Centre Acts Against E-Commerce Platforms Over Extra COD Charges, Labels Practice ‘Dark Pattern’

The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, has initiated action against e-commerce platforms for imposing additional fees on Cash-on-Delivery (COD) orders, terming the practice misleading and exploitative.

The move followed a viral post highlighting a ₹226 COD charge on a Flipkart order, which included “offer handling,” “payment handling,” and “protect promise” fees.

Minister Joshi said the Department of Consumer Affairs had received several complaints about such charges, which were classified as “dark patterns” involving deceptive pricing and design strategies.

These included fake time-limited offers, misleading stock alerts, and hidden fees. Subsequently, a probe has been launched to ensure compliance with consumer protection laws.