The amended Consumer Protection Act, 2019
The Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Lok Sabha on Jul 30, 2019, and Rajya Sabha on Aug 06, 2019. This bill was introduced in the parliament by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan. The New Act seeks to replace the more than 3 (three) decades old Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (Act). Set out below are some of the Key Highlights of the New Act: - Covers E-Commerce Transactions: The New Act has widened the definition of 'consumer'. The definition now includes any person who buys any goods, whether through offline or online transactions, electronic means, teleshopping, direct selling or multi-level marketing. The earlier Act did not specifically include e-commerce transactions, and this lacuna has been addressed by the New Act. - Enhancement of Pecuniary Jurisdiction: Revised pecuniary limits have been fixed under the New Act. Accordingly, the district forum can now entertain consumer complaints where the v...