NEW DELHI: Consumer protection regulator CCPA has directed 5 e-commerce companies, including Amazon and Flipkart, to permanently de-list all car seat belt alarm stopper clips as the product stops the alarm beep when not wearing seat belts, thus compromising passengers’ safety.
After investigating the matter, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) directed Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho to “permanently’ de-list all car seat belt alarm stopper clips and associated motor vehicle components which compromise the safety of passengers and the public.
As a result, 13,118 car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been removed from the five e-commerce platforms. While Amazon has de-listed 8,095 such clips , Flipkart has de-listed 4,000-5,000, Meesho 21 and Snapdeal and Shopclues one each, the regulator said in a statement.
CCPA passed orders against the five e-commerce players for violation of consumer rights and unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, it said.
CCPA said it took cognizance of the issue of the sale of car seat belt alarm stopper clips and “found that said clips were being blatantly sold on several e-commerce platforms in an easy-to-access manner resulting in direct violation of Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and pose a high risk to the valuable life of the consumers.”
It was also found during the proceedings that some sellers were selling the clips under the garb of bottle openers or cigarette lighter, etc, it added.
The regulator further said using car seat belt alarm stopper clips can also be a hurdle for consumers seeking to claim amounts in cases of motor insurance policies, wherein an insurance company may deny the claim by citing the negligence of the claimant for using such clips.
On the other hand, using a seat belt acts as a restraint that allows the airbag to provide proper cushion and not hit the passengers at full force which also works as a protective shield in case of collisions, it said.
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