Consumer Complaint Generator
A complete consumer complaint, the right Commission and fee — ready to file.
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Preview
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For general information only, not legal advice. Templates are generic starting points — have a qualified lawyer review anything you rely on.
About the Consumer Complaint Generator
When a product is defective, a service falls short, or a trader uses an unfair trade practice, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 lets you file a complaint before a Consumer Commission yourself — no lawyer needed. This generator drafts the whole filing: the cause title and memo of parties, a numbered complaint under section 35 (that you are a consumer, the facts in date order, the defect or deficiency, cause of action, pecuniary and territorial jurisdiction, limitation), the prayer for reliefs under section 39, the verification, an affidavit in support, a list of dates and events and an index of annexures.
It also works out which Commission hears your case from the price you paid (District up to Rs. 50 lakh, State up to Rs. 2 crore, National above that), the filing fee from the official table (nil up to Rs. 5 lakh), the two-year limit — adding an application for condonation of delay if you are late — and how many copies to file. It ends with the steps to file online on e-Jagriti.
How to use it
- Enter the complainant (the consumer) and each opposite party — the seller, the manufacturer, the service provider or the e-commerce platform — with full addresses.
- Describe what you bought or booked, when, the invoice and the price paid — it decides the Commission and the fee.
- Tick the grounds, then add the events in order: purchase, the problem, each complaint and reply. Enter the date the cause of action arose (usually the final refusal).
- Choose the State and district, why that Commission has jurisdiction, the reliefs you want, and list your documents (they become Annexures C-1, C-2…).
- Read the Checks, download DOCX or PDF, sign the complaint, swear the affidavit before a notary or oath commissioner, and file it on e-Jagriti or at the Commission.
Examples
Bought for Rs. 42,500 on 12 Jun 2026 · repairs failed · replacement refused on 28 Aug 2026 · Noida
Complaint before the District Commission, Gautam Buddh Nagar; fee nil (up to Rs. 5 lakh); file by 28 August 2028; prayer for replacement, Rs. 25,000 compensation and Rs. 10,000 costs; affidavit, list of dates and an index of five annexures.
Consideration paid Rs. 75 lakh
State Commission (above Rs. 50 lakh up to Rs. 2 crore), fee Rs. 2,000/-; jurisdiction pleaded under s.47(1)(a)(i) and rule 4 of the Jurisdiction Rules 2021.
Cause of action 28 Aug 2026, complaint dated 5 Oct 2028
Adds an application under s.69(2) for condonation of delay with your reasons, and says so in the complaint.
Common uses
- A buyer whose new appliance, phone or car keeps failing and the dealer or manufacturer will not replace it.
- A passenger or customer whose flight, holiday, insurance claim or bank service fell short.
- A home buyer complaining about delayed possession by a builder (where the consumer forum is chosen).
- Anyone who wants a properly structured complaint before going to a lawyer or filing in person.
Which Commission, and the fee
Jurisdiction depends on the value of the goods or services paid as consideration — not on the compensation you claim. Under the Consumer Protection (Jurisdiction of the District Commission, the State Commission and the National Commission) Rules, 2021: up to Rs. 50 lakh — District Commission; above Rs. 50 lakh up to Rs. 2 crore — State Commission; above Rs. 2 crore — National Commission. Complaints against unfair contracts go to the State Commission (up to Rs. 10 crore) or the National Commission (ss.47(1)(a)(ii), 58(1)(a)(ii)).
The fee (CDRC Rules 2020, r.7): nil up to Rs. 5 lakh; Rs. 200 up to Rs. 10 lakh; Rs. 400 up to Rs. 20 lakh; Rs. 1,000 up to Rs. 50 lakh; Rs. 2,000 up to Rs. 1 crore; Rs. 2,500 up to Rs. 2 crore; Rs. 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 for each further Rs. 2 crore up to Rs. 10 crore; Rs. 7,500 above that. Pay online, or by crossed demand draft or crossed IPO in favour of the President of the District Commission (or the Registrar of the State or National Commission).
