New Delhi, Oct 3, 2025

Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that strict action will be taken against e-commerce platforms that mislead consumers and charge unfair fees such as extra costs for Cash-on-Delivery (COD).

He said such practices amount to “dark patterns” that exploit buyers and go against fair trade principles.

The minister was responding to a post on social media platform X, where a user highlighted how e-commerce players often add multiple hidden charges in the name of “offer handling fee”, “payment handling fee” and “protect promise fee”, calling it a “masterstroke” similar to the controversial “rain fee” charged by some food delivery apps.

“Forget rain fee by Zomato/Swiggy/Zepto. See the masterstroke by Flipkart: offer handling fee (for giving me t

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