- 1.
Wider Definition of 'Consumer': Includes online and offline transactions, direct selling, teleshopping, and multi-level marketing, expanding the scope of protection.
- 2.
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA): Established as a powerful regulatory body with powers to promote, protect, and enforce the rights of consumers, including conducting investigations, ordering recalls of unsafe goods, and imposing penalties for misleading advertisements.
- 3.
Product Liability: Introduces the concept of product liability, holding manufacturers, service providers, and sellers responsible for any harm caused to a consumer by a defective product or deficient service.
- 4.
E-commerce Rules: Specific provisions for e-commerce transactions, mandating disclosure of information, clear return policies, and robust grievance redressal mechanisms for online platforms.
- 5.
Enhanced Pecuniary Jurisdiction: Increased monetary limits for District, State, and National Consumer Commissions to handle disputes, allowing for more efficient case allocation.
- 6.
Mediation as an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR): Provides for mediation as an alternative method for resolving consumer disputes, making the process faster, less formal, and more cost-effective.
- 7.
Unfair Trade Practices: Broadened definition to include refusal to accept goods returned within 30 days, sharing personal information without consent, and promoting misleading advertisements.
- 8.
Rights of Consumers: Enshrines six key consumer rights: right to safety, right to be informed, right to choose, right to be heard, right to seek redressal, and right to consumer education.
- 9.
Filing Complaints Electronically: Consumers can now file complaints electronically and from their place of residence or work, making the redressal process more accessible.
- 10.
Class Action Suits: Allows for class action suits, enabling multiple consumers affected by the same issue to file a single complaint, enhancing collective consumer power.
