Online order not refunded: Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, airlines, gyms

What has probably happened

You paid for something online — clothes, a phone, a flight, a gym membership, a course — and then one of these happened:

• You returned the item, the pickup was done, and the refund never arrived.
• You cancelled the order, or the seller cancelled it, but your account was still charged.
• You got the wrong item, a damaged item or a fake one, and the return was refused.
• The flight was cancelled, or the gym or class shut down, and the money stayed with them.

You have called customer care, opened tickets and waited. Each reply says "it is being processed".

The law that covers this is the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It protects a consumer: anyone who buys goods or pays for a service, including online. The Act says so in its definition (Section 2(7)). It does not cover something bought for resale or for a business, except goods used only to earn your own living by self-employment.

Two terms you will see:

• A deficiency in service is any fault or shortcoming in how a paid service is performed, including negligence that causes you loss.
• An unfair trade practice includes, among other things, refusing to take back defective goods, or to withdraw a deficient service, and to refund the money within the period on the bill — or within 30 days if the bill gives no period (Section 2(47)).

The person you complain against is called the opposite party. For an online order, that is usually both the platform you ordered on and the seller who shipped it.

What to do, step by step

Day 0 — collect your proof. Before anything else, save:

• the order confirmation and invoice, with the order number;
• the payment record: bank or card statement, UPI reference;
• the return pickup or cancellation confirmation, with its date;
• every chat, email and ticket number, as screenshots;
• photos of a wrong, damaged or fake item, if that is the problem;
• the refund policy as shown on the site on that date.

Screenshots can vanish when an app updates. Download or email them to yourself.

Days 1 to 7 — one clear written complaint through the platform. Use the app's help section or email. Give the order number, what went wrong, the date of return or cancellation, and the amount. Ask for the refund by a date. Note the ticket number.

After that — the formal notice. If the refund still has not come, send a formal notice. For an online platform, it goes to the platform's grievance officer — the person the platform names on its site to handle complaints — by email. It should state:

• your details, and the platform's and seller's;
• the order number, date, items and amount paid;
• what went wrong and what you have already tried;
• that the refusal to refund is an unfair trade practice and a deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019;
• your demand — the refund, with interest if you want to claim it — and the time given;
• that you will complain to the Consumer Commission if it is not met.

The law does not fix how much time a notice must give. Fifteen days is a common choice.

For an airline, a gym, a coaching centre or any business that is not an online store, send a consumer legal notice by registered post to its office instead. The guide on faulty products and bad service walks through that route.

If the notice is ignored — the Consumer Commission. You can file a complaint before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (the District Commission). Three things to know:

• Where: Section 34 lets you file where you live or work for gain. You do not have to travel to the company's city.
• Which level: the District Commission hears complaints where what you paid is up to ₹50 lakh. Almost every online order falls here.
• When: within two years of the problem arising (Section 69). A late complaint is admitted only if you show a sufficient reason and the Commission accepts it.

The Act allows complaints to be filed electronically. The guide on the Consumer Commission complaint explains the filing, the hearings and what the Commission can order.

Timeline and costs

When	What	Who pays
Day 0	Refund due but not paid	—
Within a week	Written complaint on the platform, ticket number noted	Free
Next	Formal notice emailed to the grievance officer	You: ₹699 with eMunshi, all-inclusive — drafted from your answers, free preview, emailed to the grievance officer
Notice period over	Complaint to the District Commission	No filing fee when what you paid is up to ₹5 lakh; the advocate's fee, if you use one, quoted first

Documents to keep handy

• Order confirmation and invoice.
• Payment proof: bank or card statement, UPI reference.
• Return pickup or cancellation confirmation.
• Screenshots of chats, emails and ticket numbers, with dates.
• Photos or video of the item, if it was wrong, damaged or fake.
• The refund policy page as it was when you ordered.
• A copy of your notice and any reply.

Mistakes that sink people

• Only calling. Phone calls leave no record. Every complaint should end up in writing.
• Losing the order trail. Deleting the app or the account can wipe the chat history you need. Save it first.
• Naming only one party. On a marketplace, name both the platform and the seller.
• Waiting too long. The two-year limit runs from when the problem arose, not from your last chat with customer care.
• Asking for a vague amount. State the exact amount paid and what else you claim, with the reason for each.

When the problem is bigger than a refund

If the product injured someone or damaged other property, or the amount is large, the case is about more than a refund. An independent advocate from our panel can look at it; a 30-minute call starts at ₹999.