March 3, 2025

Online grocery shopping has become a daily convenience for millions of Indians. With companies like Zepto promising fast deliveries and exclusive discounts, customers trust these platforms for transparency and fair pricing. However, a recent incident raises serious concerns about the authenticity of their pricing strategies, leading us to question whether Indian consumers are being misled. The Zepto Pricing Scam: What Happened? A customer recently attempted to purchase Dawat Basmati Brown Rice on Zepto. The displayed MRP was ₹200, with a discounted price of ₹163. The user, already subscribed to Zepto Pass (which promises free delivery and no hidden charges), proceeded to checkout. However, the final amount displayed was ₹175.59 instead of ₹163. Upon closely investigating the price changes, the customer discovered that the MRP of the product had silently increased from ₹200 to ₹220.59, and the discounted price from ₹163 to ₹175.59—right at the moment of checkout. This raised a crucial question: Is Zepto manipulating prices in real time to deceive customers? A Clever Trick to Extract More Money? This practice is not just unethical but also a violation of consumer trust. Many customers, in a hurry, might not cross-check price fluctuations, assuming that the discount displayed at the time of selection remains unchanged during payment. Such a strategy allows companies to: • Create an illusion of discounts while actually increasing the base price. • Charge more than the displayed amount when users proceed to checkout. • Mislead customers who trust the platform’s pricing transparency. Legal & Ethical Concerns: Consumer Rights at Stake Under The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Indian consumers have the right to: 1. Be informed about the correct price and quality of products. 2. Protection against unfair trade practices by online platforms. 3. Fair pricing and transparency in online transactions. By altering the prices after selection, Zepto appears to be violating these consumer rights. This is not just a breach of trust but also a potential case of unfair trade practices, which could warrant investigation under consumer protection laws. The Bigger Question: Are We Paying More Without Realizing? This incident exposes a larger problem—how many times have we paid extra without noticing? If companies are engaging in such silent price hikes during checkout, how much are we blindly overpaying across various platforms? Call for Action: What Can Consumers Do? • Always cross-check the final price before making a payment. • Take screenshots of product prices before proceeding to checkout. • Report such discrepancies to consumer forums and legal authorities. • Spread awareness so that more people verify their online purchases. Final Thoughts: Is Zepto Exploiting Indian Consumers? Zepto, like other online grocery platforms, holds a responsibility toward its customers. If pricing manipulation is being done deliberately, it is nothing short of a scam. Consumers deserve fair pricing, transparency, and ethical business practices—not hidden price hikes and deceptive discounts. If such practices continue unchecked, will Indian consumers ever be able to fully trust online grocery platforms? Who ensures that we are not being cheated every time we shop online?