The wrong item, a counterfeit, a phone that does not power on, an order that never arrives, a refund promised and never processed. Online shopping disputes are now among the most common consumer complaints in Pakistan, and most of them are winnable — if you know which door to knock on and you kept the evidence.
Which law applies to you
Consumer protection is provincial. Each province has its own statute and its own forum:
- Punjab — the Punjab Consumer Protection Act, 2005, with Consumer Courts in each district.
- Sindh — the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have their own consumer protection legislation, and Islamabad has its own regime.
These statutes give you what the seller's return policy does not: a right against defective goods and deficient services, and a forum that is cheap, does not require a lawyer, and is meant to be quick.
Alongside them, the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002 makes electronic contracts and records legally valid — which is what lets an order confirmation email or an in-app receipt operate as a contract at all.
Do these things before you complain
- Make an unboxing video for anything valuable. It costs nothing and it ends the argument about what arrived.
- Keep the order confirmation, the invoice and the packaging, including the courier slip.
- Keep every message with the seller — in-app chat, WhatsApp, email.
- Photograph the defect clearly, with the item's serial or IMEI visible.
The order of escalation
- The seller, in writing. State the order number, what is wrong, what you want — replacement, repair or refund — and a deadline. Written, so that it exists.
- The marketplace. Daraz and similar platforms operate buyer protection and dispute resolution, and a platform holding the seller's payout is a far more effective enforcer than any court. Open the dispute inside the platform's window — it is short.
- The bank, if you paid by card. A chargeback for goods not received or not as described is a real remedy and is often the fastest way to see your money. It has its own time limit from the statement date, so raise it early.
- The Consumer Court for your province. File within the limitation period the statute prescribes, attach the evidence, and claim the price plus compensation and costs. There is a nominal fee and you can appear yourself.
- The FIA Cybercrime Wing where this was not a bad transaction but a fraud — a fake shop, a seller who vanished, payment taken with no intention to deliver. That is cheating under sections 415 to 420 PPC together with section 14 of PECA.
Counterfeits
A counterfeit is more than a disappointment; it is an offence and a trade mark infringement. Report it to the marketplace, which will usually act quickly because its own liability is engaged, and where the sums are significant the brand owner has its own enforcement route through the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan and the courts. Keep the item — do not return it before you have documented it.
Cash on delivery: the misunderstanding
COD feels like protection and mostly is not. Once you have handed over cash you have no payment channel to reverse and no chargeback. The protection is not in the payment method — it is in inspecting before paying. Many couriers now allow an open-parcel check; ask for it, and refuse delivery on the spot if the item is wrong. Refusing at the door is enormously easier than recovering afterwards.
Where the seller is abroad
An overseas seller is realistically beyond the reach of a Pakistani consumer court. Your leverage is the payment: the card chargeback, and the platform's own buyer protection. For anything of value bought from abroad, pay by card rather than by transfer, precisely so that this remedy exists.
A short checklist before you buy
- Is the seller identifiable — a business name, an address, a working phone number?
- On a marketplace, what is the seller's rating and return history?
- Is the price plausible? A flagship phone at a third of retail is not a bargain.
- Are you being asked to pay a personal account rather than the platform?
- What does the return policy actually say, and how long is the window?
This article describes general consumer remedies in Pakistan and is not advice on any particular purchase. The applicable statute, the forum and the limitation period differ by province, and platform and chargeback windows are short. Consult an advocate where the amount is substantial.