Commerce ministry asked customers to apply for a refund of money stuck in e-commerce cos

The Ministry of Commerce has taken an initiative to return monies owed to traders by e-commerce companies that went bust all of a sudden, leaving innumerable buyers and sellers in the lurch.

The ministry has asked for a complete list of these affected customers by 14 November. The ministry has also issued a public notice in this regard.

This information was confirmed by the Central Digital Commerce Cell of the Ministry of Commerce today (29 October).

According to the public notice of the Ministry of Commerce, for information of the e-commerce companies, customers, and sellers of the digital commerce sector, digital commerce companies have been asked to submit a complete list of customers and sellers who owe money to the digital commerce companies to the Ministry of Commerce by 14 November.

Moreover, customers who have not received the product from the digital commerce company after payment and the sellers have not received the sale price after supplying the product to the digital commerce company, have been advised to file a complaint with the National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection only through the online portal by 14 November.

In this regard, the Deputy Secretary of Central Digital Commerce Cell Muhammad Sayed Ali said, "We are trying to return the money that has been withheld from customers for a long time."

"Some organisations are responding well; others are not cooperating. That is why we have asked creditors to file complaints. A hearing will be conducted based on these complaints and the amount due will be refunded to them as per law," he added.