Centre Issues Order Against Amazon, Flipkart, Other E-Commerce Sites for Selling Seat Belt Alarm Stopper Clips

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued orders against the top five e-commerce platforms for selling car seat belt alarm stopper clips.

Authorities found that such clips were being blatantly sold on several e-commerce platforms.

The clips compromise the life and safety of consumers by stopping the alarm beep when not wearing seat belts. Selling of such items is in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The e-commerce platforms against which the order was issued are Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho, a Ministry of Consumer Affairs release said.

The Ministry of Highways and Transport had highlighted the issue of the blatant sale of car seat belt alarm stopper clips and requested for action on errant vendors or online platforms and issuance of an advisory.

"It is imperative to say that using car seat belt alarm stopper clips can also be a hurdle for consumers seeking claim amounts in the cases of motor insurance policies, wherein an insurance company may deny the claim by citing the negligence of the claimant for using such clips. On the other hand, using a seat belt acts as a restraint that allows the airbag to provide proper cushion and not hit the passengers at full force which also works as a protective shield in case of collisions," the release said.

It said that taking note of the Directions issued by CCPA, compliance reports were submitted by all five e-commerce entities.

Based on the initiative of the CCPA, about 13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been delisted from the e-commerce platforms.

In an interview last year September, Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recalled that he had seen stopper clips being used to prevent the beep of seatbelt alarms during his travel in vehicles of four chief ministers.

"Let me tell you something new. I traveled with chief ministers of four states during the past year. I sit in the front seat and use the seatbelt. I found a clip placed where the seatbelt is buckled. I scolded the driver. I am talking of the vehicles of four chief ministers, not talking of the common man...," he had then said in the interview.