Ensuring Fair Play: Guidelines Sought for Real Estate Consumer Protection

The FPCE has urged the Consumer Affairs Ministry to implement specific guidelines for the real estate sector to protect consumers from unfair practices. They highlight malpractices like misleading ads, unfair contracts, and lack of exit clauses, impacting over 50,000 pending complaints.

The Forum For People's Collective Efforts (FPCE) has urged the Indian government to establish firm guidelines within the real estate sector to combat unfair trade practices. The appeal was directed at Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, requesting action under the Consumer Protection Act 2019.

FPCE President Abhay Upadhyay highlighted prevalent malpractices, such as misleading advertisements and unattainable project promises. The association pointed to the backlog of over 50,000 complaints as evidence of widespread consumer dissatisfaction and financial impact in the sector.

Among the issues, the FPCE emphasized the need for contractual fairness, timely project completion, and equitable refund policies. The association called for guidelines to prevent developers from demanding excessive payments before handing over fully completed properties.

(With inputs from agencies.)