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The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) helped people across India get back Rs 45 crore in refunds during a recent eight-month period.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the helpline successfully solved 67,265 complaints related to refund claims between April 25 and December 26, 2025. This work covered 31 different sectors and helped people get their money back without needing to go to court. The helpline worked as a fast and cheap way to solve problems between customers and companies under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. By solving these issues early, the helpline reduced the work for the regular Consumer Commissions. The e-commerce sector had the highest number of complaints and refunds. In this sector alone, the helpline handled 39,965 complaints and helped return Rs 32 crore to customers. The travel and tourism sector came next, with 4,050 complaints and refunds worth Rs 3.5 crore. Other sectors also saw large refund amounts for consumers. Agency services recorded refunds of Rs 1.34 crore, while electronic products accounted for Rs 1.17 crore. Airlines also returned Rs 95 lakh to passengers through the helpline's help. These top five sectors made up more than 85 per cent of all the refunds given during this time. The government noted that having more than 1,000 partner companies helped the helpline solve these problems more effectively. The release also shared stories on how the helpline helped customers. A consumer from Bangalore bought an internet plan, but it was never installed. Even after four months, the company did not return the money. After the helpline stepped in, the company gave the refund. The consumer said, "It was a good experience. Otherwise, it was difficult to get the amount back." In another case, a person from Chennai cancelled a flight ticket but did not get a refund. The helpline fixed the issue quickly. The consumer stated, "Thanks to NCH for the quick action. Am delighted by your efforts." The service also helped a buyer from Jodhpur who received broken chairs from an online shop. The company cancelled the pickup five times and did not help until the helpline intervened. After getting a full refund, the consumer said, "Thank you so much Consumer Helpline for helping cheated consumers like me... thank you so much." These stories showed that the helpline worked for everyone, from big cities to small villages. Consumers accessed the helpline in 17 different languages. People filed their complaints by calling the toll-free number 1915 or by using the official website. The system also allowed people to use WhatsApp, SMS, the NCH app, or the Umang app to ask for help. The department said it wanted to make the consumer protection rules stronger. It encouraged everyone to use the helpline to protect their rights and get their money back on time. (ANI)
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