In a strong signal to e-commerce platforms, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5,00,000 on Snapdeal (Ace Vector Limited) for facilitating the sale of toys that violate the mandatory Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020 and prescribed BIS standards.
Acting on its own suo-motu cognizance, the CCPA found that non-BIS certified toys continued to be listed and sold on the platform as recently as December 2025, even after Snapdeal claimed to have delisted them. The authority’s investigation revealed that the company earned ₹41,032 in fees from just two sellers — Stallion Trading Company and Thriftkart — through the sale of these non-compliant toys.
The CCPA highlighted multiple lapses:
- Many listings lacked the manufacturer’s name, address and mandatory BIS certification number.
- The platform relied solely on seller self-declarations without any independent verification.
- Snapdeal promoted the toys under campaigns such as “Toofan Sale” and “Deal of the Day” and tagged them with quality assurances like “great quality at best price” — claims the authority termed misleading.
Rejecting Snapdeal’s defence that it was merely a “marketplace” similar to a physical shopping mall, the CCPA observed that the company exercises substantial control over transactions through promotional campaigns, logistics, refunds and replacement schemes. The authority emphasised the shift from “caveat emptor” to “caveat venditor”, making platforms vicariously liable for defective goods sold through their portals.
The final order also noted that Snapdeal failed to give a categorical undertaking that non-BIS compliant toys would never reappear on the platform.
Directives Issued
Apart from the Rs 5 lakh penalty for unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements, Snapdeal has been directed to:
- Guarantee that no non-compliant toy will be listed, hosted or advertised in the future.
- Prominently display contact numbers, email addresses and Grievance Officer details for easy consumer redressal.
The CCPA had earlier issued notices to Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and several sellers. This is the first final order in the series.
Toys that do not conform to the compulsory BIS standards are treated as “defective” under Section 2(10) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 explicitly prohibit unfair trade practices on digital platforms.
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