Online liquor delivery: Consumers asked to verify vendors

Bhubaneswar: The Excise Department on Tuesday cautioned the alcohol consumers to verify the genuineness of vendors/agencies offering home delivery service for liquor in Odisha through the OSBC website (osbc.co.in).

“Do not get lured by attractive offers of fake websites/social media platforms etc,” said the Excise department in a press statement.

The advice of the state government came after some consumers were duped by fraudsters in the state.

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Consumers are advised to verify the genuineness of vendors /agencies offering home delivery service for liquor in Odisha through OSBC website(https://t.co/35LEXVvxLi) and not get lured by attractive offers of fake websites/social media platforms etc..

— exciseodisha (@exciseodisha) May 26, 2020

“Through various media reports it is learnt that in the garb of online delivery of liquor some fraudsters have started using social media platforms & portal for receiving orders and payments for sale of liquor,” said the statement.

This is to clarify that the government has permitted home delivery of liquor only through the following methods:

Directly through Retailers: The ON/OFF shop retailers will display their phone number etc. outside their shop and can receive their orders directly.

Their numbers are also listed on OSBC website (osbc.co.in). Consumer can place orders through these phone numbers/whatsapp no. etc.

Food aggregators/ technology platforms / service delivery providers etc. have also been permitted to participate in home delivery of liquor.

The list of  NOCs issued by Excise Commissioner is available in OSBC website. So far ZOMATO & SWIGGY have been permitted.

“Excise Superintendents have been advised to lodge FIR if any unauthorized person/agency is found offering the service of their website/portal/application etc. for home delivery of liquor,” the department said.