When you shop online, the price tag you see isn’t always the price you pay. That’s the core message from tech creator Rakesh Kumar, widely known as Gyan Therapy, whose recent investigation into Flipkart and Amazon has triggered serious conversations about fairness in e-commerce.
In his 13-minute exposé, “Real Problems with Flipkart and Amazon – STOP!”, Kumar presents evidence suggesting that the country’s largest marketplaces may be hiding surcharges, manipulating discounts, or cancelling orders unfairly to protect margins. Within 24 hours of its release, the video racked up over 400,000 views, and consumer rights groups and officials have taken notice.
Kumar begins by revealing extra fees that often appear only at checkout, labels like “Offer Handling Fee,” “Payment Handling Fee,” or “Protect Promise Fee” ranging from ₹69 to ₹299. These surcharges, when combined with inflated “original” prices, dilute the promised discounts significantly.
He cites real orders: for example, a buyer ended up paying an extra ₹344 on a ₹63,000 MacBook, and another user was charged ₹173 over the listed price for a budget phone. In short, the “deal” you think you’re getting may be undermined by hidden charges.
He also spotlights suspicious order cancellations, particularly during big sale events like Big Billion Days and Great Indian Festival. According to affected users, Flipkart cancelled “discounted” iPhone orders under vague pricing errors, only to relist the same item later at a higher price.
Separately, some consumers say products labelled “Assured” or “New” arrived already activated, implying used devices passed off as new. Kumar further claims that product reviews are sometimes merged across different product versions to mislead buyers.
Public reaction was swift. The Department of Consumer Affairs has reportedly launched a probe into e-commerce platforms over extra surcharges, labelling some practices as “dark pattern” manipulation.
News portals confirm the ministry is investigating cases of undisclosed add-ons in cash-on-delivery orders and opaque checkout fees. Many users flooded comment sections with their experiences of surprise charges, cancelled orders, and confusing price “deals.”
Kumar’s goal isn’t to defame Amazon or Flipkart, but to equip consumers. He urges buyers to scrutinise final order summaries, demand transparency in hidden fees, and report unfair practices via the National Consumer Helpline (1915). “I’m not anti-Flipkart or anti-Amazon,” he states. “I’m anti-unfair billing and anti-blind trust.”
His investigation is one more signal that India’s digital marketplace is at a turning point, where consumer awareness, regulation, and accountability are catching up to aggressive sales tactics masked behind flashy discounts.
