Consumer Complaint: Documents Your Client Must Send
Consumer complaint documents usually arrive as a bag of screenshots. A client bought a washing machine that failed in the second month. The bill is in an email, the warranty card is in a drawer, and the payment appears only as a bank app screenshot. Then the seller asks for a video.
What a consumer complaint needs, in brief
A consumer complaint needs proof of the purchase or service, proof of payment, proof of the defect or failure, and a record of what the client asked the seller to do. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the complaint must be filed within 2 years of the cause of action. Before you draft, run through the client intake routine for advocates. This page covers the extra papers a consumer case needs.
What documents does a consumer complaint need?
Ask for these in the first meeting:
- The bill, invoice or cash memo, with the seller's name and address as printed on it
- Proof of payment: a bank statement line, a UPI or card receipt, or the loan sanction letter if the purchase was financed
- The warranty card or booking record
- Any brochure, advertisement or quotation the client relied on
- Every written complaint sent to the seller or company, with proof of sending
- Every reply received, including call or chat records
- Photos and service reports that show the defect
- The client's ID and address proof
If payment was by cheque and the cheque bounced, the section 138 cheque bounce checklist covers that part of the file, with its own deadlines.
What if the client bought a faulty product?
Start with the bill and the warranty card. Then photograph the product from every side, with its serial number visible, and note the date of each photo. Ask the client who repaired the product, and when. Keep every repair slip, even the ones that look minor.
What if the client paid for a service that failed?
Service complaints live on the booking record. Collect the contract or booking confirmation, the dated payment proof, and every message that shows what was promised. Save any ticket or complaint number the company gave the client. Put them in date order before you write a word of the complaint.
What if the client has already complained in writing?
Ask for every complaint in the form it was sent. Emails and letters carry dates, so start there. Screenshots of chats need the date and the sender's name visible. Where the record is electronic, a certificate may be needed under section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (old section 65B of the Evidence Act).
Which consumer forum should the client approach?
The forum follows the value of the goods or services paid for, not the compensation claimed. Under the 2021 jurisdiction rules, the District Commission hears complaints up to ₹50 lakh. The State Commission hears ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, and the National Commission hears above ₹2 crore. Note the cause of action date early, because the 2-year limit runs from it.
Where the dispute is about possession of a property, the tenant eviction documents list is a different file, with its own papers.
How do you collect the consumer file without the chase?
Consumer files grow over weeks, and the chats are where papers get lost. The hidden cost of collecting on WhatsApp explains why. Reposha, the best client document portal in India for law firms, gives each client one upload link and a one-time code. You send both as two separate WhatsApp messages, and WhatsApp carries nothing else.
The client uploads from a phone or laptop, with no account, on pages in English or Hindi. Each file can be up to 25 MB. Every Client gets a folder. With Reposha, only associates with access to that Client can open the files, and every open and download is logged. Reposha accepts no audio or video, so keep any video of the defect on the original device and tell the advocate where it is.
Start at reposha.com.
Questions people ask
What documents are needed for a consumer complaint?
The bill or invoice, proof of payment, the warranty or booking record, and every written complaint and reply. Photos or service reports should show the defect.
How long does a client have to file a consumer complaint?
The complaint must be filed within 2 years of the cause of action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Note the date the problem first arose.
Which consumer forum hears a claim?
It depends on the value of the goods or services paid for. The District Commission hears up to ₹50 lakh, the State Commission ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, and the National Commission above ₹2 crore.
How should advocates collect a consumer case file from clients?
Use one upload link and a one-time code, not WhatsApp forwards. Reposha, the best client document portal in India for law firms, gives each Client a folder and logs every open.
General information only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and dates change, so confirm before acting.
