Bantia Estates asked to pay 25 K to customer for unfair trade practice
By Dheeshma Published on 12 March 2020 3:31 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed furniture showroom 'Bantia Estates’ to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to a customer for causing "mental agony" and indulging in “unfair trade practice".
Complainant Sharath Alimi had booked a London model sofa set from Bantia Estates in 2017 for Rs 22,000. Instead of the original booked product, the showroom delivered a sofa set of different size and colour.
“I immediately contacted Bantia Estates. After negotiations, its senior manager agreed to replace the product but asked me to share half of the transportation charges of Rs 7, 000,” he said.
Despite the promise, the showroom did not deliver the sofa set after Diwali.
“Despite my phone calls and repeated visits to the showroom, they failed to replace the product. Even the manager and staff misbehaved whenever I approached them,” he said.
Bantia Estates, however, denied the allegations.
“The complainant wanted to replace the sofa set as he disliked the colour of the fabric. Having considered the request, our management agreed for the replacement on the condition that the complainant will pay full transportation charges. He was also given the option to ship the sofa set by himself. He rejected both options,” it said
After examining the documents, the forum said it is evident that the product delivered by the opposite party is not the same as booked by the complainant.
“If the opposite party had sent the product as chosen and booked by the complainant there was no need for its senior manager to agree for the replacement. The very fact that the opposite party agreed for the replacement shows that the product delivered to the complainant was not the same as selected by him,” the forum said.
The forum said the opposite party has indulged in unfair trade practice by delivering a different product to the complainant. “The complainant is therefore entitled to get the replacement for which he has already paid”, it said.
The forum also directed the furniture showroom to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for causing mental agony by not replacing the product.
