Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1.14
1.15 WHAT IS COMPLAINT Para 2.2
2.3 Complainant
Complaint can be filed by ‘complainant’.
“Complainant” means - (i) a consumer; or (ii) any voluntary consumer
association registered under any law for the time being in force; or (iii)
the Central Government or any State Government; or (iv) the Central
Authority; or (v) one or more consumers, where there are numerous
consumers having the same interest; or (vi) in case of death of a
consumer, his legal heir or legal representative; or (vii) in case of a
consumer being a minor, his parent or legal guardian - Section 2(5) of
Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
(i) buys any goods for a consideration which has been paid or
promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any
system of deferred payment and includes any user of such
goods other than the person who buys such goods for
consideration paid or promised or partly paid or partly promised,
or under any system of deferred payment, when such use is
made with the approval of such person, but does not include a
person who obtains such goods for resale or for any commercial
purpose; or
(ii) hires or avails of any service for a consideration which has been
paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under
any system of deferred payment and includes any beneficiary
of such service other than the person who hires or avails of the
services for consideration paid or promised, or partly paid and
partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment,
when such services are availed of with the approval of the first
mentioned person, but does not include a person who avails of
such service for any commercial purpose.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause,— (a) the expression
“commercial purpose” does not include use by a person of goods
bought and used by him exclusively for the purpose of earning his
livelihood, by means of self-employment (b) the expressions “buys any
goods” and “hires or avails any services” includes offline or online
transactions through electronic means or by teleshopping or direct
selling or multi-level marketing - Explanation to Section 2(7) of
Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Direct selling - “direct selling” means marketing, distribution and sale
of goods or provision of services through a network of sellers, other
than through a permanent retail location - Section 2(13) of Consumer
Protection Act, 2019.
Seller is not a consumer - A seller of goods is not a ‘consumer’ as
purchaser is not supposed to provide any service to seller - Larsen &
Toubro Ltd. v. SCDRC AIR 1998 Cal 313.
Franchise is not consumer - Franchise holder who is maintaining
STD/PCO office is licensee of the grantor of franchiser. The service
is really provided by franchiser and not by franchise to final con-
sumer. The franchisee is not consumer - General Manager, Madras
Telephones v. R Kannan I (1994) CPJ 14 (NCDRC). Franchisee of
computer training institute is not a consumer. - Softpec Software v.
Digital Equipment II (2002) CPJ 5 (NCDRC).
Para 2.4 WHAT IS CONSUMER DISPUTE 1.18
= 84 Comp. Cas. 121 (SC), it has been held that Consumer Forums
have power to decide whether a person is a consumer and whether he
has made grounds for relief.
fee could itself be deficiency in service. [In this case, absence of lawyer
due to strike of lawyers was highly depreciated].
Accepting deposit from public is service - Accepting deposit from
public agreeing to pay interest is ‘service’. If interest and principal is
not paid on due dates, it is deficiency of service and Consumer forums
can issue orders for payment of outstanding dues. - Neela Vasant Raje
v. Amogh Industries 1993(3) CPJ 261 (NCDRC) - similar views in K
Kasi Annapurna v. Smt. Vemuri Bharathi - (1996) 8 SCL 5 (NCDRC)
= (1996) CPT 3 (NCDRC) * Kalawati v. United Vaish I (2002) CPJ 71
(NCDRC).
Share broker services covered - Share brokers sell and purchase
shares. They provide the service and charge commission for the same.
Hence, their services are covered under CPA. - Indravadan Choksy v.
Hitesh Dineshchandra Mali (1994) 1 SCL 92 (GSCDRC- Gujarat
State).
Provident Fund services under EPF Act covered - Regional Provi-
dent Fund Commissioner (RPFC) is providing service under Employ-
ees Provident Fund Act. Hence, RPFC is liable for deficiency in
service. However, subscriber under State General Provident Act/
Rules is not a ‘consumer’ as the Accountant General who is maintain-
ing the accounts, is discharging a statutory function. - RPFC v. Shiv
Kumar Joshi 1996 LLR 641 = (1996) 4 CTJ 805 (NCDRC) - confirmed
in RPFC v. Shiv Kumar Joshi (2000) 1 SCC 98 = 1999 AIR SCW 4456
= 99 Comp Cas 347 = AIR 2000 SC 331 = 2000 LLR 217 = 24 SCL 46
(SC) - followed in RPFC v. Bhavani Mangat Ram (2008) 7 SCC 96 =
2008 LLR 661 = AIR 2008 SC 2957.
ESIC services covered - In Kishore Lal v. Chairman, ESIC 2007 LLR
740 = 80 SCL 108 (Mag) (SC 3 member bench), it has been held that
medical service rendered by ESIC is ‘service’ and consumer forums
have jurisdiction to adjudicate dispute between insured and ESIC.