A new fee quietly introduced by Amazon India has ignited a fierce consumer backlash. A fresh controversy has erupted after several Amazon India customers reported being charged a mandatory ₹149 fee for its Open Box Inspection service. The charge has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many users questioning why they should pay extra for a process they believe should be part of the standard delivery experience.
Customers discovered that the price was being applied to orders for electronics and high-value items before they could even confirm delivery, and screenshots of the additional charge started to circulate on X and Reddit, bringing the issue to the public’s attention. The framing, which presented the service as a benefit to the customer but treated it as a required add-on with no obvious way to opt out, was what made it especially controversial.
Many users argued that verifying a product before delivery primarily benefits the e-commerce platform by reducing disputes over damaged or incorrect items. They questioned why customers should bear the cost of a quality-check process that they believe is a basic responsibility of the seller.
“₹149 for a mandatory ‘Doorstep Service Fee’, for something like Open Box Inspection, which is Amazon’s basic responsibility, not a paid add-on. This is nothing but another form of daylight loot. Why are regulators sleeping while customers are forced to pay for standard delivery checks? @amazonIN @AmazonHelp”~Venkatesh Alla
What Open Box Inspection Actually Is And Why Amazon Says It Helps Buyers?
When you choose Open Box Inspection, the delivery person will unpack your order package so you can inspect it. According to Amazon, the concept is to allow customers to confirm that what they requested is what was delivered, making sure the product is accurate, undamaged, and complete before they accept the package and sign off on delivery.
For electronics purchases, this can be genuinely useful. Customers who have experienced receiving wrong items, damaged goods, or missing accessories from online orders know that disputing the issue after signing for the delivery is significantly more difficult than refusing a visibly wrong delivery at the door. Amazon frames Open Box Inspection as a protective service for the buyer.
The charge is different for each price range. Sub-₹10,000 phones show ₹29, while sub-₹20,000 show ₹79. The Samsung Galaxy S25 shows ₹109. Surprisingly, laptops do not have this service. The ₹149 figure represents the highest tier of the sliding scale applied to the most expensive eligible products.
“Amazon India is now charging Rs 149 for Open Box Inspection as a mandatory Doorstep Service Fee for certain high-value electronics. Customers have no option to decline. The fee appears at checkout and has sparked major backlash on social media.”~Trak.in
The Consumer Rights Debate: Whose Responsibility Is Product Verification?
The core of the customer anger is not really about ₹149 in the context of a ₹20,000 or ₹30,000 electronics purchase, that is a small amount. What has irritated consumers is the principle: Amazon is charging the buyer for a process that, critics argue, exists to protect Amazon and its sellers from disputes, not primarily to serve the customer.
Several shoppers also expressed concern that the fee appears mandatory for certain orders, leaving them with no option to decline the service. When a service is bundled without consent and presented as non-optional, it stops being a feature and becomes a surcharge and that is the characterisation many consumers have settled on.
Consumer protection experts have pointed out that under India’s Consumer Protection Act, traders are required to provide accurate information about all charges before a transaction is completed. Whether a mandatory service fee disclosed at checkout satisfies that standard is a question that consumer courts may eventually be asked to answer if complaints are filed.
The fact that Amazon has tiered the charge by product price rather than by the actual cost or time required to perform the inspection has added to the perception that this is a revenue mechanism rather than a cost recovery exercise.
“Amazon India charging Rs 149 for ‘Open Box Inspection’ as a mandatory fee at checkout for electronics. No option to skip. Customers asking: Why am I paying for something that protects Amazon from return fraud more than it protects me?”~Ishan Tanna
Amazon Has Not Commented But The Backlash Is Growing:
Amazon India has not issued a public statement directly responding to the criticism as of the time of writing. The company’s customer service page describes the service matter-of-factly without addressing the mandatory or fee-based nature of the arrangement.
The controversy lands at a moment when consumer sentiment toward e-commerce platforms in India is already sensitive on the subject of hidden fees and platform charges. Delivery fees, handling charges, small-order surcharges, and now inspection fees have collectively shifted the cost structure of online shopping in ways that consumers feel they did not consent to when they joined these platforms years ago.
Amazon India’s ₹149 Open Box Inspection fee has triggered widespread criticism, with customers questioning why they should pay for a delivery verification process. While Amazon says the service helps ensure correct and undamaged deliveries, many shoppers believe it should be a standard feature rather than a mandatory paid service, prompting a broader debate on consumer rights.
Whether CCPA or any other regulatory body takes notice of the mandatory fee will likely determine how quickly Amazon is forced to either make it optional or scrap it entirely. Until then, customers who want to buy high-value electronics on Amazon India will need to factor ₹149 into their checkout total whether they want the inspection or not.
