Marriages are made in heaven,so attempts to fix a match on earth went terribly wrong for matrimonial agency Wedding Wishes. Failing to act cupid and find a bridegroom for a doctor client, it has now been ordered by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum to refund ₹50,000 with 9% interest and ₹12,000 as compensation and litigation expenses to the aggrieved party.
Surinder Pal Singh Chahal of Mohali had filed a case with the forum alleging that Wedding Wishes contacted him after he published a newspaper advertisement seeking a match for his daughter, a doctor in the Haryana Civil Medical Services, in 2017.
The doctor, impressed by their claims, signed an agreement with the agency after paying a fee of ₹50,000 for being registered under the category of “royal member,” listing her preference in the registration form for a medico, preferably a Jatt living in the tricity.
The agency assured her and her family that it would come up with an appropriate match within nine months by uploading 18 profiles in the account.
However, as none of the bridegroom profiles sent matched the requirements, Chahal terminated the agreement and demanded a refund with interest.
In its reply, the agency pleaded that the profiles had been forwarded according to the service agreement without a 100% assurance to the client as it was meant to only upload matching profiles according to preferences given in the registration form.
{{/usCountry}}In its reply, the agency pleaded that the profiles had been forwarded according to the service agreement without a 100% assurance to the client as it was meant to only upload matching profiles according to preferences given in the registration form.
{{/usCountry}}After hearing the arguments, the forum observed: “All these absurd profiles were nothing but a waste for the complainant. All this has not only wasted the precious time of the complainant but also caused them gross mental agony and physical harassment. The Opposite Party has miserably failed in their professional services by not providing a suitable match for the girl which leads to inordinate delay in fixation of her marriage.”
The agency was directed to refund the money with interest to be paid from September 26, 2017, till its realisation. An amount of ₹7,000 will be paid as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment on account of deficiency in service and ₹5,000 as litigation expenses.