A senior citizen received relief this summer when the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission - III, Hyderabad, directed Reliance Retail Limited to pay compensation for delivering the a different refrigerator model and later failing to replace it.
The complaint was filed by B. Siva Gopal Reddy. The opposite parties (OP) were Reliance Retail Limited and Kelvinator.
According to the complainant, he placed an order for a refrigerator on July 17, 2021. However, the model delivered to him was not the one he ordered. Upon raising this issue with the technician who arrived for the installation, he received an unsatisfactory response. Further attempts to address the issue through Reliance’s complaint section were met with inadequate responses. Requests for another technician visit were ignored, and legal notices went unanswered. Later, on account of a leakage from the refrigerator, his wife slipped aggravating her medical condition.
For their part, Reliance Retail Limited refuted the allegations. They argued that the complainant should have refused the delivery if the refrigerator was the incorrect model. The retailer underscored that their policy, which is stated on every bill, permits customers to return a product within seven days without providing a reason. They contended that the complainant did not avail of this option within this period. Regarding the legal notice, Reliance Retail claimed it was never received.
After considering all evidence and arguments, the Commission found that despite the complainant having paid for a specific model, he was delivered a different model, and the issue was not resolved, constituting a deficiency in service.
However, since the complainant had been using the refrigerator since its installation and neither party had highlighted any price difference between the models, the Commission ruled that the complainant was not entitled to a replacement.
The Commission ordered Reliance Retail to pay a compensation of Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 2,000 for costs. The case against Kelvinator was dismissed.
