CCPA Probes Ola Electric Over Service Complaint Whitewashing

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Consumer rights regulator CCPA has ordered a probe into complaints about alleged service and product deficiencies by Ola Electric, citing concerns over whitewashing of consumer grievances.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) headed by Nidhi Khare has directed the Director General (Investigation), who is also head of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), to investigate this matter.

The order to this effect was issued on November 6 and the BIS DG has been asked to submit the investigation report within 15 days.

"The investigation has been ordered because the company, in response to the CCPA notice, said it has resolved 99.1 per cent of the 10,644 complaints lodged with CCPA. However when a sample of complainants were contacted, they expressed dissatisfaction," Khare told PTI.

"The consumers said their grievances were only whitewashed and closed," she said.

An investigation arm of the CCPA will probe the matter in detail and submit the report within 15 days, she added.

The move comes after the CCPA initiated action after it received 10,000-odd complaints on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH).

The regulator had issued a notice to Ola Electric on October 7 citing alleged violations of consumer rights, misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.

Replying to the notice on October 21, the company said it has resolved 99.1 per cent of the 10,644 complaints lodged with CCPA.