Government has received nearly 3,000 complaints from consumers alleging "dark patterns" and misleading discount practices by retailers following the recent GST rate cuts, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Monday.
"Every day, we are receiving complaints. So far, close to 3,000 complaints have come in. We are forwarding them to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) for further action," Khare told reporters at an industry event.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is closely monitoring whether retailers are passing on the benefits of lower GST rates to buyers. Concerns have emerged that while GST rates were cut from September 22, consumers are not seeing the reduction reflected in final prices.
To strengthen oversight, Khare said that artificial intelligence (AI) tools and chatbot-based technology are being deployed to track, categorise, and analyse complaints across sectors. The monitoring is particularly focused on "dark patterns" in pricing strategies, misleading advertisements, and unfair trade practices designed to disguise the real benefit of tax cuts.
"If too many complaints come from a particular sector, they may qualify for class action. We are keeping a close watch and will act where consumers are being cheated through misleading discounts," she added.
The mechanism comes against the backdrop of the 56th GST Council meeting on September 3, which approved a fresh round of rate cuts aimed at boosting consumption. The revised rates came into force from September 22, 2025.
Officials believe that ensuring compliance on price transparency will be critical for consumers to actually benefit from these reforms.
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