Last Updated on March 20, 2024 by Satish Mishra
Every City in India, just like Chandigarh has its own Consumer Court and for those who don’t will have in next few years as consumers are getting aware day by day. To know, whether your city has Consumer Court or not, click here.
Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 1986 to protect consumer interests in India. It provides provision of setting Consumer Redressal Mechanism at City, State and National level. The objectives behind having a legislation like this are:
1. The right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property.
2. The right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services, as the case may be so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices;
3. The right to be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices ;
4. The right to be heard and to be assured that consumer’s interest will receive due consideration at appropriate forums;
5. The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers; and
6. The right to consumer education.
ConfoNet– Computerization and Computer Networking of Consumer Forums in Country . Consumer Forums are quasi-judicial machinery at City, State and National level. EFC (Executive Finance Committee) proposed this turnkey solution of having a three-tier set of consumer forums in the country with linkages to respective state and central governments. The website gives you the access to your case straight away.
Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali has its own consumer court. Consumer awareness is on the rise and you must exercise your rights when it is required.
Filing a Consumer case is very easy and convenient. For best results, you must engage a professional Advocate from Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Zirakpur, Derbassi or nearbuy areas to get you the desired results.
There are times when we are so frustrated when cheated, fooled or debunked by the Sellers, Companies, Agents and sometimes Brands. An Advocate can contest your case anywhere in Consumer Court of Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali. A professional consumer case specialist can handle wide range of cases including consumer fraud, faulty product, medical negligence, misleading ads, unfriendly/unhealthy practices and many more.
Things to know before filing a Consumer Case:
- Place– Where you purchased the item will decide your consumer court. If you are buying online, then your place of residence where you will file the case, simple. If you are travelling and then you purchased a faulty product, then still the place of purchase is the one where you will file the case. If you still have confusion, best is speak to an expert consumer court lawyer in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Zirakpur, Derabassi or nearbuy areas.
- Level– Whether I should file in District Forum, State Commission or National Commission? The criteria is solely based on the amount you are claiming. Here are the slabs:
- Total Amount claimed (including the article price) is between 0-20 lacs- District forum
- 20 lacs- 1 crore- State Commission
- Above 1 crore- National Commission
- Court Fees-Court fees can be paid through postal order, DD or depositing the bank challan in Forum’s name. It varies from place to place but usually the District forum structure is like this:
I.Claim of 1 lac- Rs 100
II.Claim of 2 lacs- Rs 200
III.Claim of 5 lacs- Rs 300
IV.Claim of 10 lacs- Rs 400
V.Claim till 20 lacs- Rs 500
After that State Commission rates apply. It can be around Rs 5000 for 50 lacs or more. The best is to consult a local Consumer Court lawyer or Consumer Court Matters specialist who will help you get the justice if the stakes are too high.
- Party– The biggest confusion out of all. Who to make party. The one I have purchased my product or the manufacturer itself or may be the faulty brand. Infact, you can make both the parties here. In case of confusion, it is always best to consult a Consumer Cases Specialist from your Region as they can get the relief as soon as possible.
- Time– The limitation of a consumer case is 2 years so you have to file your case before that. As per the statute your case has to be decided in 160 days of Opposite party receiving your notice.
Now there must be many questions which you want to answer before approaching the court. Let’s answer it for you.
1 Will I have to go to court?
Yes, initially but you can always engage a lawyer, if you want to keep daily track of your case. Hiring a professional Consumer Court Advocate can always benefit you since he will bring his expertise and can get the relief as soon as possible. Also, the more stronger you build your case, the chances of you getting a higher compensation is there.
I recently got my client Rs 50 k compensation for receiving a faulty mobile from a renowned brand. So, thinks twice on it.
2 In how much time court will decide the matter?
Times have changed so as courts. Consumer Courts of India are infact the fastest courts in giving speedy decisions. The courts are mostly Consumer pro and decide the matter in 6 months to one year. Definitely it depends on the matter as well, goes without saying it. A simple faulty washing machine will take less time than a proving a medical negligence case.
3 How much fees will the advocate be charging?
Relax! Consumer courts lawyer or Advocates don’t charge you that much high fees. They charge you when they bring you results. So the total fees depends on how much claim are you seeking from the court. A typical professional advocate may charge you anywhere around 10-15 K for any petty matter. Rest, it totally depends on the case and effort the lawyer will be putting in your case.
4 Can I Get the Refund?
Yes, you can! If this is what you are seeking from the court. You can either ask for the refund, replacement with interest plus damages, compensation for harassment, mental agony with all the litigation expenses. So, in all the probabilities, if you are dragging the party to court, you will get the benefit.
5 Can I get the Free advice or Free Consultation online?
I am not sure about the free part but yes the consultation and advice can easily be procured online. There are many platforms like LawRato, Sulekha, JustDial, PathLegal, or Quikr where you can seek professional advice from one of the top consumer court protection lawyers in Chandigarh, Panchkula ,Mohali and Zirakpur.
6 Is it better to send Legal Notice first?
It is highly recommended but not a statutory requirement to send a legal notice prior to filing of case. It is better you take the help of a professional consumer court lawyer to draft the legal notice for you.
7 Is Real Estate matters are now covered under Consumer Courts?
As per the latest amendment, all new grievances/issues against the Builder will be filed in RERA forum (Real Estate Regulatory Act). The pending issues which have been field earlier will be decided by the consumer courts only. The current RERA functions from Chandigarh Housing Board office and all new complaints be registered there.The maximum cases in consumer courts were against the Realtors previously which will go down with coming in of RERA.
What Cases are covered under Consumer Protection Act
Consumer case can be against a courier company for late delivery or no delivery, faulty product from a website or a local shop, recovering a fee from an institution who is not good, Wrong pricing of goods, false or misleading advertising, wrong billing, medical negligence, or any industry where you are purchasing the goods for own use and consumption.
Consumer courts deny benefits to the person purchasing goods either for the purpose of resale, or for the purpose of being used in profit making activity engaged on any scale. If the article is purchased for the consumption of business, then it can be included in the ambit of consumer courts.
ADDRESS OF CONSUMER COURTS IN CHANDIGARH
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum– Sector 19-B, Plot no. 5-B, Madhya Marg.
State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission– Sector 19-B, Plot no. 5-B, Madhya Marg.
ADDRESSES OF CONSUMER COURTS IN PANCHKULA
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum- Sector 14, Sco 208, Panchkula
State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission- Bays No. 3 – 6, Sector – 4, Panchkula – 134 112 (Haryana)
ADDRESSES OF CONSUMER COURTS IN Mohali
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum- SCF 72, S.A.S Nagar, Phase 2, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab
State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission- Plot No. 1037, Sector – 37A, Dakshan Road, Chandigarh
To visit State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission across India, visit their website at
