Mumbai consumer panel dismisses complaint against Ola over 2-day delay in returning customer's keys

Mumbai consumer panel dismisses complaint against Ola over 2-day delay in returning customer's keys

Mumbai, A consumer commission in Mumbai has dismissed a complaint against cab aggregator Ola over a two-day delay in returning a passenger's forgotten car keys, observing that coordination time in a large city cannot automatically be termed as a deficiency in service.

Mumbai consumer panel dismisses complaint against Ola over 2-day delay in returning customer's keys

The Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission recently rejected a plea filed by a Ghatkopar resident against ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, which operates Ola, observing that mere dissatisfaction with generic customer support emails does not establish deficiency without proof that reasonable help was denied.

The complainant, in his plea, claimed that he had booked an Ola cab on June 17 and paid a fare of ₹330, but had inadvertently left his car keys inside the vehicle.

Upon realising the mistake, he tried to contact the driver through the mobile app, and after multiple attempts to communicate, the driver voluntarily returned the keys to him on June 19 without charging any extra money.

The complainant, however, approached the consumer panel alleging that the cab aggregator's email support system provided generic replies without effective resolution and failed to offer basic emergency assistance.

It pointed out that the loss of immediate possession of the keys arose from the complainant inadvertently leaving them in the cab. The driver, thereafter, returned the keys voluntarily.

"Considering the distances involved in a metropolitan city like Mumbai, the time required to coordinate, communicate and arrange the return of a forgotten article cannot, by itself, be treated as evidence of deficiency in service," the commission held.

It pointed out that the complainant ultimately recovered his keys without incurring any additional expense.

No material has been placed before the commission to indicate that the opposite party "deliberately withheld assistance, caused the loss of the keys, or adopted any deceptive or unfair practice", the panel said.

The commission concluded there were insufficient grounds to establish any deficiency in service and dismissed the plea with no order as to costs.

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