52 lakh claim, the case will be returned for filing at SCDRC; you waste fee and time.

Use the prescribed form:

• Form A — DCDRC.
• Form B — SCDRC.
• Form C — NCDRC.

The complaint must contain (Rule 6, Consumer Protection (Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission) Rules 2020):

• Complainant's name, address, contact.
• Opposite party's name + correct registered address (for e-commerce, the platform AND the seller — both).
• Facts in chronological order.
• Cause of action — when, where, how.
• Documents relied on (list).
• Reliefs claimed.
• Verification + signature.

• Go to edaakhil.nic.in.
• Register with mobile + email + Aadhaar (eKYC).
• Choose state → district → “File New Complaint”.
• Upload the complaint PDF + documents (each ≤ 2 MB).
• Pay the fee online (net banking / UPI / card).
• Get an e-Daakhil Filing Number (e.g., DC/KA/BLR/CC/123/2026) — your reference.

The Commission scrutinizes the complaint and either admits or directs cure of defects (15 days to cure). On admission, notice is served on the opposite party — 30 days to file written statement (extendable by 15 days only — Supreme Court in New India Assurance v. Hilli Multipurpose Cold Storage 2020 holds this strictly).

Hybrid (physical + virtual) hearings are standard now. You can appear yourself (no advocate is required — Commissions are designed for citizens). Bring:

• Original invoice / receipt.
• Original service contract / policy.
• Photographs / videos of defect (with date stamps).
• Lab report (if applicable).
• All written communication.
• Affidavit of evidence (a sworn statement narrating your case — the Commission usually provides a template).

Statutory disposal is 3 months under §38(7) (5 months if expert opinion / lab analysis is required). Order can include:

• Refund of price + interest (commonly 9-12% p.a. from date of payment).
• Replacement of defective goods.
• Repair or rectification.
• Compensation for loss / mental harassment (typically ₹10,000 – ₹5 lakh, judicial discretion).
• Litigation cost (₹1,000 – ₹50,000).
• Punitive damages in egregious cases.
• Removal of unfair trade practice (e.g., stop misleading ad).

Order is enforceable as a decree of civil court under §72. Non-compliance attracts imprisonment up to 3 years or fine up to ₹1 lakh under §72(1).

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CONSUMER COMPLAINT FEES (e-Daakhil + offline) — 2026                     |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DCDRC  | Claim up to Rs. 5,00,000          | NIL (free) in most states  |
|        | Rs. 5,00,001 – Rs. 10,00,000      | Rs. 200                    |
|        | Rs. 10,00,001 – Rs. 20,00,000     | Rs. 400                    |
|        | Rs. 20,00,001 – Rs. 50,00,000     | Rs. 500                    |
+--------+-----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| SCDRC  | Rs. 50,00,001 – Rs. 1,00,00,000   | Rs. 2,000                  |
|        | Rs. 1,00,00,001 – Rs. 2,00,00,000 | Rs. 4,000                  |
+--------+-----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| NCDRC  | Above Rs. 2,00,00,000             | Rs. 5,000                  |
+--------+-----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Appeal — DCDRC to SCDRC: 50% of awarded amount must be deposited under   |
| §41 (capped at Rs. 25,000 — for OPP filing appeal, not consumer).        |
| Appeal — SCDRC to NCDRC: similar cap, Rs. 35,000.                        |
| Appeal — NCDRC to Supreme Court: 50% of awarded amount under §67.        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

FORM A — CONSUMER COMPLAINT (key fields, DCDRC):
   1. Particulars of complainant (name, age, occupation, address)
   2. Particulars of opposite party 1 (registered office, contact)
      Particulars of opposite party 2 (if applicable)
   3. Jurisdiction (territorial + pecuniary basis)
   4. Facts of the case in chronological numbered paras
   5. Cause of action — date, place, transaction, defect/deficiency
   6. Documents relied on (list as Annexure A1, A2 ...)
   7. Reliefs claimed:
      a. Refund of Rs. ____
      b. Compensation Rs. ____
      c. Litigation cost Rs. ____
      d. Interest @ ___% from date of payment
      e. Any other relief
   8. Verification — signed before notary or self-attested
   9. Vakalatnama (if advocate used) — OPTIONAL

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
   * Tax invoice / receipt / order confirmation
   * Bank statement showing payment
   * Photos of defect / video / lab report
   * Copy of legal notice (if sent) + AD card / Speed Post receipt
   * Copy of warranty / service contract
   * Aadhaar / PAN of complainant (for e-Daakhil eKYC)

National Consumer Helpline 1915 — Free. 10 am - 5 pm. consumerhelpline.gov.in.
RTI to PIO Consumer Forum:        Rs. 10 by IPO. BPL = free.
RTI to PIO Dept of Consumer Aff.: Rs. 10 by IPO. consumeraffairs.nic.in.

