“If there are too many complaints from different sectors, then they will be qualified for a class action. We are keeping a watch on this. We will surely take notice of anything where consumers are getting cheated with misleading discounts,” Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said
New Delhi: The government has received nearly 3,000 complaints from consumers about misleading discounts and unfair pricing practices by retailers after the recent cuts in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Monday.
Speaking at an event, Khare said that complaints are coming in every day, and the ministry is forwarding them to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) for further action.
“Everyday, we are receiving complaints. So far, we have received close to 3,000 consumer complaints. We are sending them to the CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) for further action,” Khare told reporters.
She explained that many of the complaints highlight “dark patterns” in pricing, where retailers are allegedly not passing on the benefits of reduced GST rates to customers.
“If there are too many complaints from different sectors, then they will be qualified for a class action. We are keeping a watch on this. We will surely take notice of anything where consumers are getting cheated with misleading discounts,” Khare added.
To strengthen monitoring, the ministry is using artificial intelligence and chatbot technology to track and analyse complaints across different sectors.
“The focus is on misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices and cases where the benefits of GST cuts are not being reflected in final prices paid by consumers,” she added.
Khare said that if a large number of complaints are received from any particular sector, the government could consider a class action against such practices.
“We will surely take notice of anything where consumers are getting cheated with misleading discounts,” she added.
The complaints come after the GST Council, in its 56th meeting on September 3, approved rate rationalisation across several categories.
The revised GST rates took effect on September 22.