Mumbai: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs against Flipkart and Amitabh Bachchan for an ad promoting the upcoming Big Billion Days sale. CAIT expressed its disappointment in Amitabh Bachchan for endorsing Flipkart’s allegedly misleading claim that exclusive mobile phone deals and discounts are only available on their platform, not in physical stores.
While CAIT understands that Flipkart, along with Amazon, entered India to disrupt traditional retail, they find fault with the ad’s portrayal. They conveyed their concerns to Amitabh Bachchan, highlighting the negative reception the ad received from Indian retailers.
In their complaint, CAIT urged the ministry to remove the ad and impose fines of Rs 10 lakh each on Flipkart and Bachchan, alleging that the ad constitutes unfair trade practices. They argued that the advertisement provides false information about mobile phone prices in the smartphone market and distorts competition, ultimately manipulating consumer choice.
CAIT also called on the ministry to direct Flipkart to suspend the advertisement and consider imposing a penalty of imprisonment for up to 2 years and a Rs 10 lakh fine on Flipkart, along with a Rs 10 lakh fine on Amitabh Bachchan.
