New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹10,00,000 on Rapido, operated by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd., for publishing misleading advertisements and engaging in unfair trade practices. The authority has further directed the company to discontinue such advertisements and ensure full compensation to affected consumers.
CCPA Orders Compensation for Rapido Customers
The consumer regulator instructed that all customers who availed the “AUTO IN 5 MIN OR GET ₹50” offer and did not receive the promised benefit must be reimbursed without any delay or conditions.
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Rapido’s Advertisements Found Misleading
CCPA’s investigation found that Rapido’s advertisements—promising “Auto in 5 min or get ₹50” and “Guaranteed Auto”—were misleading and deceptive. The disclaimers were displayed in extremely small, unreadable font, and the promised ₹50 was not given in cash but in “Rapido coins.” These coins were capped at “up to ₹50,” redeemable only for Rapido bike rides, and carried a validity of just seven days.
The authority also observed that while the advertisements prominently assured compensation, the fine print stated the guarantee was provided by individual captains and not by Rapido itself, shifting liability away from the company.
Rising Complaints
Data from the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) revealed a growing number of consumer complaints against Rapido:
- 575 complaints were recorded between April 2023 and May 2024.
- 1,224 complaints were filed between June 2024 and July 2025.
These complaints largely related to non-refunds, overcharging, service deficiencies, and failure to deliver on guaranteed services.
CCPA Action Under Consumer Protection Act
The misleading campaign was actively run for around 548 days across multiple regional languages in more than 120 cities. Given its wide reach, the CCPA, empowered under Sections 10, 20, and 21 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, imposed the penalty and directed Rapido to cease unfair trade practices immediately.
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Consumer Advisory
The CCPA has advised consumers to exercise caution against advertisements that use terms like “guaranteed” or “assured” without clearly explaining conditions. Consumers can report misleading ads and unfair trade practices by calling the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 or using its app and website.
