New Delhi: About 46 per cent of Indian consumers are stuck with one or more high-value products that have inherent defects, according to a survey by community platform LocalCircles.
The survey also found that 94 per cent consumers wanted the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to take suo motu action against brands selling defective products.
The nationwide survey received over 28,000 responses from consumers across 355 districts of India.
A large number of Indian consumers buy a variety of high-value products, including automobiles, gadgets, whitegoods, electronics, appliances, etc. The survey has found that Indian consumers continue to deal with defective products and often struggle to find the appropriate redressal mechanism.
Among the consumers who had one or more inherently defective products, purchased in the last two years, three in 10 could not get the brands to fix the products and had to either buy a replacement or get it repaired locally, sell or dispose of it.
A large number of consumers surveyed also said that after-sale service in India is largely broken.
The CCPA is empowered to take class action against brands on behalf of consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The authority is meant to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class, with powers to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices. It can also initiate class action, including enforcing a recall, processing refund and return of products.