• Not a “consumer”. Bought for commercial / resale purpose? You're outside the Act's protection (except a self-employed person earning livelihood from a single such purchase — proviso to §2(7)).
• Beyond limitation — 2 years from cause of action under §69. Some Commissions condone delay for “sufficient cause” (medical, police case pending, etc.) but be ready with proof.
• Wrong pecuniary jurisdiction — undercounting your claim to land at DCDRC. Case will be returned.
• Wrong territorial jurisdiction — make sure the jurisdiction clause in your complaint matches §34 (your address, OPP address, or cause-of-action address).
• Vague pleadings — generic “harassment by company” without dates, amounts, transaction IDs leads to dismissal.
• No supporting evidence — invoice, payment proof, defect photos. Consumer cases rest on documents.
• Wrong opposite party. For e-commerce, you must implead both the marketplace platform AND the actual seller (and sometimes the manufacturer for product-liability under Chapter VI). One missing party can cripple execution.
• “As-is” / non-warranty sale for second-hand goods — limited remedies available unless the defect was fraudulently concealed.
• Government-statutory body as opposite party — some specialized services (e.g., judicial functions, sovereign acts) are excluded; railway accidents go to Railway Claims Tribunal; tax disputes go to ITAT.

For clerical / procedural mistakes in the order, file a review application before the same Commission within 30 days. Limited grounds.

• DCDRC → SCDRC under §41, within 45 days of order.
• SCDRC → NCDRC under §51, within 30 days.
• NCDRC → Supreme Court under §67, within 30 days.

For an OPP (opposite party) filing appeal, 50% of awarded amount or ₹25,000-₹35,000 (whichever is less) must be deposited as a pre-condition.

If the OPP doesn't comply with the order, file an execution application before the same Commission. Non-compliance is a punishable offence — imprisonment up to 3 years or fine up to ₹1 lakh or both.

For pure questions of law, a writ under Article 226/227 to High Court is sometimes maintainable; SLP to Supreme Court is the final route. Counsel essential.

For systemic issues (misleading ad, repeated unfair practice across consumers), write to Central Consumer Protection Authority at ccpa-doca@gov.in asking for class-action style preventive action under §18 / §21 CPA 2019. CCPA has imposed multi-crore penalties on Patanjali, Naaptol, Senco Gold and others.

Every Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and the Department of Consumer Affairs is a public authority under §2(h) of the RTI Act 2005.

RTI helps here when:

• You want case status updates that the e-Daakhil portal isn't reflecting.
• You want a certified copy of an old order (for citation in your appeal).
• You want CCPA's action history against a specific seller (penalty orders, recall orders).
• You want statistics — average disposal time at your DCDRC, oldest pending case (useful for a writ petition citing inordinate delay).
• You want to understand why your complaint was returned — RTI to the registry PIO for the noting / scrutiny report.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You want the Commission to decide your case faster — that's adjudicatory, RTI cannot influence it. File a representation to the President of the Commission instead.
• You want information from the private opposite party (the seller / service provider) — they are not public authorities. Use discovery in your consumer case instead (file an interim application asking the Commission to order production).
• You want a legal interpretation of CPA 2019 — that's expert opinion, not “information held”.

For background on filing a basic RTI, see RTI in 12 simple steps.

Q. I bought a product on Amazon from a third-party seller. Whom do I sue?
Both. Under §2(17) of CPA 2019 + the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, the e-commerce entity is liable for misleading listing, non-delivery, and certain product issues, alongside the seller for defect / quality. Implead both in Form A.

Q. Can I claim mental harassment damages?
Yes — Commissions routinely grant ₹10,000 – ₹5 lakh for proven mental agony, harassment, lost time. The amount depends on transaction value, time taken, and OPP conduct.

Q. The DCDRC reserved order 8 months back; nothing has happened. What now?
First, write to the President of the Commission asking for pronouncement (a respectful one-page representation). If still nothing, file an RTI for “list of pending reserved orders older than 6 months”. Last resort: writ in High Court under Article 227 citing inordinate delay.

Q. The other side has filed an appeal and got a stay. Can I still recover the amount?
Generally no — the appeal must be heard. But the OPP had to deposit 50% of the awarded amount under §41 / §51 — that money is safe with the Commission and will be released to you on outcome.

Q. I want a recall of a hazardous product, not just my refund. What do I do?
File the consumer complaint for your refund AND separately write to CCPA (ccpa-doca@gov.in) seeking product-recall investigation under §20 / §22. CCPA has ordered recalls for unsafe pressure cookers, helmets, and food products in 2023-2025.

Q. Can NRIs file a consumer complaint in India?
Yes — file at the forum where the cause of action arose or the OPP is located. Appearance can be virtual; a Power of Attorney can be appointed. eKYC on e-Daakhil works with overseas Aadhaar holders.

Q. Is mediation through the Commission Mediation Cell binding?
Only if both sides sign the settlement agreement, which is then placed on record and becomes an order in terms of the settlement under §81 — fully enforceable. Walking away mid-mediation is allowed; nothing is binding until signed.

Q. Can I file against a government department / PSU?
Most government services for which a fee is charged (e.g., LPG, BSNL, electricity, water, postal) qualify as “service” under §2(42). Pure sovereign / judicial acts are excluded. Telco BSNL, India Post, IRCTC have all been held liable in landmark cases.

• RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers
• How to file a RERA complaint against your builder
• How to file an insurance complaint (IRDAI / Ombudsman)
• All Indian government helplines — one master directory
• RTI forms + state-wise fee chart

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. CPA 2019 pecuniary limits and e-Daakhil portal flows are revised periodically — verify on edaakhil.nic.in or consumeraffairs.nic.in before filing, or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.