Chandigarh: Coaching centre fined for failing to refund student’s fee
Observing that the institute cannot retain unused money of the complainant in the absence of availing of any services from them, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has penalised an institute.
Observing that the institute cannot retain unused money of the complainant in the absence of availing of any services from them, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has penalised an institute.
The case was filed by Manju Dahiya, 43, a Chandigarh resident, against FITJEE Ltd, New Delhi, and its Chandigarh centre.
It was alleged by Manju that her son joined the coaching classes for the ICSE batch at FITJEE, Chandigarh, and attended the classes for two years with effect from April 2019.
The fee remitted for the first year was for courses covered from April 2019 to March 2020 and for the 2nd year it was for courses covered from April 2020 to March 2021, respectively. The institute had taken postdated cheques towards the entire fee of all the four years amounting to ₹3,71,242, in the beginning.
It was alleged that after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, when the coaching started through online classes, the complainant’s son was taken out from the group of ICSE students by the institute on their own, and was included in a different group, and was given coaching under the CBSE curriculum.
Therefore, in January 2021, they requested that they wanted to discontinue the remaining two years coaching of their son and requested to refund the fee for this period as he had attended not even a single class.
Alleging that the institute illegally retained the hard-earned money of the complainant in the absence of any rules and regulations in this regard, the family moved the complaint.
The opposition parties (the institute) stated that it was categorically and specifically made clear to the complainant and his parents that as per terms and conditions of the enrolment form, fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances. It is vehemently denied that the complainant is entitled to any compensation on the grounds that opposition parties did not give coaching as per the ICSE syllabi.
The commission observed that the institute cannot retain unused money of the complainant in the absence of availing any services from them.
“Hence, the act of the institute for non-providing proper services in the shape of coaching as desired by the complainant, non-refunding remaining fee and forcing the complainant to indulge in the unnecessary litigation proves deficiency in service and their indulgence in unfair trade practice,” it added.
The commission has directed the opposition parties to refund ₹2,41,242 along with interest @ 9% per annum from the date of filing of the complaint onwards. Also, to pay ₹20,000 as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment to her and to pay ₹8,000 as cost of litigation.