Ola Electric Issued Notice by Consumer Rights Regulator; Read Here

Recently, Ola Electric was given a notice by a regulator from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which revolves around the mass complaints from the owners of Ola electric scooters. The issued notice is related to the quality problems and after-sales services that have remained unresolved to date. 

Since last year (2023), the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has been receiving loads of complaints against Ola Electric from the Ola owners. For redressal, these matters have also been taken to the higher officials of the company “but there was little interest shown in redressing these complaints,” said a customer. 

In addition, the major issues addressed by the customers included extra charges during the free service period/warranty, refusal or delay in warranty services, delayed or unsatisfactory services, overcharging and erroneous invoices, etc. It also comprised frequent defects despite service or repair, and false advertising. 

The problem doesn’t end there, as there were other reported problems, such as failure to provide documentation and refunds, unprofessional code of conduct and complaint closure, and multiple issues with vehicle parts and battery packs. 

Before sending out the notice to Ola Electric, the head of CCPA, Chief Commissioner Nidhi Kare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra examined the reported complaints to take appropriate action. 

On October 7, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued the addressed notice to Ola Electric and gave a grace period of fifteen (15) days for the company’s revert. 

According to the CCPA, the major concerns for issuing the show cause notice comprise misleading or false claims, unfair trade practices, unresolved services, and violation of consumer rights. 

Ola responded that it would revert to the cause notice within the given timeline along with supporting documents. However, the company has claimed that this notice won’t create a ripple effect on its financial, operation and other activities. 

About National Consumer Helpline (NCH)

This government-initiated one-stop helpline access can allow consumers from anywhere in India to register their grievances (or problems) either via dialling 1915 (toll-free number) or the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM). This service is available in 17 languages. 

The Department of Consumer Affairs has tweaked the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) and increased the convenience for customers, as they can now redress grievances at the pre-litigation stage. 

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