Jhunjhunu : A consumer dispute in Chirawa tehsil of Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan has created problems for a famous online company. The Consumer Court has imposed a fine of Rs 52,500 on the company. The case started when Sandeep Jangid ordered a water purifier on August 19, 2023 and paid Rs 1,499 in advance.
The company said, the order is lost, take the money back
When the order did not arrive by August 26, Sandeep contacted the company’s customer care. The company told them their order was “lost” and they could get a refund. But Sandeep refused to take the money back and insisted on the company that he wanted the goods and not the money. On this the company representative said that they have a lot of orders and sometimes some orders get lost, which is not their fault.
Instead of taking back the money the customer approached the consumer court
Dissatisfied with this reply, Sandeep lodged a complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Realizing the seriousness of the matter, the Commission took action against the company. During the hearing, the commission ordered the company to impose a fine of Rs 52,500, which includes Rs 45,000 as mental torture and Rs 7,500 as lawyer’s expenses.
Commission imposed fine on online company, gave instructions
The commission noted in its decision that the online company used unfair practices like ‘dark patterns’, which is against the spirit of Digital India. The company defended itself in the court saying that they are only an intermediary and the company selling the goods is different, hence they do not bear any responsibility. However, the Commission rejected this argument and took a serious view of the company’s irregularities. This decision has taken an important step towards protection of consumer rights.
