New August 17 : The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an order regarding the violations of consumer rights by the e-commerce platform Flipkart to allow the sale of domestic pressure cookers in violation of the mandatory standards.According to CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare Nidhi Khare, the CCPA has ordered Flipkart to inform consumers of the 598 pressure cookers it sells on its website, to recall the pressure cookers, and pay their cost to consumers and submit a conformity report of the same within 45 days.
The company was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs .1,00,000 for allowing the sales of these pressure cookers on its online marketplace and for violating the right of consumers.
The Central government periodically is notified of Quality Control Orders specifying compulsory conformity to a standard as well as the use of the standard mark of products to safeguard consumers from the risk of being injured or hurt and in the best interest of the public at large.
The Domestic Pressure Cooker (Quality Control) order that took effect on February 1st, 2021, requires the conformity with IS 2347:2017 for all domestic pressure cookers.
Therefore, from the 1st of February, 2021 all pressure cookers have to be in compliance with IS 2347:2017.Due diligence must be performed regardless of regardless of whether the cookers are available for sale on the internet or offline.
The CCPA observed that there are provisions in the ‘Flipkart Terms of use’, for instance, the obligatory inclusion of the words “Powered by Flipkart’ on every invoice of the product, and identifying sellers as silver, gold and bronze to facilitate distribution of different benefits demonstrates the importance that is played by Flipkart in sale of the pressure cookers through its online marketplace.
Flipkart admittedly earned a total profit of 1,84,263 rupees through the sales of these pressure cookers on its online marketplace.
It was pointed out by CCPA that when Flipkart has made money commercially by the selling of these pressure cookers, it cannot be exempt from the responsibility and accountability that comes from the consequences of the sale of these cookers to consumers.
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