Hyderabad: OnePlus Technology asked to refund Rs 51,000 for delivering faulty cellphone
He purchased One Plus 12R on payment of Rs.46,000+Rs.5000 (Care Pack) on April 9
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy Published on 16 Nov 2024 5:45 AM GMT
Representational Image.
Hyderabad: District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II has directed OnePlus Technology India Pvt Ltd to refund Rs 51,000 along with 9 percent interest for delivering a faulty mobile phone to a complainant.
The complainant also alleged that despite approaching the OnePlus Service Center at Himayat Nagar within a replacement period of 15 days, he received back the mobile without rectifying the problem.
The Commission has ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 towards compensation for the inconvenience and mental agony caused to the complainant. It also ordered to pay Rs 2,000 towards costs to the complainant Akhil Sam Mathew, a dermatologist in Hyderabad.
He purchased One Plus 12R on payment of Rs.46,000+Rs.5000 (Care Pack) on April 9 and received it on April 11. Within a few days, the phone developed some issues. First, third-party apps like WhatsApp and Google Pay started getting hung and later inbuilt apps like Play Store did not work properly.
On April 22, Mathew visited the OnePlus Service Center. After a thorough check, they said the problem may have been caused by the bug. They recalibrated it to the factory version and assured him that if the issue reoccurred, they would try to refix it. He revisited the service center on April 24 after the phone started hanging again. Plus the screen blacked out while browsing apps like the Gpay app. There was also flickering while sending files through WhatsApp.
On April 25, they handed over the phone saying these were mainly 3rd party apps and they could not do anything. Later, the complainant asked for a replacement. Mathew was devastated because he spent his one-month income on this phone. Its specifications included 16GB RAM and the latest 8 Gen 2 Snapdragon processor.
Later, he shared screen recording video evidence to online support platforms of OnePlus like WhatsApp chat, OnePlus Care email, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. On April 26, Mathew contacted the customer care executive through a Toll-free number and WhatsApp chat.
The executive asked him to wait for two days again. On April 29 he contacted customer care again. They told him to wait for two days more. On May 2, Mathew got a call from the team which assured to try their best.
On May 7, after so many reminders through calls and WhatsApp chat, Mathew got an email saying no issue was found with the phone, even though he had given them clear evidence. On May 15, Mathew posted a complaint on eDaakhil and submitted all documents in PDF format. He also got the case number.
On May 20, Mathew got an email reply saying that both the complainant and the opposite party reside outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Nampally Commission.
Despite receiving the notice from District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, OnePlus Technology India Pvt Ltd did not contest the case.
The Court noted that the problems with the phone occurred within 15 days of the date of purchase. Moreover, these issues were not rectified by their service center. OnePlus Technology India Pvt Ltd acted very negligently. It neither replaced the mobile nor refunded the cost of that mobile.
Based on the facts and circumstances of the case, the Court concluded that service is deficient on the part of OnePlus Technology India Pvt Ltd.
Hence the Court ruled in favor of Mathew and directed the OnePlus Technology India Pvt Ltd to refund along with interest, compensation, and costs of the complaint.
