Nearly 20 lakh complaints were filed against e-commerce and quick commerce platforms over five years, with complaints more than doubling in 2025, highlighting persistent issues in consumer redressal and rising cases of counterfeit goods.
Nearly 20 lakh complaints were filed on the National Consumer Helpline against e-commerce and quick commerce platforms over the past five years, according to data placed in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The figures show a steep rise in grievances, with annual complaints more than doubling from 2,24,592 in 2021 to 5,11,198 in 2025. Flipkart and Amazon remained the two most complained-about platforms throughout the period.
The trend points to a persistent strain in consumer redressal as online shopping has expanded. The data shows complaints rose to 3,65,370 in 2022 and 4,46,133 in 2023 before easing slightly to 4,40,187 in 2024, then reaching a five-year peak in 2025. MediaNama reported in December 2024 that Flipkart led all e-commerce firms in consumer grievances in the 2023-24 financial year, with 1,60,857 complaints, marking a fourth straight year at the top.
Earlier evidence suggests the problems are not limited to isolated delivery failures. A 2021 Business Standard report said the helpline had registered 5,12,919 e-commerce complaints between April 2019 and November 2021, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka and West Bengal accounting for the largest shares. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 require platforms to disclose seller information clearly and appoint grievance officers, but consumer groups have continued to report weak resolution rates. The Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group said its analysis of complaints from 2021-22 found that only 3.1% were resolved through persistent engagement with platform grievance cells.
The nature of the complaints also appears to be worsening. Hindustan Times reported that more than 17,500 cases involving counterfeit or substandard goods have been recorded since 2022, including 7,221 in the first half of 2025 alone. Separate cases have also raised questions about accountability in online marketplaces. In one recent Mumbai case, a district consumer commission ordered Flipkart and a local seller to compensate a customer who had ordered an iPhone but received beard oil instead, underscoring the extent to which large platforms can be drawn into disputes over failed or fraudulent transactions.
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