CCPA issues notice to e-com platform Amazon for sale of 'Ram Mandir' prasad

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The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Friday initiated action against the e-commerce platform Amazon for the sale of sweets under the name 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad' on the platform.

The action was initiated based on a representation made by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), alleging that Amazon is engaging in deceptive trade practices involving the sale of sweets under the guise of ‘Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad’.

Upon investigating and finding the claim to be true, Rohit Kumar Singh, Chairman, CCPA issued a notice against the e-commerce platform.

“The temple has not even been inaugurated yet. It is impossible to sell prasad from the temple. This comes under misleading advertisement. Platforms should be more careful about such information,” Singh told Business Standard.

As many as four such products, claiming to be prasad from the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, are up for sale on the platform.

Enabling the sale of food products online that make false representations misleads consumers regarding the genuine characteristics of the product. Such practices falsely influence consumers to make purchase decisions they might not have otherwise taken.

The CCPA has sought a response from Amazon within seven days from the issuance of the notice, failing which necessary action may be initiated against them under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

In an email response to Business Standard, an Amazon spokesperson said, “We have received a communication from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) regarding misleading product claims by certain seller(s) and investigating them for violations. In the interim, we are taking appropriate action against such listings as per our policies.”