How do I complain about wrongful deductions or service failure in a DTH or OTT subscription?

Question

My DTH operator deducted money for channels I never subscribed to, and separately an OTT platform kept renewing a subscription I had cancelled. I want to know my rights against both. I would like to understand which provision governs this, what it entitles me to, and how long I have before the remedy lapses. I also want to know whether I need a lawyer for this or can do it myself.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

In India, the answer to "How do I complain about wrongful deductions or service failure in a DTH or OTT subscription?" turns on Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, TRAI, 2017, Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(47), Information Technology Act 2000, Section 43A and Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, Rule 5. The points below set out the position and then what to do about it, in the order it should be done.

TRAI's Addressable Systems Regulations require DTH operators to activate or deactivate channels strictly based on the subscriber's explicit choice recorded through the operator's app or IVR, and any unrequested channel or pack activation resulting in deduction is a violation of these Regulations.

DTH operators must send an advance notice before expiry and cannot auto-renew a pack the subscriber has not chosen to continue, and a subscriber can demand a refund for any unauthorised deduction along with the balance validity restored.

For OTT platforms, continuing to charge after a subscriber has clearly exercised a cancellation option in the app or account settings is an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, since it charges for a service the consumer did not consent to.

Rule 5 of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 requires e-commerce and digital service entities to provide a transparent cancellation and refund mechanism and prohibits obstructing a consumer's ability to cancel a recurring subscription.

Where a payment method's saved card details are used to auto-debit after cancellation without fresh authorisation, this can also amount to a violation of data and payment security obligations under Section 43A of the Information Technology Act 2000.

In practice, in this order: 1) Take a screenshot of the channel selection or subscription cancellation confirming what you actually authorised; 2) Raise a complaint with the DTH operator or OTT platform's customer support demanding a refund; 3) Escalate to TRAI's grievance portal for DTH billing issues if the operator does not respond; 4) File a consumer complaint for refund and compensation if the platform refuses to reverse unauthorised charges.

Timing matters here: Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, TRAI, 2017 works on limitation periods, so a dth wrongful deduction claim that is right on the merits can still fail if it is brought late. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in consumer law.