During the commission hearing, a customer filed a complaint asserting that the delay in receiving a refund constituted “deficiency in service” and requested compensation. The complainant further contended that Amazon fails to provide any receipt upon the return of orders.
Because Amazon’s written statement was submitted after the statutory period, the commission ruled that it would not be considered and denied Amazon the chance to present evidence, stated the ToI news report. The other party, Appario Retail, failed to appear despite being served a notice, leading to proceedings against them in absentia. Highlighting that the customer’s laptop was delivered on October 29, 2021, and picked up ten days later despite a return request made on the delivery day, the commission noted an email from December 2021 wherein Amazon notified the complainant that the pick-up had not been confirmed.
The commission, based on Amazon’s “Conditions of Use and Conditions of Sale between Seller and Customer”, stated that the e-commerce platform was the principal seller and Appario was its agent. According to the panel, Amazon does not have any “foolproof grievance redressal mechanism” and there is “nothing on record that shows details of its officers or of the seller”.
The commission issued a specific directive to Amazon, requiring the company to ensure that receipts for pick-up items are provided to customers. Additionally, Amazon was instructed to display on its website the details of officers responsible for addressing customer grievances.