Consumer Complaint Ignored? RTI to Accelerate Resolution

Part of Pillar 1 — RTI for Daily Life Problems. See also general RTI for ignored complaints.

• Seller refuses to honour warranty / replacement / refund.
• NCH complaint logged at consumerhelpline.gov.in → “resolved” status without action.
• e-Daakhil case admitted at District Commission but hearing dates not scheduled.
• State Commission appeal pending indefinitely.
• Advocacy / mediation offered but terms not communicated.

• NCH complaint number older than 30 days without substantive response.
• District Commission case admitted but no hearing date in 60 days.
• Consumer Commission order not implemented by the seller.
• Mediation cell silent after referral.
• You suspect the complaint was closed without your consent.

• NCH complaint reference: action-taken record, escalation to regulator.
• District Commission: case number, next hearing date, counsel representation.
• Commission Registry: cause list, stay / interim orders, respondent's appearance.
• Mediation cell: assignment of mediator, current stage.
• Execution of orders: recovery-certificate status.
• Grievance officer / Appeal route.

• NCH grievance → CPIO, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, via rtionline.gov.in.
• District / State Commission → CPIO of the Commission Registry (state RTI portal).
• National Commission → CPIO, NCDRC, New Delhi via rtionline.gov.in.

Rs. 10; BPL free.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
[Department of Consumer Affairs / Consumer Commission Registry],
[Address]

Subject: Information under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, regarding my consumer complaint.

Sir/Madam,

I, [Name], resident of [Address], submit:

NCH docket / Commission case number: ________
Date of complaint / filing: ________
Seller / opposite party: ________
Nature of dispute: [product / service / deficiency / unfair trade]
Relief claimed: ________

Please provide:

1. Current status of the complaint / case in the Department's / Commission's system.
2. Action Taken Report (ATR) — all communications issued, their dates, and to whom.
3. If referred to the seller / service provider, the seller's response on record.
4. If referred for mediation, the mediator assigned, and the current stage.
5. For Commission cases: case number, bench assigned, cause-list entries, next hearing date, interim orders.
6. Execution / enforcement status of any order passed.
7. If the complaint has been "closed" without substantive resolution, the grounds recorded and the approving officer.
8. Procedure and timeline for escalation.
9. Grievance officer and First Appellate Authority contact.
10. Average disposal time for similar complaints at this Department / Commission.

I enclose IPO No. __________ for Rs. 10.
I declare I am an Indian citizen.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Date, Place]

1. Complaint/case status.
2. Action Taken Report.
3. Seller response.
4. Mediator assignment.
5. Next hearing date.
6. Enforcement of order.
7. Grounds if closed.
8. Escalation procedure.
9. FAA contact.
10. Average disposal time.

• Day 0–10 RTI routed.
• Day 10–25 Department pulls complaint file; many NCH cases revive during this window.
• Day 30 Reply mandatory.
• Day 30+ First Appeal + escalation to sector regulator (BIS, IRDAI, TRAI, RBI-IS) where applicable.

• Filing at NCDRC for a District Commission case.
• Not citing the NCH docket.
• Asking the seller directly via RTI — private sellers are not public authorities.
• Ignoring parallel regulator-grievance channels.

• Parallel complaints: sector regulator (TRAI / IRDAI / RBI-IS / BIS) + NCH + District Commission — pick your strongest venue.
• For e-commerce disputes, capture screenshots of order + communication; attach to the RTI.
• For Commission orders not implemented, request a recovery certificate via the Commission's execution petition.

Q1. Can I RTI a private seller?
No. But you can RTI the regulator / Consumer Commission that handles disputes.

Q2. What's the Consumer Protection Act SLA?
The 2019 Act requires District Commission disposal “as expeditiously as possible, typically within 3 months” (5 months if experts).

Q3. Can NCH force a seller to refund?
NCH has moral but not legal compulsion; District Commission has enforcement power.

Q4. Is there a fee for Consumer Commission filing?
For claims ≤ Rs. 5 lakh, typically Rs. 100; higher slabs escalate. RTI fee is separate.

Consumer complaints stall in the gap between NCH persuasion and Commission adjudication. RTI illuminates where your case sits and who is handling it — often enough for resolution.

• Pillar 1 — Daily Life
• RTI for ignored complaints
• RTI vs grievance portals
• File RTI online

• Consumer Protection Act, 2019
• NCDRC procedural rules
• National Consumer Helpline

Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.