The Government has notified new rules for e-commerce corporations, together with a necessary show of ‘country of origin’ on their product, and said any non-compliance can attract penal action.
The government has announced the new rule i.e ‘Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020’. This new rule applies to all or any electronic retailers who have registered themselves in India or abroad. However, giving goods and services to Indian customers can violate the principles that attract penal action under the buyer Protection Act, 2019. According to the new rules, the e-commerce corporations have to show the entire value of goods and services offered for sale along with other charges applicable to that product.
E-commerce companies have to mention the ‘expiry date’ and ‘country of origin’ of products offered for sale and that are necessary for enabling the buyer to make an informed decision at the pre-purchase stage. Under the rules, e-commerce players need to show the details including the return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, and other data that may be required by customers to make wise choices.
Sellers who are offering goods and services through a marketplace, have to give the above details to the e-commerce entity and they have to update these details on its platform or website.
As per the new rules, e-commerce companies have to mention the “\cancellation charges on customers in case of canceling an order after it is confirmed. Unless the sellers are ready to pay similar charges for the cancellation of orders from their side. Also, the companies are not allowed to manipulate the price of the products and services, served by their platform to gain unreasonable profit. Any type of discrimination between customers of the same class or create any arbitrary classification of consumers affecting their rights under the Act are prohibited.
