The seller has stopped replying, the product is defective, and the amount is too small to justify a lawyer. That is exactly the case the consumer commissions were built for, and you can run it yourself from a laptop — file, pay, track, and attend the hearing by video, without going near a courtroom.
File your consumer complaint yourself at e-jagriti.gov.in, the national portal that replaced eDaakhil, choosing your commission by the amount you paid rather than the compensation you are claiming, within two years of the problem arising.
The bottom line
What it costs: nothing for claims up to Rs. 5 lakh. Above that, modest slab-based fees paid online while filing.
Where you file: District Commission up to Rs. 50 lakh, State Commission from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore, National Commission above Rs. 2 crore — and you can file where you live or work, not only where the seller is.
What will stop you: the notarized affidavit. The portal will not let you complete a filing without it, and almost every first-time filer discovers this halfway through.
Three things to do before opening the portal
Send a written notice first. Email or post the seller a short notice setting out the problem and the relief you want — repair, replacement, refund, compensation — with a deadline of about 15 days. Keep proof. It settles a surprising number of disputes, and where it does not, it becomes evidence.
Work out which commission you file in. This turns on the consideration, meaning the amount you actually paid for the goods or service, not the compensation you are claiming. A large damages claim on a small purchase still belongs in the District Commission.
Check the clock. A complaint must be filed within two years of the cause of action arising.
The documents, as separate PDFs under 10 MB each
- Index — a one-page list of everything you are filing, with page numbers.
- Memo of Parties — full name, address, phone and email for you and for the opposite party.
- Complaint and Synopsis — the facts, what went wrong, and the exact relief and compensation sought, with a short synopsis and a list of dates.
- Proforma — the standard cover format the portal requires.
- Notarized Affidavit — a sworn statement that the facts in your complaint are true. Mandatory, signed and notarized. Get this done before you sit down to file.
- Vakalatnama — only if an advocate is filing for you. Filing yourself, you do not need one.
- Evidence — the invoice or bill, payment receipt or bank or UPI statement, order confirmation, warranty card, photographs or screenshots of the defect, your written notice with delivery proof, and any reply you received.
Filing on e-Jagriti
- Register at e-jagriti.gov.in with your mobile number, email and full name, and verify the OTP sent to both.
- Set a password and pick your role as Consumer. Choose Authorised Representative only if you are filing on someone else's behalf.
- Add your address and verify identity by uploading a government ID — Aadhaar, passport or driving licence.
- Start a new case. From the dashboard, click File New Case and select Consumer Complaint.
- Fill in the case details — the amount you paid, your claim amount, the date the problem arose, and your State, District, Category and Sub-category.
- Enter your details and tick Senior Citizen, Widow, Differently Abled or Serious Ailment if any applies, because those cases get priority. Add an advocate only if you have one.
- Enter the opposite party's name and full address.
- Upload the documents — index, proforma, synopsis, memo of parties, the notarized affidavit, the vakalatnama if applicable — then everything else under Additional Documents.
- Select the commission, preview, submit. Tick the declaration, check the preview properly, then submit.
- Pay the fee online, if your claim exceeds Rs. 5 lakh.
- Track and attend. You get a case number, and from the dashboard you can follow the status, receive notices, and join hearings by video conference.
A worked example
You buy a Rs. 45,000 washing machine online and it arrives with a dented drum. The seller stops replying.
You email a notice giving 15 days to replace it and keep the screenshot. Nothing happens. You register on e-Jagriti as a Consumer, upload your ID, and open a new Consumer Complaint. You enter Rs. 45,000 as the amount paid, your claim amount, and the date the machine arrived. The District Commission is the right forum, since Rs. 45,000 is well under Rs. 50 lakh. You attach the index, memo of parties, complaint, notarized affidavit, the invoice, the unboxing photographs and the ignored notice.
The value is under Rs. 5 lakh, so there is no fee. You submit, receive a case number, and attend the first hearing by video. Faced with a formal case, the seller offers a replacement plus compensation, and it closes — without a lawyer at any point.
Common mistakes
- Starting the filing before the affidavit is notarized. It cannot be completed without one.
- Uploading one giant combined PDF instead of separate documents under 10 MB each.
- Choosing the commission by the compensation claimed rather than the amount paid.
- Skipping the written notice, which often resolves the matter and always strengthens the file.
- Letting the two-year limitation period run out while waiting for the seller to respond.
Frequently asked questions
Is e-Jagriti the same as eDaakhil? e-Jagriti is the upgraded, integrated platform that now carries the consumer case work eDaakhil used to handle, adding case tracking, online fee payment and virtual hearings in one place.
Do I need a lawyer? No. The portal is built for self-representation, and the vakalatnama is only needed if you choose to use an advocate.
What does it cost? Nothing for claims up to Rs. 5 lakh. Above that there are small slab-based fees paid online during filing.
Can I file from my own city if the seller is elsewhere? Yes. You can file where you live or work, which is one of the more useful features of the consumer regime.
How long do I have? Two years from when the cause of action arose.
What if I miss a hearing? Hearings are held by video from the dashboard, and the portal sends notices, so keep the registered email and mobile number current.