E-comm guidelines to be must under consumer protection law, says Paswan

New Delhi: In a major move aimed at protecting the interests of consumers, the government on Tuesday made it very clear that the guidelines drafted for e-commerce firms would be made mandatory under the new Consumer Protection Act and stringent action would be taken against violators by a regulatory authority.

The consumer affairs ministry has decided to frame the rules to implement the Consumer Protection Act by December and asked stakeholders to submit their views by September 15. Meanwhile, the ministry has also sought views on the draft guidelines on e-commerce by that time.

"The draft guidelines on e-commerce will be made part of the rules under the new consumer protection law. Once included under rules, the guidelines become mandatory," Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.

The Union Minister interacted with reporters after meeting several parliamentarians called to address their concerns before proceeding with the framing of rules to implement the law.

"Every MP's view was that e-commerce guidelines should be incorporated as part of the rules under the new law. We are accepting their suggestions," Paswan said.

As per the draft guidelines on e-commerce, the companies are required to submit a self-declaration to the ministry stating that it is conforming with the guideline.

The proposed guidelines for e-commerce firms entail a 14-day deadline to effect refund request, mandate e-tailers to display details of sellers supplying goods and services on their websites and moot the procedure to resolve consumer complaints.

Among key guidelines, the e-commerce companies would also be required to ensure that personally identifiable information of customers are protected and should not directly or indirectly influence the price of the goods or services and "maintain a level playing field.

On the occasion, Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash K Srivastava said that Central Consumer Protection Authority, which is to be established to promote, protect and enforce consumer rights under the new law, would take action against errant e-commerce firms.