Consumer and ecommerce compliance

Work and deliverables

We review selected disclosures, order terms, cancellation/refund flows, complaint handling and marketplace relationships. The analysis identifies the business model and applicable consumer framework before revising copy.

1. Map the customer journey from product information to payment and after-sales support.
2. Identify which entity is responsible at each stage.
3. Compare published terms with actual fulfilment, refund and complaint processes.
4. Prepare the agreed document changes and an implementation issue list.

Record the specific website, app, channel and policy versions examined. A review of one storefront should not be presented as covering every sales channel.

Plan for the January 2027 changes

The Ministry’s 10 September 2026 announcement states that the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 take effect on 1 January 2027. Its summary covers complaints, search results, sponsored listings, price reductions, dark patterns and seller information. Separate changes needed for that commencement from duties already applicable to the business.

For a transition assignment, identify the affected screens, policy text, support procedures and data needed to implement the changes. Agree the work and owners against the applicable rule text; the announcement is a planning reference, not a substitute for checking each provision and exception.

Documents for the initial assessment

• Website or app journey
• seller and marketplace roles
• product claims
• refund policy
• fulfilment terms
• complaint records.

Provide sample order confirmations, cancellation messages and complaint responses alongside the policy text. Use redacted examples where personal details are unnecessary. Identify third-party payment, marketplace and logistics dependencies that affect what the business can deliver.

An issue to settle before committing

A refund statement that promises an action the operations team cannot perform creates a practical gap. Review the payment and fulfilment workflow with the written policy.

For example, the policy may describe a refund while the support team issues store credit by default. The findings should identify the mismatch, the owner responsible for resolving it and the customer-facing messages that also need updating. Editing the policy alone leaves the operational difference unresolved.

Mandate and fees

Product testing, advertising substantiation, regulatory representation and technical changes are separately scoped.

Legal work uses a written matter-specific proposal. Do not send confidential documents through the public form; begin with a brief description and any material date.

The handover can include revised terms within scope, a disclosure checklist and an issue register separating legal drafting from operational and technical implementation. The business confirms factual statements about products, delivery and support. Subsequent product claims or new sales models require their own assessment rather than automatic reuse of an earlier policy.