Online buyer stays a consumer even if goods never delivered
E-commerce consumer rights in Punjab were upheld when the Lahore High Court said an online buyer who paid in full stays a consumer even if the goods never arrived.
The Lahore High Court held that an online buyer who pays for goods remains a consumer under the Punjab Consumer Protection Act, 2005, even if the goods are never delivered.
The case involved two clothing articles bought online for Rs6,480 by credit card; the seller cancelled 17 days later, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.
The seller first denied the transaction, then said the stock had run out and the amount had been refunded.
Justice Malik Waqar Haider Awan dismissed the petition and said a damages suit belongs before a consumer court.
The judge did not rule on the merits; the factual dispute is left for the consumer court to decide.