Why winning a consumer case in India often feels like a hollow victory

India’s economy is growing fast, with more than a billion people buying goods and using services every day. To protect these consumers, India has some of the most modern and progressive laws. The Consumer Protection Act (1986, updated in 2019) set up a three-level system to solve consumer complaints:

• District Commissions for small claims

• State Commissions for medium claims

• National Commission for high-value cases

New tools like the E-Daakhil portal and National Consumer Helpline were introduced to make complaint filing easier. But in real life, things don’t work as planned.

Most consumer commissions face long delays. More than 5 lakh cases are pending, and many take 3 to 5 years to resolve. That’s a big problem, since these courts were supposed to solve cases within 90 days. Also, many courts don’t have enough staff or even proper buildings, internet, or basic seating.

Why justice often feels useless

Even after winning, many consumers don’t get what the court ordered. Some companies just ignore the court’s decision, and there is little follow-up. Why does this happen?

• There are no strong teams to enforce orders

• Police and local officers don’t always cooperate

• Companies keep appealing to higher courts to delay action

Because of these issues, many people feel like winning a case is a waste of time and energy.

Another major issue is that very few people even know how to file a complaint. Over 90% of Indians don’t know their consumer rights or how to approach a commission. Most users are from cities and are educated. People from rural areas, the elderly, and poor communities hardly ever file complaints because of language barriers, travel costs, and fear of legal processes.

Even the E-Daakhil portal has not helped much. As of 2023, only 2% of complaints were filed online. The portal is difficult to use in regional languages and doesn’t work well on mobile phones.

Real-life stories show the struggle

In Pune, a retired teacher was wrongly charged Rs 30,000 in international roaming fees. It took him two years and 13 hearings to get a refund, even after the court ruled in his favour.

In Rajasthan, a tribal farmer was unknowingly sold an insurance policy, and money was deducted from his government scheme. He couldn’t understand the process and never got justice.

These stories show how difficult it is for common people to fight even clear cases.

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What needs to change

To fix the system, both the government and businesses must act:

1. Fast-track courts: Special benches should be set up to clear backlog, especially for sectors like telecom and insurance.

2. Better tracking: A dashboard should monitor whether companies follow court orders. If not, they should be penalised.

3. Ombudsman system: Like in banking, other sectors such as healthcare, telecom, and education should have ombudsman services for quicker solutions.

4. Mediation and early settlement: Companies should be encouraged to solve problems before they reach court.

5. Legal help for the poor: Trained volunteers must be placed at the village and town level to help people file cases.

6. Improve E-Daakhil: The portal must work in many languages, be easy to use on phones, and allow voice commands.

7. Public ratings: A “Consumer Justice Scorecard” should be created to rate companies on how fairly and quickly they solve consumer complaints.

Final thoughts: Justice must be meaningful

When consumers don’t get timely justice, they stop trusting the system. Some accept the loss, while others stop complaining altogether. A justice system that is slow, confusing, and hard to access cannot help the common man.

If India wants to protect its consumers, it must treat consumer rights as a serious service, not a formality. Quick, fair, and easy access to justice is not just a right—it is key to a strong and trusted economy.