A useful complaint makes three things easy to understand: what you bought, what went wrong and what you want done. Start by organising those facts. Then choose the correct route rather than sending the same long account to every website with “consumer” in its name.
There is an important update for anyone searching for e-Daakhil. The official e-Jagriti portal states that e-Daakhil and other existing consumer case systems were incorporated into e-Jagriti from 1 January 2025. The older address, edaakhil.nic.in, belongs to the previous service; use the current e-Jagriti platform and its instructions for commission filing.
Understand NCH and a consumer commission
The National Consumer Helpline's own explanation describes NCH as a pre-litigation grievance mechanism. It forwards grievances to the relevant company, agency or regulator and records responses. Registration does not guarantee the requested remedy. If dissatisfied, the consumer can approach the appropriate consumer commission.
Consumer commissions are the adjudicatory route. The Department of Consumer Affairs describes their powers to provide relief and, where appropriate, compensation. Treat an NCH docket and a commission case reference as different records. Do not assume that creating the first has automatically filed the second.
Prepare a compact evidence folder
Our suggested folder has an invoice, order confirmation, payment evidence, relevant listing screenshots, photographs of the problem and correspondence. Add service reports or pickup acknowledgements if available. Give files descriptive names and keep originals unchanged. Make a short timeline with purchase, delivery, discovery of the problem and each attempt to resolve it.
- Identify the seller's legal name from the invoice and separately identify the marketplace or service provider involved.
- Describe the mismatch or defect precisely, including model or order references where relevant.
- State the remedy requested: for example, return and refund, replacement, completion of service or correction of a charge.
- List the documents supporting each important statement, rather than uploading unrelated screenshots.
- Keep passwords, card security codes and unrelated transactions out of the complaint material.
Before escalating, send the business a concise written complaint through its official support or grievance channel. Save the acknowledgement and response. This is practical preparation, not a claim that every consumer case requires an identical prior-notice procedure. If deadlines or the correct parties are uncertain, obtain advice before allowing correspondence to drag on.
Register with National Consumer Helpline
The verified channels are 1915, consumerhelpline.gov.in and WhatsApp 8800001915. These appear on the official NCH website. The Department's NCH page describes INGRAM as the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism connecting its complaint channels.
For the web route, open the official site and choose Consumer Login. New users can follow the registration form, which requests contact details and account credentials. The login page also provides OTP access. Follow the current screen prompts rather than assuming an older screenshot shows the same interface.
Enter the grievance details and attach supporting documents as described in NCH's registration instructions. For WhatsApp, the Department's published steps cover location, sector, grievance category, company, description and documents, ending with a docket number. By phone, explain the same facts and ask the agent to confirm your reference.
Review the company selection carefully. If a marketplace and seller have similar trading names, consult your invoice and ask NCH for help instead of choosing an unrelated company. Save the submitted wording and docket number. Use the same timeline when you follow up so that your account remains consistent across channels.
Write a complaint someone can act on
Illustrative example, not a real complaint: “I ordered a blue mixer from the seller identified on the attached invoice. A different model arrived. I reported the mismatch through the order's support channel, but the request was closed without collection. I request collection of the incorrect item and a refund. Attached are the invoice, photographs showing the model and the support response.”
Replace every detail with your own evidence. Explain the present obstacle: no pickup, rejected replacement, incomplete repair or a refund that has not appeared. Avoid unsupported accusations about intent. If the company gives a reason for refusal, quote only the necessary part and explain why your documents contradict it.
Track the grievance and assess the response
NCH supplies a unique docket and updates the action taken against the grievance. Its FAQ says the process may take up to 30 days to reach a logical conclusion; that is not a promise of payment or a binding decision in your favour. The tracking page requests the docket and registered contact details.
Compare the response with the requested outcome. “Refund initiated” and money received are separate things to verify. Keep any promised date, collection reference or proposed settlement. If still unresolved, preserve the NCH history for the next step rather than repeatedly rewriting the complaint from memory.
Choose the commission using the correct limits
For ordinary original consumer complaints, the 2021 jurisdiction rules, rules 3 to 5, use the value of goods or services paid as consideration. They prescribe these pecuniary limits, subject to the other provisions of the Act:
- District Commission: consideration paid does not exceed Rs 50 lakh.
- State Commission: consideration paid exceeds Rs 50 lakh but does not exceed Rs 2 crore.
- National Commission: consideration paid exceeds Rs 2 crore.
Do not select the level merely by adding the compensation you hope to claim. Territorial jurisdiction is a separate question: section 34(2) of the 2019 Act includes the district where the complainant resides or personally works for gain. Appeals and complaints specifically against unfair contracts have separate provisions; obtain advice if that describes your case.
File through e-Jagriti
Register or sign in at e-Jagriti and consult its official Consumer Complaint filing manual. The documented sequence starts with File New Case and Consumer Complaint, then displays documents and fees. It asks for case details, amounts, cause-of-action date, location and party details.
The manual then covers document uploads, commission selection, declarations, preview and final submission. Listed documents include an index, synopsis, party details, affidavit and annexures, with representation documents where applicable. Follow the live requirements for your filing; clarify any document you do not understand before submitting. The manual warns that the form cannot be edited after final submission and shows generation of a reference number.
Check that the complaint, requested relief and uploaded evidence agree. Confirm addresses for the parties and that scans are readable. Save the final submission and reference. Afterwards, monitor the case and respond to any required corrections or directions; do not regard a saved draft as completed filing.
Check fees and limitation separately
The official 2022 fee-table amendment states a nil filing fee where consideration paid is up to Rs 5 lakh. Higher bands carry specified fees. Consult that table and the portal's applicable payment instructions for your case. A filing fee is separate from any professional or document-preparation cost.
Under section 69 of the 2019 Act, the ordinary limitation period is two years from when the cause of action arose, with delayed admission possible on sufficient cause and recorded reasons. Do not assume an NCH grievance pauses that clock. Seek advice promptly if the relevant date or an approaching deadline is uncertain.
Related reading: to avoid a dispute in the first place, use our checklist for checking whether an online seller is genuine. If your problem is a failed payment rather than the product, see our failed payment refund guide, which covers RBI's deadlines and the RBI Ombudsman route.
Quick checklist
- Have I identified the correct seller and other relevant parties?
- Does my timeline match the invoice, photographs and correspondence?
- Have I stated a specific remedy and retained the NCH docket?
- If filing a case, have I checked jurisdiction, limitation, documents and fees?
- Have I completed final submission and saved its reference?
For a marketplace purchase, use our defective or wrong-product returns guide to organise the initial support request.
Sources
Official sources checked on 15 October 2026. This is procedural information, not a prediction about the result of an individual dispute.
