Returns and Refunds on Indian Shopping Sites: What the Rules Actually Say

After every festive sale comes the returns season: the kurta that runs a size small, the mixer that arrives with a cracked jar, the refund that says "initiated" for three weeks. What you can insist on depends on one question. Is the product faulty, or did you just change your mind?

Changed your mind? The return policy decides

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 don't give you a right to return a product that is exactly as described. What they do require is that a marketplace shows its "return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment" information clearly (Rule 5(3)(c)), together with each seller's name, address and customer care number.

So the policy on the product page is the deal. "7-day replacement only" on a phone means a replacement for a fault, not a refund because you found it cheaper elsewhere. Read that line before you buy, not after, and take a screenshot if the item is expensive: policies can change. With electronics, the cheapest return is the one you never need, so our guides to Wi-Fi routers and robot vacuums list what to check before ordering.

Faulty, fake or late? You can insist

The rules are firmer here. Under Rule 6(3), a seller cannot refuse to take back goods, or refuse a refund, if they are "defective, deficient or spurious", don't match the description, or arrive late against the stated delivery date.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 backs this up. It treats refusing to take back defective goods and refund the money as an unfair trade practice, and where the bill doesn't say otherwise it sets the period at 30 days (section 2(47)). A "defect" includes any shortcoming in quality, quantity or purity (section 2(10)), so a 1.5-litre jar that is really 1 litre counts.

Two more rules that come up at checkout:

• Cancellation charges: a platform can't charge you for cancelling after you confirm an order unless it bears similar charges itself when it cancels on you (Rule 4(8)).
• Pre-ticked boxes: your consent can't be recorded automatically, "including in the form of pre-ticked checkboxes" (Rule 4(9)). An add-on you never ticked is not something you agreed to.

How long a refund should take

The rules say only that refunds must be made "within a reasonable period of time" (Rule 4(10)). In practice, use the timeline the platform itself states, and hold it to that.

Don't confuse a refund with a failed payment. If money left your account but the order never went through, the RBI's turnaround rules apply: an online card or UPI payment to a merchant must be reversed within five days of the transaction (T+5), and the bank owes you ₹100 for each day after that, without you having to ask. A refund for a returned product is a separate thing, between you and the seller.

When a refund stalls: the complaint ladder

1. The platform's grievance officer. Every e-commerce entity must name one, and they must acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours and resolve it within one month (Rule 4(5)). Use the official complaint form or email, not just chat, and keep the ticket number.
2. The National Consumer Helpline. Call 1915 (8 am to 8 pm), or use WhatsApp or SMS on 8800001915, the NCH app or consumerhelpline.gov.in. It passes your complaint to the company and aims to settle it within 45 days. In 2025, about 29% of its 17.7 lakh complaints were about e-commerce, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs.
3. A consumer commission. Cases go online through the e-Jagriti portal, which replaced e-Daakhil in 2025. The District Commission hears claims up to ₹50 lakh, and filing is free up to ₹5 lakh. You have two years from the problem to file.

From 1 January 2027, amended rules require every platform to join the helpline's system and give you a copy of your complaint as its grievance officer recorded it. That should make step 2 faster.

For a related trap, see our guide to fake discounts and dark patterns in online sales.

Frequently asked questions

Can a seller give me a wallet credit instead of my money back?

For a faulty or wrong item, you are owed a refund, not store credit you didn't choose. If the policy offers a choice, pick the original payment method.

The return window closed before the fault appeared. Am I stuck?

No. A return window covers change-of-mind returns. A genuine defect is covered by the warranty and by the Consumer Protection Act, which has its own time limits.

Sources

1. Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (consolidated text), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, 2020.
2. Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Gazette of India, 2019.
3. Harmonisation of turn around time and customer compensation for failed transactions, Reserve Bank of India, 2019.
4. Year-end review 2025: Department of Consumer Affairs, Press Information Bureau, 2026.
5. Consumer Protection (Consumer Commission Procedure) fee amendment, Gazette of India, 2023.
6. Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Amendment Rules, 2026, Press Information Bureau, 2026.
7. National Consumer Helpline, Department of Consumer Affairs, accessed 2026.