The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued orders against the five largest e-commerce platforms selling seat belt stopper clips for car seat belts.
Authorities found that such clips were blatantly sold on multiple e-commerce platforms.
The clips endanger consumers’ lives and safety by stopping the alarm sound if they are not buckled. Selling such items is against the Consumer Protection Act 2019.
The e-commerce platforms targeted by the order are Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho, according to a statement from the Department of Consumer Protection.
The Ministry of Highways and Transport had highlighted the problem of blatant sales of car seat belt alarm stopper clips and called for action against erroneous vendors or online platforms and the issuance of a recommendation.
“It is important to note that the use of car seat belt alarm stopper clips can also present a hurdle for consumers when claiming amounts of damage in the case of auto insurance policies where an insurance company has denied the claim with justification that the applicant acted negligently in the use of these clips. On the other hand, the use of a seat belt acts as a restraint system, allowing the airbag to provide proper cushioning and not hit the occupants full force, which also acts as a protective shield in the event of a collision.
It states that following guidance issued by the CCPA, all five e-commerce companies have filed compliance reports.
Approximately 13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been removed from e-commerce platforms at the initiative of the CCPA.
In an interview last September, Union Minister for Transport and Motorways Nitin Gadkari recalled seeing stopper clips being used to stop seatbelt alarms from beeping during his trip in the vehicles of four prime ministers.
“Let me tell you something new. I have traveled with the Prime Ministers of four countries in the past year. I sit in the front seat and buckle up. I found a clip that attaches where the seat belt is fastened. I scolded the driver. That’s what I do. I’m talking about the vehicles of the four prime ministers, not the common man…” he said in the interview at the time.
