E-Paper
Blocking ID of Mohali resident costs Apple ₹5,000
To pay the amount for litigation costs, unfair trade practice
The district consumer disputes redressal forum directed Apple India Private Limited, Bangalore, on Saturday to pay ₹5,000 as compensation for unfair trade practice, harassment, and litigation costs for blocking the Apple ID of a Mohali resident. The store has also been directed to unblock the ID.
In January 2018, Gurdeep Kaur, of Sector 71, had filed a complaint against Apple India Private Limited, Bangalore, and Anmol Smart Store, Chandigarh, alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on their part.
She mentioned that she had bought an Apple iPhone worth ₹30,700 from Anmol Smart Store on April 1, 2017, by financing it from HDFC Bank. In January 2018, Kaur’s Apple ID was blocked and the iPhone had stopped working.
She alleged that while the iPhone’s warranty was still not over, she went to the store several times to get the glitch resolved, but in vain. Kaur then went to an Apple customer care store where she was told that her ID was blocked either because she had mailed them to do the same or because she had stolen the iPhone.
She complained that despite presenting the original bill of the iPhone at the customer care store, the officials took no action.
A notice of the complaint was sent to the opposite parties seeking their version of the case, but as no one appeared from Anmol Smart Store, it was proceeded against ex-parte.
Apple India Private Limited then pleaded that the alleged damage caused to the iPhone was due to negligent misuse by the complainant which rendered the iPhone out of warranty and thus the damage is not attributable to the answering opposite party.
They then pleaded for dismissal of the complaint.
