Amazon initiates action against sellers for selling sweets as ‘Ram Mandir prasad’

E-commerce giant Amazon said that it has removed the sales options of Ram Mandir prasad (offering) and initiated action against.

The sellers after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) slapped a notice on the firm in the scam. “We have received communication from the CCPA regarding misleading product claims by certain seller(s) and investigating them for violations. In the interim, we are taking appropriate action against such listings as per our policies,” an Amazon spokesperson told India Today.

The consumer watchdog CCPA cracked down on the e-commerce giant, following India Today’s report on the scam wherein sellers were selling sweets by making misleading claims of those being ‘Sri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad’.

The action was initiated on the basis of a complaint by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), alleging that Amazon is engaging in fraudulent trade practices involving the sale of sweets under the guise of prasad from Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, which is set for a grand inauguration on January 22.

In its notice, the consumer watchdog asked Amazon for a response within seven days and warned that failing to do so will see the firm facing action under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The CCPA stated that authorities noticed various food items or sweets being available for sale on Amazon, claiming to be ‘Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad’ and enabling their sale online, thereby misleading consumers regarding the authentic characteristics of the products.

‘Sri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad – Raghupati Ghee Ladoo, Ayodhya Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad, Khoya Khobi Ladoo, Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad – Desi Cow Milk Peda’ – these were some of the product descriptions listed on Amazon for sale.

Notably, the Consumer Protection Act bans ‘misleading advertisements’ that falsely describe such a product or service, or gives a false guarantee to, or is likely to mislead consumers as to the nature, substance, quantity, or quality of such a product or service.