Misleading ads: CCPA slaps Rs 77.6 lakh penalty on 24 coaching institutes

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties to the tune of Rs 77,60,000 on 24 coaching institutes for misleading advertisements in the country, the government informed on Tuesday.

CCPA, established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has so far issued 46 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, BL Verma, said the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCE) has also helped students enrolled in coaching centres for civil services, engineering courses, and other programmes, receive compensation for unfulfilled services, late classes, or cancelled courses by coaching institutes.

“The DoCA has successfully secured refunds amounting to Rs 1.56 crore for over 600 aspirants and students in the education sector through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH),” Verma said.

He noted that these students were previously denied rightful refunds despite following the terms and conditions set forth by the coaching institutes.

Besides coaching institutes, the CCPA also taken actions against various entities such as e-commerce platforms, and travel companies, among others.

The regulator took action against e-commerce platforms for affecting consumers, “for violation of consumer rights, false and misleading advertisements, and unfair trade practices”, said Verma.

He added that the list also includes action against the sale of domestic pressure cookers that do not meet compulsory BIS standards on e-commerce platforms.

“Travel companies have refunded Rs. 1,454 crores to consumers for cancelled flights due to the Covid-19 lockdown,” Verma said, citing data till March 20 last year.

“The CCPA has also mandated that these companies update their websites with clear instructions and status updates on refund claims related to cancelled tickets,” the Minister noted.

Further, based on the orders passed by CCPA, “13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been delisted from major e-commerce platforms”.

These products were delisted because they violate consumer rights by “compromising the life and safety of consumers by stopping alarm beep when not wearing seat belts” Verma said.

IANS