Legal Metrology Notice for MRP, Weight or Label on an E-commerce Listing

Who this guide is for

This guide is for sellers, brand owners, importers and small businesses in India who sell pre-packaged goods online and have received a notice from the Legal Metrology department. The notice usually concerns how the product is declared on the listing or on the pack. It is useful if:

• You sell on a marketplace and received a notice saying your listing does not show the correct MRP, net quantity, or manufacturer address.
• You run your own website or app and an inspector flagged a missing declaration on your product page.
• You import packaged goods and the notice questions the importer details or the unit of measurement shown.
• You repack or relabel goods under your own brand and are unsure whose labelling duty was breached.

Legal Metrology in India covers weights, measures, and the labelling of pre-packaged commodities. The core rules for packaged goods come from the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules made under it. Enforcement is largely by state Legal Metrology departments, so procedures, forms, fees and compounding amounts vary from one state to another. Treat anything in this guide as general orientation, and confirm the exact requirement for your product on the official portal or with a qualified professional.

If your dispute is really about a customer return or refund rather than labelling, see our related guide on a return picked up but refund pending. That is a separate consumer issue, not a Legal Metrology matter.

What you can do this weekend

Friday evening

Read the notice slowly, twice. Identify three things: which product or listing is named, which declaration is said to be wrong or missing, and the date by which you must reply. Write the reply deadline at the top of a fresh file. Most notices state the legal provision and the reply window — note both exactly as written, without guessing a standard period.

Take dated screenshots of the live listing exactly as it stands now, before you change anything. Capture the full product page, the price block showing MRP, and the section that lists pack details. If the listing is on a marketplace, also screenshot the seller dashboard view. These screenshots fix the current state on the record.

Do not reply in anger or admit anything yet. A first emotional email can be quoted against you later. Your job this evening is only to understand the allegation and the deadline.

Saturday

Pull the paper trail for the flagged product. Find the purchase invoice, the supplier or manufacturer declaration, your import documents if you imported the goods, and any agreement that shows who was responsible for labelling. This decides how much of the duty was yours and how much was the manufacturer's or packer's.

Photograph the actual physical pack from every side. Capture the MRP, the net quantity, the manufacturer or packer name and full address, the month and year of manufacture or pre-packing, and the consumer-care details. Lay a ruler or a dated newspaper beside the pack so the photo carries a clear date and scale. If the pack already complies and only the online listing was incomplete, this is powerful evidence that the breach was a listing entry, not a mislabelled product.

Now fix the listing. Update the product page so it mirrors the mandatory declarations on the pack: net quantity, MRP inclusive of all taxes, manufacturer or packer or importer name and address, month and year of manufacture or pre-packing, consumer-care contact, and the common name of the commodity. Screenshot the corrected listing with the date visible. Voluntary correction before you reply shows good faith.

Sunday

Draft your written reply using the template lower in this guide as a starting point. Answer the specific allegation, attach your numbered evidence, and describe the corrective action you have already taken. Keep the tone factual and respectful.

Index your annexures. Give each document a letter or number, list them at the end of the reply, and refer to each one at the point in your reply where it matters. A reply an officer can follow easily gets read carefully; a disorganised bundle does not.

If the alleged breach is serious, repeated, or carries a large exposure, line up a short paid consultation with a lawyer or a Legal Metrology consultant for Monday before you submit. The framing of your first reply often sets the tone for everything that follows, including any compounding.

Documents and evidence checklist

Step-by-step action plan

Step 1 — Read the notice and note the deadline

Identify the named product, the precise declaration said to be wrong or missing, the legal provision cited, and the reply window. Notices differ by state and by type — some ask for an explanation, some propose compounding, some call you for a personal hearing. Read which one you have. Write the deadline somewhere you will not miss it.

Step 2 — Preserve the current state of the listing

Before editing anything, capture dated screenshots of the listing exactly as it is. Photograph the actual pack from every side. This baseline lets you show later what was actually shown to consumers and on the pack, separate from any later correction. Evidence created after you start changing things is weaker.

Step 3 — Map out who was responsible for the declaration

Your role decides your exposure. A pure reseller of sealed packs leans on the manufacturer or packer for label content; the seller's duty is mainly to display the pack declarations honestly on the listing. An importer carries importer-declaration duties. A brand owner or repacker who lists under their own name carries more of the labelling duty directly. Gather invoices and supplier declarations so you can show your true role rather than just assert it.

Step 4 — Fix the listing and the pack going forward

Correct the online listing so it mirrors the mandatory declarations: net quantity, MRP inclusive of all taxes, manufacturer or packer or importer name and full address, month and year of manufacture or pre-packing, consumer-care details, and the common name of the commodity. If the physical pack is genuinely deficient, stop selling that batch until it is corrected at source. Document each fix with dated screenshots and photos.

