By S&S Co. Advocates & Solicitors · Published 8 April 2026 · Informational content, not legal advice
About this article: A general explainer prepared by S&S Co. Advocates & Solicitors on a recurring type of dispute. It does not report a specific judgment or order, names no parties and gives no case citation, so it should not be cited as authority. Law and practice change; please verify against the current statute and primary sources before relying on it.
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 treats 'deficiency in service' and 'unfair trade practice' as distinct grounds of complaint, although one set of facts can sometimes support both. Each has its own elements, and a complaint should say clearly which is relied on and why.
Deficiency in service, defined in Section 2(11), concerns a fault, imperfection or shortcoming in the quality, nature or manner of performance of a service, for example failure to carry out a warranty repair within a reasonable time. Unfair trade practice, defined in Section 2(47), concerns an unfair method or deceptive practice in promoting the sale or supply of goods or services, such as a false representation about their standard, quality or grade. It does not need an ongoing service relationship.
A complaint that pleads only a delay in after-sales repair is naturally a deficiency-in-service case. A claim of unfair trade practice needs facts about a misleading representation made at or before the sale. A commission can grant the relief that the pleaded and proved facts support, without every available head being invoked, but a vague complaint that mixes the two can weaken a good case.