Flipkart delivers fake speaker, delists seller

Artists Rights Protection Society starts online petition against 39 sellers on e-marketplace claiming copyright infringement

A Gurgaon-based software professional who ordered a speaker from Flipkart found the product delivered did not have a seal, bar code or price tag, and read 'Made in China'.

This comes days after a consumer received a brick and soap bar instead of a mobile phone from a seller on rival e-marketplace Snapdeal.

"I am surprised Flipkart does not check that the product it or its vendor, Deal Junction in this case, is selling is a fake," said the consumer, who did not wish to be named.

Also, an organisation called the Artists Rights Protection Society has started a petition against Flipkart on Change.org, asking it to ban as many as 39 sellers. According to Sanjay Gupta of the Artists Society, who started the petition, these sellers are selling products that infringe copyright.

"Due to e-commerce portals like Flipkart.com, where anyone can sell stolen art, there has been an exponential rise in the past year of cases in which logos, trademarks and original artwork are being incorporated into various products without consent from their owners," Gupta said in his petition.

Gupta claimed 39 sellers were illegally selling merchandise in the names of Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Wayne Rooney, WWE, Sachin Tendulkar, Star Wars, Calvin and Hobbes, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Indian Premier League.

These are not first such complaints against the Bengaluru-based e-commerce major and Flipkart said it took it "very seriously".

"Products sold on our website are listed by our sellers. We act as a platform to connect sellers and customers and are always in compliance with the laws of the land," a spokesperson said.

"We take strict action against sellers who attract negative feedback about their service or are found in selling products that are fake, in violation of copyright, our code of conduct and operating guidelines, or any applicable law," it said, and added steps against such sellers could range from removing a specific product to delisting.

Flipkart, which faced consumer anger on social networking websites after its Big Billion Day sale in October, has reached out to the consumer who was delivered the fake speaker. "We assure you that we are investigating the incident. In the interim, we have delisted the seller for failure to comply with our code of conduct and policies," Flipkart wrote back.

It also offered the consumer Rs 1,000 "as a token of apology", apart from refunding the initial amount paid. The company said it had found one seller who had an original speaker that was ordered but not in the colour he wanted.

"I can still see so many sellers on Flipkart selling the same speakers in white colour, which is what I had ordered. Does this mean all of them are fakes?" the software professional asks.