Overview

• Officials have asked major e-commerce operators to explain items that saw price hikes or no reductions after the September 22 rate cuts, with some platforms citing technical glitches that were later corrected.
• The Finance Ministry and CBIC have ordered six months of brand-wise MRP tracking across 54 commonly used goods, with the inaugural report to be filed on September 30.
• The Consumer Affairs Ministry says close to 3,000 complaints over misleading discounts and unfair pricing have been logged and forwarded to CBIC, while the CCPA monitors for unfair trade practices.
• Early pass-through appears uneven: a LocalCircles survey found fewer than three in ten buyers of packaged foods and medicines reported benefits in week one, compared with stronger pass-through for automobiles.
• A viral gym billing case shows base prices raised to offset the lower 5% GST on services, and legal experts say consumers can seek redress via the National Consumer Helpline even as formal anti-profiteering provisions sunsetted on April 1, 2025.