Faulty handset: XOLO mobile penalised

Aneesha Sareen

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 27

The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed XOLO mobile company with its service centre at Sector 32 and head office in Sector 64, Noida, to jointly pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for deficiency in services. The forum has also directed the company to refund Rs 10,600 as the cost of the faulty mobile set and pay Rs 3,500 as litigation costs.

Maninder Singh, a resident of Mohali, purchased one XOLO Q800 mobile handset from Anmol Watches & Electronics (P) Limited Sector 22B, Chandigarh, on August 31, 2013, for Rs 10,600. It is alleged that after a few months of its purchase, the said mobile handset started giving display problem (line appeared on mobile screen), hanging problem, sensor issue and wallpaper auto fit issue. The handset was accordingly taken to the Service Centre in Sector 32. The handset was returned after 15 days, but in a damaged condition, due to which it was re-submitted. Thereafter, the service centre returned the mobile handset to the complainant with recovered display, which also stopped working after two months and the same problem developed. Accordingly, the mobile handset was again taken to the service centre for repairs which retained the handset and asked thec to collect the same after a week, but thereafter, lingered on the delivery of the handset, on one pretext or the other. Finally, the complainant issued a notice on July 15, 2014.

When a notice was issued, nobody appeared on behalf of the opposite parties to contest the case and hence they were adjudged exparte.

“Not providing proper services and not rectifying the defects in the mobile handset, despite various visits to the service centre even within the warranty period, certainly caused physical and mental harassment to the complainant, which proves deficiency in service on their part. The fault in the mobile handset is within few months of its purchase clearly makes a pointer towards the poor quality of the product,” said the forum.

“The complainant has been deprived of the possession of the mobile handset for so many months. Evidently, the complainant had spent Rs 10,600 for the purchase of a brand new mobile handset to facilitate himself, but not for going to the service centre and then to this Forum for justice in the absence of proper service provided,” added the forum in its order.