Consumer Watchdog Penalises Rapido Over Misleading Ride Pricing
What Happened
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Rapido for misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices and the use of "dark patterns" in its app. The regulator objected to prompts such as“Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride” and“Try adding +10, +20, +30”, which encouraged riders to pay more after already booking a ride.
Key Takeaways
The CCPA ruled that Rapido's practices amounted to"confirm shaming" and"interface interference", two prohibited dark patterns under consumer protection guidelines. The watchdog has directed the company to stop using such prompts, while scrutiny of similar practices by other ride-hailing platforms remains ongoing.