Centre plans to amend consumer laws
Centre Plans to Amend Consumer Laws. Aiming at empowering consumers, Centre is planning to amend related laws. The amendments include allowing customers to file case against sellers from their place of residence, source said.
To empower consumers seeking grievance redressal
- They can file cases from the place of their residence
- In case of Rs 2 lakh value, advocates not permitted to represent both – buyers and sellers
- To enable mediation between the parties except in specific cases
- To bring e-commerce cos, other service providers like Rlys, courier firms under purview of law
New Delhi: Aiming at empowering consumers, Centre is planning to amend related laws. The amendments include allowing customers to file case against sellers from their place of residence, source said.
As per the current norms, the consumers can file cases only at the place of transaction. And also he needs to engage lawyers to represent him in the consumer forums. The proposed amendment will also do away with the engagement of lawyer, with a rider that if the goods or services are valued at less than Rs 2 lakh.
The objective for bringing in amendments is to protect consumer rights by simplifying the judicial process to ensure speedy and inexpensive justice.
"No lawyers shall be permitted for both the parties (consumers and sellers) if the value of good or service is less than Rs 2 lakh," the source said, adding that mediation between both the parties would be allowed except in certain cases. The amended Act is likely to have provisions to cover e-commerce Cos and some other service providers like Rlys, courier firms.
Sources further said the Central Consumer Protection Authority is like an investigating agency, which will take up cases suo moto or complaints involving more than one person. "The authority would have the power to fix liability in case complaints are related to e-commerce," a source said.
