The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-III, Hyderabad, here on September 8 directed Vishal Movers and Packers to pay a complainant Rs. 6.29 lakh as compensation for damaging her car during transit and another Rs. 50,000 for causing mental agony to her. The forum’s judgement came after V. Naga Bhanu, a resident of Ameerpet, availed the services of Vishal Movers and Packers to send her Mitsubishi Cedia car from Hyderabad to New Delhi in June, 2013.
However, she asked the company to send it back to Hyderabad in March 2013 as she found out that vehicles bought before 2010 cannot be registered in the capital.
Ms. Bhanu claimed in her complaint that the car was sent to Hyderabad after 30 days, and was left at her parking lot.
She also mentioned that the metre reading in her car before transit was recorded at 6,851 km and after delivery, it was 7,532 km. She stated that the car was not used by her husband, as he was abroad, and that when she tried to use the car, it was damaged. On giving it to the service centre, Ms. Bhanu was informed that the car was severely damaged as it had met with an accident.
She informed Vishal Packers and Movers of the same, and alleged that the company had quietly repaired it after the accident, resulting in the delay. The hearing bench, on scrutinising all the evidence on record, found the documents to be in order, and ruled that the company had indeed used the car and caused damage to it. Deeming it as deficiency of service by Vishal Movers and Packers, the forum directed it to pay Ms. Bhanu Rs. 6.29 lakh, along with Rs. 50,000 as compensation. The judgement was made in ex-parte.