Ola refunds and auto bills will have to see a big route change

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has instructed Ola to provide customers with the option to receive refunds directly to their bank accounts or through a coupon redeemable for another ride. Only providing a coupon is considered an "unfair trade practice," according to the CCPA.

In addition, Ola must now provide a bill, receipt, or invoice for all auto rides booked through its platform to ensure greater transparency and accountability, ToI reported. CCPA's chief commissioner and consumer affairs secretary, Nidhi Khare, noted that Ola's no-question-asked refund policy previously only offered a coupon code for the next ride without giving customers a choice for a bank refund. "This violates consumer rights, and the no-question-asked refund policy cannot mean that the company incentivizes people to simply use this facility for taking another ride," CCPA stated.

The CCPA also found that the Ola app displayed a message stating "Customer invoice for auto rides will not be provided due to changes in Ola's auto service T&Cs," when users tried to access invoices. CCPA identified this as another "unfair trade practice."


There were 2,061 complaints against Ola logged with the National Consumer Helpline, relating to issues like higher fares than those shown at booking, non-refund of amounts, drivers asking for extra cash, and incorrect pickup or drop-off locations.

Following CCPA's directives, Ola has made several changes. It now displays grievance and nodal officers' contact details on its website, clearly mentions cancellation policies and fees at booking, offers more options for ride cancellation reasons, and publicises fare breakdowns. Additional changes include showing pickup and drop-off addresses to drivers and revising payment cycles for faster driver payments.