BHAWANIPATNA: The Kalahandi district consumer disputes redressal commission on Thursday imposed a fine of over Rs 10 lakh each on e-commerce platform Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd and Gujarat-based seller Elibliss Care, holding the companies jointly liable for unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements over the sale of a coconut oil product marketed as “100 per cent pure and natural” despite containing several other oils and liquid paraffin.
The commission directed the two parties to deposit the fine in Odisha State Consumer Welfare Fund as punitive damages. It also ordered them to jointly pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the complainant, Deepak Dube, and refund Rs 114, the price paid for the product. Both companies were also directed to pay Rs 10,000 each towards litigation costs.
The complaint arose from an online purchase made by Dube on August 17, 2025 through Flipkart. He had purchased a 200 ml pack of Elibliss organic pure extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil for Rs 114.
According to the complaint, while the front label prominently described the product as “100 per cent pure and natural coconut oil”, the ingredients listed on the packaging included extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, castor oil, Moroccan argan oil, coconut oil, vitamin E, lemon essential oil and light liquid paraffin.
Dube alleged that the product’s branding and promotional material created the impression that it consisted entirely of coconut oil. He also alleged that the product’s online listing carried a “No Return Applicable” condition. The complainant further brought to the commission’s notice a Rs 10 gift card found inside the package, which allegedly encouraged customers to submit a positive review and give a five-star rating.
The commission observed that the prominent representation of the product as “100 per cent pure and natural” was inconsistent with the ingredients disclosed on the container. It held that the overall presentation was likely to mislead an ordinary consumer about the actual nature and composition of the product.
While Elibliss Care did not appear before the commission despite notice, Flipkart contested the complaint through its counsel. On Flipkart’s defence that it functioned merely as an intermediary between independent sellers and consumers, the commission observed that the transaction had been completed through its platform and rejected the contention that there was no consumer relationship between the complainant and the e-commerce company.