Consumer Affairs Min may frame norms for online shopping

With increase in number of complaints from people buying products online, the Consumer Affairs Ministry is proposing to frame guidelines for protection of consumers' interest in online shopping.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has been receiving a large number of complaints from consumers making online purchases, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

She said that a large variety of complaints such as non-delivery, delayed delivery, detective products, fake products, violation of warranty or guarantee are received in the department regularly.

"The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is proposing to frame guidelines for protection of consumers' interest in online shopping," she said.

Replying to another question on WTO, she said that India would find it difficult to support a protocol on trade facilitation agreement (TFA) without "an assurance and visible outcomes" on finding a permanent solution on its public food stockholding issue.

After the WTO's Bali meet last year, there has been progress on the TFA but a decision on public food stockholding for food security purposes have been sidelined.

Last year, during the ninth Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Bali, members including India agreed on package comprising an agreement on TF and issues relating to agriculture and development.