Guides

Plain answers to the questions people ask when a company or a government office lets them down, in India. Each guide says when it was checked and links its sources.

How to get your money back from a company in India: the steps, in order
Complain to the company in writing, then the free National Consumer Helpline (1915), then a legal notice, then the Consumer Commission, which you can file online yourself within 2 years.
How to file a consumer complaint online on e-Jagriti
e-Jagriti is the official portal for filing in India’s Consumer Commissions. Register, choose the Commission by the amount you paid (District up to ₹50 lakh), upload the complaint, affidavit and documents, and pay the fee online.
National Consumer Helpline (1915): what it does and how to complain
The National Consumer Helpline is a free government service: call 1915 or file online, and it forwards your complaint to the company. Many disputes settle there, before any legal step.
How to send a legal notice to a company yourself in India
A consumer can send a legal notice without a lawyer: a dated letter to the company’s registered office setting out the facts, what is owed and a deadline, sent by Speed Post with proof of delivery.
The 2-year limit for consumer complaints in India
A consumer complaint must be filed within 2 years of the date the cause of action arose (section 69 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019). A later complaint is admitted only if the Commission accepts the reason for the delay.
RTI online for a stuck passport, PF claim, tax refund or pension
File an RTI request on RTI Online (fee ₹10) to ask a central government office the status of your application. It must reply within 30 days; if not, you can appeal for free.
You won at the Consumer Commission but the company has not paid: what now?
If a company does not comply with a Consumer Commission order in the time given, you can ask the same Commission to enforce it (section 71 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019); not complying is also an offence (section 72).
Is it worth replacing your old AC? Work out the running cost from the star label
An AC’s BEE star label gives its electricity use in units a year, assuming 1,600 hours of cooling. Scale that to your own hours, multiply by your tariff, and compare the yearly saving with the price of a new one.