File a Consumer Case Online in India: e-Daakhil Steps

Yes — you can file a consumer case online in India. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission runs e-Daakhil, the official portal on which you can draft, file and track a complaint before the District, State or National Consumer Commission without standing in a queue at the office. You still upload the same documents a paper filing needs: the invoice, proof of purchase, any written complaint you sent to the seller, and evidence of the defect or deficiency in service. An advocate is not compulsory, but you must file within two years of the cause of action.

Which commission will hear your case

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 replaced the 1986 Act and set up three tiers of commissions. Which one has jurisdiction over your complaint depends on the value of the goods or the services you paid for — the consideration — and not on how much you lost in the end. The slabs below are the ones notified in 2021. Because the government revises them by notification, confirm the current slab on the portal before you file.

Territorial jurisdiction matters just as much. Under the 2019 Act you may file where the opposite party actually works or carries on business, where the cause of action arose, or — a change from the old law — where you, the complainant, reside or work for gain. That last option is what makes online filing practical even when the seller sits in another state. For an e-commerce purchase the complaint is usually filed where the seller's registered office or warehouse is located, or where you received the goods.

Is your dispute a consumer dispute

Only a consumer can use this route. Under the Act a consumer is a person who buys goods or hires services for consideration, but not for a commercial purpose — that is, not for resale or for running a business. That single line decides more cases than any other. If you bought a machine or a truck for your business, the commission may hold that you are not a consumer and send you to a civil court, where the process is slower and court fees apply.

You must also show a defect in the goods or a deficiency in service, or an unfair or restrictive trade practice. A defect is a fault in the product itself — a phone that stops working, a vehicle with a manufacturing problem. A deficiency is a shortfall in the service you paid for, such as a bank that wrongly debits you, an insurer that rejects a valid claim without reason, or a builder who fails to hand over a flat on time. A mere change of mind after a purchase is not a defect.

Services covered include banking, insurance, telecom, electricity, housing and construction, medical treatment, transport and the fee-related side of education. Goods covered run from a defective phone to a faulty appliance. What matters is that you paid for something and the seller or service provider failed to deliver what was promised, or delivered something defective.

Documents you must upload

e-Daakhil accepts scanned copies. Keep each file clear and within the size limit the portal shows. The core set to gather before you begin:

• Invoice, bill or receipt showing what you bought and what you paid.
• Proof of payment — bank statement, UPI or card statement, or a cash receipt.
• The warranty or guarantee card, and the service or contract documents.
• A copy of the written complaint or notice you sent to the seller or company, and their reply if any. A dated notice is strong evidence that you tried to settle the matter first.
• Photographs or video of the defect, the damage or the incomplete work.
• Where the dispute is technical or medical, an expert's report or the treatment records.
• All e-mails, SMS, WhatsApp chats and call records that show your complaint and the response.
• Your identity proof and address proof, and a memo of parties — the names and full addresses of both sides.

Filing on e-Daakhil, step by step

The order below is the same whatever commission you choose:

1. Open the e-Daakhil portal and register with your mobile number and e-mail. Verify both with the one-time passwords sent to you.
2. Choose the commission that has both pecuniary and territorial jurisdiction. Filing in the wrong commission is the single most common reason a complaint is returned.
3. Enter the facts of the complaint: your name and address, the opposite party's name and address, what happened, the relief you want and the value of your claim.
4. Upload the documents listed above in the formats the portal accepts.
5. Pay the prescribed fee online. The fee is calculated on the value of the goods or services, and the portal shows the exact figure at the payment step.
6. Submit. The portal generates a diary number or case number — save it. Notices and hearing dates then come through the portal and by e-mail or SMS.

Limitation and filing fee

Section 69 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 gives you two years from the date the cause of action arose — usually the date of the defect, the date the service failed, or the date the seller last refused to fix the problem. If you are late you must file a separate application for condonation of delay explaining every day of delay, and the commission may or may not accept it. Delay is fatal in most consumer cases, so do not wait for the company to look into the matter.

The filing fee is not a fixed amount for everyone. It is set by the Consumer Protection (Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions) Rules, 2020 and is graded by the value of the goods or services, rising from a small fee for low-value claims to a higher fee for large ones. Because the schedule is revised, check the fee shown on the portal at the payment step rather than relying on an old figure. Court fee stamps are not used here; the payment is online.

After you file: admission, notice and hearing

Once filed, the commission first considers whether to admit the complaint. If it admits the case, a notice goes to the opposite party, who must file a written reply — ordinarily within 30 days, extendable by another 15 for sufficient cause. The commission may refer the matter to mediation with the consent of both sides. Mediation is quick and free of cost, but it is not compulsory; if it fails the case returns to the commission for hearing.

You attend hearings in person or through video conferencing where the commission allows it. Evidence is usually led by affidavit and documents rather than a full trial, which keeps consumer cases shorter than civil suits. If you win, the order can direct a refund, a replacement, compensation for loss and mental agony, and the cost of the litigation. If you lose, you may appeal to the State Commission within 45 days of the order, and from the State Commission to the National Commission on the same footing.

Common reasons a complaint is returned

Most returns are avoidable:

• Filed before the wrong commission — wrong pecuniary slab or wrong place.
• Fee not paid, or paid short.
• No proof that you complained to the seller before approaching the commission.
• Illegible or incomplete documents, or a missing memo of parties.
• The purchase was for a commercial purpose, so you are not a consumer.
• The complaint is barred by the two-year limitation.

Each of these is curable, but each costs you time and a fresh filing. A short review before you upload saves a return later.

Do you need an advocate for a consumer case

No. The Act and the rules allow a consumer to file and argue in person, and e-Daakhil is built for that. That said, a matter with a large claim, a disputed technical or medical opinion, or a company that brings a team of lawyers is easier with counsel. For a first-time filer the sensible middle path is to have a practising advocate settle the draft complaint, the memo of parties and the list of documents, then file it yourself — or hand over the whole matter. A quick review can be arranged through the free consultation page, and the general services section explains what representation covers.