Where (territorial jurisdiction) and when (limitation)
You may file in the Commission where you live or personally work for gain, where the opposite party lives, carries on business, has a branch office or works for gain — if there are several, each of them; where only some of them are there, you need the Commission’s permission — or where the cause of action arose, wholly or in part (s.34(2) for District, s.47(4) for State Commissions). The complaint must be filed within two years of the cause of action (s.69(1)); a late complaint can be admitted if you show sufficient cause and the Commission records its reasons (s.69(2)). Enter the date of the cause of action — usually the trader’s final refusal; without it, the generator counts the two years from the purchase, the safe course.
Filing on e-Jagriti, copies and what happens next
e-Jagriti (e-jagriti.gov.in) is the Department of Consumer Affairs’ portal for filing and managing consumer cases: register or log in as a consumer, choose the Commission, enter the parties, upload the complaint, affidavit and documents as PDF, pay the fee online and keep the filing reference number. For a paper filing at a District Commission, file three sets plus one for each opposite party (Procedure Regulations 2020, reg. 7). The Commission decides admission ordinarily within 21 days; if it does not, the complaint is deemed admitted (s.36). It may send the case to mediation with the parties’ consent (s.37), and it cannot insist that you hire an advocate (reg. 26(4)).
What you can ask for (s.39)
Removal of the defect; replacement with new goods free from defect; return of the price or charges with interest; compensation for loss or injury due to the opposite party’s negligence (and punitive damages where the Commission thinks fit); removal of deficiencies in service; discontinuing an unfair trade practice; corrective advertisement for a misleading one; and adequate costs.
Sources
- Consumer Protection Act 2019 — ss.2(6), 2(7), 2(10), 2(11), 2(46), 2(47), 34–39, 47, 58, 69
- Consumer Protection (Jurisdiction …) Rules 2021, G.S.R. 912(E)
- Consumer Protection (Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions) Amendment Rules 2023, G.S.R. 606(E) — fee table
- Consumer Protection (Consumer Commission Procedure) Regulations 2020 — regs. 7, 9, 26
- e-Jagriti · National Consumer Helpline (toll-free 1915)
Limitations
- A generic template, not legal advice. Whether you are a “consumer”, which Commission and which reliefs apply depend on your facts — have a lawyer review it if the stakes are high.
- It drafts the documents; it does not file them. e-Jagriti’s screens and upload rules can change — follow the portal’s current instructions.
- Product-liability claims (Chapter VI), class complaints and appeals are not covered. The complaint is in English.
- Fees and jurisdiction follow the rules in force; check for later amendments.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. Names, addresses, purchase details and the facts you type are not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot. If you tick Keep a draft in this browser, the form is saved in this browser’s local storage until you untick it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to file a consumer complaint?
No. A consumer can file and argue the complaint in person, and the Commission cannot insist that you engage an advocate (Consumer Commission Procedure Regulations 2020, reg. 26(4)).
Which consumer commission should I file in?
By the value paid: up to Rs. 50 lakh — District Commission; up to Rs. 2 crore — State Commission; above — National Commission (Jurisdiction Rules 2021). Within that level, choose the one where you live or work, where the opposite party does business, or where the cause of action arose (s.34(2)).
What is the fee for a consumer complaint?
Nothing up to Rs. 5 lakh. Then Rs. 200 (up to Rs. 10 lakh), Rs. 400 (up to Rs. 20 lakh), Rs. 1,000 (up to Rs. 50 lakh), Rs. 2,000 (up to Rs. 1 crore), Rs. 2,500 (up to Rs. 2 crore), rising to Rs. 7,500 above Rs. 10 crore (CDRC Rules 2020, r.7).
What is the time limit to file a consumer complaint?
Two years from the date the cause of action arose (s.69(1)) — usually the date of the defect or of the trader’s final refusal. After that, file with an application for condonation of delay explaining the sufficient cause (s.69(2)).
Is a legal notice compulsory before a consumer complaint?
No, but it helps: it gives the trader a chance to settle and shows the Commission you tried. The legal notice generator drafts one, and the National Consumer Helpline (1915) can mediate before you file.
Can I file a consumer complaint online?
Yes — on e-Jagriti (e-jagriti.gov.in), the Department of Consumer Affairs’ portal for filing and tracking consumer cases. Upload the complaint, affidavit and documents as PDF and pay any fee online.