The district consumer disputes redressal forum on Saturday penalised a mobile dealer for selling an old and refurbished handset to complainant Arjun Vinayak.
The forum directed Ambika Enterprises, Sector 11, to refund ₹53,000, cost of the mobile, to Vinayak, a resident of Sector 8, along with interest at 9% per annum besides ₹15,000 on account of mental agony and harassment. The mobile dealer has also been directed to pay an amount of ₹ 5,500 as cost of litigation charges. In September 2017, Vinayak purchased an Apple iPhone for ₹ 53,000 from Ambika Enterprises which had one-year warranty. In March 2018, the screen of the phone went blank and the mobile stopped functioning. Vinayak approached the mobile dealer, who told him that as the phone was under warranty and could be repaired at the authorised service centre.
He then visited the service centre in Chandigarh and his handset was sent to Bangalore office.
Later, he received a phone call from the service centre asking him to deposit ₹50,000 as the device’s warranty period was over. Vinayak then got the mobile’s warranty checked online and found that the device’s warranty was over despite being purchased in September 2017.
On being confronted, the dealer agreed to refund the money, but later refused and threatened him. In their reply, the dealer submitted that they were neither proper nor necessary party in adjudication of the complaint. The dealer said they were only retailers and were not responsible. After hearing the arguments, court held there has been deficiency on the part of the opposite party.