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Chandigarh trader fined ₹5K for selling faulty appliance
Suresh Kumar of Sector 7, Panchkula argued that the appliance, as per instruction manual-cum-warranty card, was having a warranty of two years
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Panchkula, has imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on a seller for “selling of non-merchantable product”.
In his complaint, Suresh Kumar, 56, of Sector 7, Panchkula, said he had purchased a sandwich maker/contact grill from Aggarwal Agencies, Industrial Area Phase-2,Chandigarh, for ₹3,000 on December 18, 2020. He added that the thermostat of the sandwich maker became defective within a period of one month from its purchase. He argued that the appliance, as per instruction manual-cum-warranty card, was having a warranty of two years.
Kumar said A2B Services, Ram Darbar Colony, Chandigarh, had wrongly charged a sum of ₹669 from him in February 2021 for the replacement of the thermostat of the appliance.
The district consumer commission has directed the seller to deposit punitive damages amounting to ₹5,000 in the account of Poor Patient Welfare Fund through Post Graduate Institute of Medical Research and Education (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
The commission also directed A2B services to pay a sum of ₹669 to the complainant, along with 9% interest, from February 2021 till realisation, on account of mental agony and harassment and an additional ₹5,000 as litigations charges.
The district consumer commission, Panchkula ruled, “The seller, Aggarwal Agencies, Industrial Area Phase-2, Chandigarh, is burdened with the punitive damages amounting to ₹5,000, for selling of non merchantable product.”
“Since the defects in the sandwich maker in question had occurred during the warranty period i.e. within a period of 45 days approximately from its purchase, so, the charging of sum of ₹669 by the A2B services from the complainant qua the repairs, was not valid and justified,” ruled the commission.
