E-commerce cos will have to protect customer info: Ministry of Consumer Affairs

New Delhi: Ecommerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart will have to ensure that personally identifiable information of customers are protected, according to the draft of E-Commerce Guidelines for Consumer Protection 2019 issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

The draft guidelines also stipulate that an ecommerce firm will be held guilty of contributory or secondary liability if it makes an assurance vouching for the authenticity of the goods sold on its market place – or if it guarantees that goods are authentic, the proposed draft says.

It also states that if the ecommerce entity is informed by the consumer or comes to know by itself or through another source about any counterfeit product being sold on its platform, and is satisfied after due diligence, it shall notify the seller and if the seller is unable to provide any evidence that the product is genuine, it shall take down the said listing and notify the consumers of the same.

The ministry has also invited from the stakeholders on various aspects of the draft guidelines within 45 days, latest by 16th September, 2019.

The draft also spells out a redressal process for consumers making it mandatory for ecommerce firms to publish on their website the name of the grievance officer with their contact details as well as mechanism by which users can notify their complaints about products and services availed through their web site.

The grievance officer shall redress the complaints within one month from the date of receipt of complaint. They have to provide facility to consumers to register their complaints over phone, email or website and shall provide complaint number for tracking the complaint.