Faulty machine costs firm dear

Ishrat S Banwait
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 24

A faulty pest-control device has cost an Ahmedabad-based firm dear. Meant to keep away pests, birds and monkeys by way of modulated ultrasonic waves emitted by it, the machine did not work even once. As a result, the proprietor-cum-owner, Prompt Pest Control Equipment, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has been asked to pay Rs 21,500 to the complainant.

Complainant Kamalbir Singh Sra (61) purchased an ‘ultrasonic pest out machine’ online for Rs 14,455 on February 9, 2018. The machine had a warranty of six months.

It was stated that the payment was made online to the firm through Corporation Bank, Sector 8, Chandigarh, on February 8, 2018. The machine was installed on the premises as per the instructions of the firm, but it did not operate even for a single day from the day of its installation. Sra tried to contact the firm for getting the machine operational, but to no avail. Finally, he sent a legal notice to the firm on March 27, 2018, but all in vain.

Despite being informed through a registered post, the firm failed to appear. As a result, it was ordered to be proceeded against ex parte. The averments of the complaint thus went un-rebutted.

As per the forum, it was established beyond all reasonable doubts that the complaint is genuine. The firm did not bother to redress the grievance of the complainant when it was contacted within the warranty period, resulting into mental and physical harassment to him. The forum thus found deficiency in service on part of the firm.

The forum directed the firm to refund the cost of the machine to the complainant. Besides, it was also directed to pay Rs 2,100 as compensation for mental agony and harassment and Rs 5,000 as cost of litigation.