India proposes user safeguard rules for e-commerce platforms

Bangalore: India is proposing a series of consumer safeguards that forbid e-commerce companies such as Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc.-owned Flipkart Online Services Pvt. from influencing pricing, adopting unfair promotion methods or misrepresenting the quality of goods and services.

E-commerce companies must self-declare compliance and also provide a way for customers to contact them directly, said the proposed e-Commerce Guidelines for consumer protection 2019, published on the Department of Consumer Affairs website. The department invited parties to provide feedback by 16 September.

Among the key guidelines are those that require platforms like Amazon and Flipkart to declare all details about their sellers including address, website and email address. The platforms are also required to display terms of contract with the seller relating to return, refund, exchange, warranty, delivery and mode of payments.