Manufacturers must specify picture tube in TV brochures: SC

In a significant direction to ensure consumers are not misled by false claims, the Supreme Court has directed all manufacturers to specify the exact specification of a television’s picture tube in its brochure.

In a significant direction to ensure consumers are not misled by false claims, the Supreme Court has directed all manufacturers to specify the exact specification of a television’s picture tube in its brochure.

The direction came from a bench headed by Justice MB Lokur, giving a breather to two top executives – managing director and general manager – of Samsung India by quashing a 11-year-old case against them for allegedly cheating a customer.

Ashok Chaurdia from Madhya Pradesh had claimed he was cheated into buying a TV set on the promise that its screen size was 29 inches. When he brought the set home, it was 27 inches.

The bench found merit in the company’s argument that there was no attempt to cheat Chaurdia but it was rather a misunderstanding.

Challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court order that prima facie held the company had cheated Chaurdia, the company said as a practice all leading television companies in the country mentioned the actual dimensions of the picture tube and the consumers took it as the screen size.

“TV manufacturers including the petitioner shall in future mention specifically the actual dimension of picture viewing tube to avoid confusion among the customers,” the court, however, ordered.

Chaurdia had earlier filed a complaint in the trial court, with bailable warrants issued against the two executives in 2005. Samsung moved the High Court for quashing the charges but the same was dismissed in 2008, with the court allowing the trial to go on.