The trade association CAIT has complained to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs about a Flipkart commercial for the upcoming Big Billion Days sale that features Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, calling the advertisement misleading.
In its complaint to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) referred to the commercial as misleading and disparaging of the nation’s small shopkeepers. According to a statement, it has also asked for the advertisement to be taken down.
The CAIT recommended that Flipkart be penalised for false or misleading advertisement in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Consumer Protection Act and that Bachchan be fined Rs. 10 lakh.
Flipkart did not respond to an email that was sent to them. For remarks, Bachchan could not be reached.
According to Section 2(47), Flipkart has misled the public regarding the price at which mobile phones are being made available by sellers/suppliers in the smartphone market of India, doing business through Amitabh Bachchan (endorser).
This has the effect of disparaging the goods, services, or trade of another person, CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal wrote in the complaint.
Further, he stated that the advertisement by Flipkart is misleading because it doesn’t contain truthful and honest representation and is wholly incorrect, malicious, misleading, and manipulative in accordance with Rule 4 of the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.
Sumit Agarwal, CAIT India’s National Secretary and Youth Convenor, tweeted about the situation.
The advertisement featuring Bachchan touting Flipkart’s impending Big Billion Day sale and informing customers that bargains on mobiles won’t be available offline at retail stores was criticised last week by CAIT.
The Big Billion Days sale which is scheduled to start from October 8, midnight, and will end on October 15, midnight, on Flipkart.