Step 5 — Draft a factual written reply

Respond to the specific allegation, not a generic defence. State the facts, attach your numbered evidence, explain your role in the supply chain, and describe the corrective action you have already taken. If you believe the breach was a manufacturer or packer issue, say so and attach the supplier declaration. Keep emotion out of it.

Step 6 — Submit on time and keep proof

Submit the reply within the stated deadline through the channel the notice specifies — the department office, the official email, or a portal if one is mentioned. Get a dated acknowledgement, or send by speed post with proof of delivery, or keep the email with timestamps. If you need more time, request an extension in writing before the deadline; do not let it lapse silently.

Step 7 — Attend any personal hearing prepared

If the notice or a follow-up calls you for a hearing, carry an organised file with your original pack photos, corrected-listing screenshots, invoices, and supplier declarations. Be ready to explain compounding if the officer raises it — but understand the amount and consequences before agreeing. Where the exposure is significant, have your lawyer or consultant present or briefed.

Step 8 — Consider an appeal if the order is adverse

If an adverse order is passed, there is usually a route to appeal to a higher Legal Metrology authority within a time limit set by the rules of your state. Note the appeal deadline the moment you receive any order. Appeals are easier to win when your reply and evidence were strong from the start, which is why Steps 2 to 5 matter so much.

Escalation ladder

Copy-paste reply template

Replace the text in square brackets with your own details before sending. This is a starting point, not a substitute for professional advice in a serious matter.

When RTI can help

The Right to Information Act, 2005 applies to public authorities, and a state Legal Metrology department is a public authority. RTI will not cancel your notice or decide your case, but it can give you transparency that strengthens your reply or appeal. Useful requests include:

• The inspection report and basis of the allegation: Ask for a copy of the inspection report, the field notes, and the documents the officer relied on when issuing the notice against your business or listing.
• Departmental circulars and procedure: Ask for the standing circulars, guidelines, or office orders on how e-commerce listing declarations are checked and how compounding amounts are decided in your state.
• Status of your own matter: Ask for the status of, and any internal noting on, the notice or representation you submitted, quoting the notice number and date.

To file an RTI, see our step-by-step guide on filing an RTI online in India. If the public information officer does not respond in time or refuses wrongly, our guide on filing a first appeal under Section 19 explains the next step, and the fuller first and second appeal guide covers the whole appeal chain. For advanced research strategy, The RTI Playbook covers using RTI in regulatory disputes.

When RTI will not help

RTI has clear limits in a Legal Metrology matter:

• RTI cannot answer the notice for you: You still have to file a reply on time. RTI runs in parallel and supports your case; it does not pause or replace the deadline.
• RTI does not bind a private marketplace: If your dispute is with the marketplace about how listing fields work, RTI does not apply to a private company. Use the platform's seller support and policies, and keep that correspondence as evidence.
• RTI cannot reduce a penalty: Only the Legal Metrology authority, through reply, hearing or compounding, or an appellate forum, can change the outcome. RTI only gets you the information to argue better.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ignoring the notice or missing the deadline: Silence is treated as no defence. Note the deadline immediately and reply within it, even if you ask for an extension in writing.
• Editing the listing before taking baseline screenshots: Fix the listing — but first capture how it looked when the notice was issued, or you lose the ability to show the original state.
• Rushing to pay a compounding amount: Compounding can be sensible, but understand the amount and consequences first. The amount and process vary by state and by the alleged breach. Take advice where the stakes are significant.
• Admitting fault in an emotional first reply: A hasty email can be quoted later. Keep your reply factual, attach evidence, and avoid loose admissions.
• Assuming the manufacturer's mistake is automatically your defence: It often helps, but only if you can prove your role with invoices and a supplier declaration. Keep the supply-chain paperwork.
• Confusing this with a consumer refund dispute: A Legal Metrology notice is about declarations under the law, not about a customer's refund. Mixing the two muddles your reply.
• Guessing the rules instead of checking them: The exact declarations and formats are set by the Packaged Commodities Rules and vary by category. Verify on the official portal rather than relying on memory or hearsay.
• Going it alone on a serious or repeated matter: If the exposure is large or you have prior notices, a lawyer or Legal Metrology consultant is worth the cost. Do not treat a high-stakes notice as a casual form-filling task.

If a different kind of legal notice has reached you, our general guides on responding may help, such as the one on income tax notice deadlines and replies and the explainer on a legal notice for a health insurance claim rejection. And if you suspect the notice itself is fake, read our guide on a fake notice PDF scam before you act on it.