As watchdog cracks down, five e-tailers de-list 13,118 seatbelt alarm stopper clips

NEW DELHI: Cracking down on the illegal sale of seatbelt alarm stoppers by e-commerce platforms, the central consumer watchdog, CCPA, has ordered de-listing the sale of all such items, as clips or in any other name. Following the order, five major ecommerce platforms — Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Snapdeal and Shopclues — have de-listed 13,118 seatbelt alarm stopper clips so far.
Once such clips or cheatdevices are inserted in the buckles, the alarms or reminders for not wearing seatbelt stop. Currently, seatbelt alarm is a mandatory feature for driver and co-passenger in all cars. The road transport ministry has proposed to introduce this provision for the rear seat passengers as well.
Sources said during probe it was found that several sellers were selling these items as bottle openers or other clips. “It took more time to detect such items because of this,” said a source. The CentralConsumer Protection Authority (CCPA) headed by its chief commissioner, Nidhi Khare has said such clips violate Consumer Protection Act and compromise the lives of car passengers. Officials said the CCPA has not imposed any penalty on the e-commerce firms and has urged them to stop their sale completely.
The consumer affairs ministry said a maximum of 8,095 such alarm stopper clips have been de-listed by Amazon, followed by Flipkart (5,000) and Meesho (21) from their sites.