Consumer Watchdog Cracks Down on Unauthorized Walkie-Talkie Sales Online

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has initiated action against e-commerce platforms for selling unauthorized walkie-talkies, violating the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Penalties worth Rs 44 lakh were imposed on eight entities, including Flipkart, Amazon, and Meesho, for facilitating non-compliant sales without necessary licensing and certification.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken decisive action against several e-commerce platforms, including Flipkart, Amazon, and Meesho, for listing and selling unauthorized walkie-talkies. This move, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and telecom regulations, resulted in penalties totaling Rs 44 lakh across eight entities.

The authority identified over 16,970 non-compliant listings, discovering violations of the Equipment Type Approval (ETA) requirements and improper disclosure of licensing. Notably, Flipkart and Amazon incurred sales of thousands of unauthorized units, prompting CCPA to impose steep penalties of Rs 10 lakh each to ensure consumer rights protection.

The CCPA also released new guidelines to bolster e-commerce platform accountability, mandating requirements for frequency compliance verification, ETA certification, and comprehensive licensing disclosure. This regulatory effort aims to prevent unlawful interference with national communication networks and ensure consumer safety.

(With inputs from agencies.)