The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has successfully facilitated refund of ₹7.14 crore to consumers in last two months. This significant redressal was achieved across 30 sectors, effectively addressing 15,426 consumer grievances related to refund claims.

The NCH, a key initiative of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, plays a crucial pre-litigation role in resolving consumer grievances swiftly and amicably, reducing the burden on Consumer Commissions under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Notably, the e-commerce sector accounted for the highest volume of grievances, registering 8,919 grievances, and correspondingly, the highest refund facilitation amounting to ₹3.69 crore. This was followed by the Travel and Tourism sector, which saw refunds of ₹81 lakh.

Grievances related to e-commerce refunds came from across the country, with the highest (1242) from Uttar Pradesh and even smaller regions like Sikkim and Dadra & Nagar Haveli registering complaints—reflecting NCH’s effectiveness as a truly nationwide consumer redressal platform.

The number of grievances received sector-wise and the corresponding refund amounts, are given below:

The facilitation of ₹7.14 crore in refunds between 25th April and 30th June 2025 reflects the efficacy and responsiveness of the helpline, driven by the expansion of convergence partners and strong stakeholder engagement. This highlights NCH’s vital role in ensuring timely, hassle-free grievance redressal and reinforces its importance as a trusted, pre-litigation platform promoting consumer welfare and marketplace transparency.

This increase in the number of grievances and dockets registered at NCH also indicates the growing outreach of the platform, specially through digital modes such as calls, the web portal, WhatsApp, the NCH App, UMANG, CPGRAMS, SMS, Email, AI enabled chatbot as reflected in the comparative data from 01.06.2023 to 31.05.2024 & 01.06.2024 to 31.05.2025.

This helpline has emerged as a single point of access for consumers across the country to seek grievance redressal at the pre-litigation stage. Consumers can register their grievances in 17 languages through a toll-free number 1915. Grievances can also be submitted through the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM), an Omni-channel, IT-enabled central portal. Multiple channels are available for this purpose, including WhatsApp (8800001915), SMS (8800001915), email (nch-ca[at]gov[dot]in), the NCH app, the web portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in), and the UMANG App offering flexibility and convenience to consumers.

The Department reiterates its commitment to strengthening consumer protection framework and urges all consumers to actively utilize the helpline to safeguard their rights and seek timely redressal.

Success Stories

In another case, a consumer from Nagpur District, Rajasthan, purchased a DMR washing machine but faced challenges returning the product due to repeated unfulfilled promises from the company regarding pickup and refund. Despite multiple difficulties, the consumer remained determined and sought assistance from NCH. With NCH’s prompt intervention, a refund of Rs. 5,799/- was successfully facilitated within three days. The consumer gratefully acknowledged the support, stating, “I am very satisfied with the way my complaint was handled and promptly addressed.”

A consumer from Korba District in the State of Chhattisgarh approached the helpline with a grievance against an e-commerce company regarding a toy order. The consumer had placed a prepaid order worth ₹1,214 on 08.05.2025 but did not receive the product. Despite contacting the company, the consumer did not get any proper response regarding the non-delivery of the item or the refund. After the matter was taken up by NCH, the company processed the refund of ₹1,214 on 25.05.2025 and confirmed the same to the consumer. The consumer encourage the effective response of NCH to safeguard consumer’s right by stating “I am very happy with this company's service, they solved my problem very quickly”.

In another case from Mumbai, Maharashtra, a consumer ordered groceries through an online platform but received fewer items than expected. Taking swift action, the consumer approached NCH for a refund. With NCH’s prompt support, the refund for the missing goods was successfully processed within just three hours of lodging the grievance. Grateful for the quick resolution, the consumer expressed heartfelt appreciation, saying, “Excellent service! Within 3 hours my problem was resolved and I got my refund. Special thanks to NCH.”

A consumer from Medak District, Telangana, lodged a grievance after receiving a three-star refrigerator instead of the five-star model ordered through an e-commerce platform. Despite repeated delays in product pickup for return, the intervention of the helpline led to a full refund of ₹17,490, with the consumer expressing satisfaction over the swift resolution provided by NCH by stating “I was very happy with the service of NCH. It has resolved my issue fastly”.

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Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

Refunds Press Release