New Delhi, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Digital difficulties and potentially manipulative interface practices continue to trouble users of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform, with a new survey finding that 70 per cent of respondents had experienced what was classified as “forced action” during ticket booking or cancellation.
The LocalCircles survey received more than 90,000 responses from users across 324 districts and examined consumer experiences against the 13 types of “dark patterns” notified by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).
Forced action was the most widely reported practice, with respondents primarily associating it with being unexpectedly logged out of their IRCTC accounts while attempting to book tickets.
About 42 per cent of respondents said such logouts occurred very frequently, while 28 per cent encountered them sometimes. Another 15 per cent reported experiencing the issue rarely, while an equal proportion said they had never faced it.
Unexpected logouts can force passengers to restart the booking process, potentially affecting their chances of securing their preferred train, seat or timing, particularly during high-demand booking periods.
The survey identified several other practices that users said they encountered on the platform.
Nagging was reported by 46 per cent of respondents. This included repeated prompts during booking or cancellation, such as requests to download the IRCTC app, provide additional personal information or enable notifications.
Basket sneaking was reported by 45 per cent of users. Respondents cited instances in which additional products or services, including insurance, donations or paid offerings, were added during the booking process without their explicit consent.
The survey also found that 43 per cent of respondents had encountered what it described as drip pricing, involving charges other than taxes that were not clearly disclosed upfront during ticket booking or cancellation.
Interface interference was reported by 31 per cent of users, referring to instances where the booking interface was interrupted to present another product or service for purchase.
Meanwhile, 38 per cent reported experiencing bait and switch, where the ticket, train or seat ultimately booked differed from the option they had initially sought.
The findings highlight concerns over the digital booking experience for railway passengers and the extent to which interface design may influence consumer decisions.
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