Many online shopping portals
have made their online presence recently .The recent trend suggests that this
phenomenon is going to stay for long for various inherent advantages available
for consumers. Let’s see what those advantages are.
1) People can identify the
products sitting comfortably in cozy and homely atmosphere of their home or
office and all family members can enjoy shopping.
2) They can compare various
features of the products at one location and without interference of anyone,
who can influence their selection.
3) They can clarify their
doubts and fully satisfy themselves prior to finalizing the products.
4) They can see all
available colors/designs and make final selection.
5) They can see various
ratings like customer satisfaction, delivery time etc. about the intended
purchasing and then finalize the same.
6) They can even see the
products catalogue which they will never be shown in any shop either due to
various reasons including financial or social status etc.
7) They get huge discounts
on various products due to elimination of Distributor/Dealer network and many
promotional ongoing schemes which rarely reach to the end users etc.
8) Many products provide
for free trial for specified time period without any additional charges in case
consumer wants to return the product.
9) Free home delivery is
available and payment on delivery facility is also available on many products.
10) It saves travelling
time/parking tensions/rush at busy hours and long wait for being served by
salesman etc.
11) They may even get 15-20
days payment credit by some shopping portals and also some reward points etc.
So when such huge advantages
are available for consumers why someone will complain about the very existence
of online portals? But there is darker side of these online shopping portals
also which needs to be brought to notice of the consumers.
Though advantages of online
shopping portals can not be undermined there are some inherent risks and which
needs to be highlighted.
1) How many people can make
a choice about which is safe portal and which is unsafe?
2) How many people know
that there are many fraudulent online shopping portals in existence?
3) How many of us believe
that there are legal provisions for regularizing the online shopping portals?
4) How many of us know that
many web portals are selling stolen or counterfeit goods?
5) How many of us are sure
about the quality or genuineness about the products sold through online
portals?
6) How many of us know what
remedy is available if something goes wrong while carrying out online shopping?
7) How many of us are sure
that details provided by us to the online shopping portals will not be misused?
And what if the details contain your sensitive personal information including
your banking details etc.?
8) Are there any provisions
for mentioning names and physical addresses of administrator, compliance or
grievance officer etc. on online shopping portals?
9) When consumers are
cheated by such on line transactions is there any mechanism in place or any
remedial measures available to consumers?
10) How to find out authenticity
and reliability of any website?
11) What precautions should
be taken for safe online payment transfer?
12) Do police entertain
complaints against online shopping frauds or cite inability to act due to
geographical constraints?
13) Like Consumer protection
act do consumers have any grievance redressal mechanism available in case of
online shopping complaint?
14) Does online shopping
portals are subject to any taxes from Government?
15) Does there is scope for
Tax evasion by this medium?
16) Does there is
prohibition of sale of banned items through online portals in specific
geography? Can it be effectively monitored?
17) Does Government have any
monitoring mechanism to control or regulate Online shopping mechanism?
18) Does online portals
violate of principles of Fundamental Rights of Equality as they don’t have any
regulatory mechanism whereas offline Retailers/Traders have been subjected to
various regulatory mechanisms like shop and establishment act, registration of
firms etc.
19) Does online shopping
portals are a posing a big threat to various self employed
Distributors/Dealers/Retailers/Resellers/Vendors/Hawkers and many more sections
of the society? Will this lead to serious unemployment problem in India?
20) Do we face risk of Data
invasion while shopping through online portals? Does our digital footprints are
saved and processed for our own exploitation?
21) What rights these
shopping portals have to invade into someone’s Privacy?
More and more such questions needs to be answered.
The online shopping portals are
new welcome phenomenon but it should be monitored and controlled so as to
protect rights of consumers. For offline stores there are various legal
provisions but for online shopping portals there are none and these amounts to
discrimination which needs serious debate and discussions.
My sincere urge is for healthy
discussion about the existing provisions for hosting and conducting business
through online shopping portals and in case of non availability of such rules
and regulations how to frame the necessary regulations at the earliest in the
interest of protection of various consumers from such few fraudulent online
shopping portals.
