Teleshopping firm penalised as height-raiser brings side-effects

Aneesha Sareen

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4

The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed a television shopping network to pay Rs 2,000 compensation for causing mental agony and physical harassment to the complainant after he faced several side effects after consuming a height increaser purchased from the network.

The forum has directed UVM Telemart, New Delhi, to pay Rs 2,000 compensation, refund Rs 4,800 which the complainant had paid for the Step-Up Height Increaser and pay Rs 2,100 as the cost of litigation.

The complainant, Shiv Charanjit, a resident of Sector 24 C, stated that he purchased two Step-Up Height increaser from UVM Telemart, New Delhi, through an order placed on February 9, 2015, for Rs 6,000 and another through an order placed in the last week of December, 2014, for Rs 4,800, thus he paid Rs10,800 in all under the scheme that the product had no side effects. It was promised that the product would help increase height. According to the complainant, the product had side effects on his eyes as the pressure of the eyes had increased to 24.3, which leads to Glaucoma.

According to the complainant, the product did not help in increasing his height rather he began having pimples on his face. It has been averred that UVM Telemart did not issue him the original bill. He had been making calls to the company but to no avail. It has further been averred that he called Arun Verma, the official of the company, who took his account number and assured him that the money would be refunded in his account but it never happened. Alleging that the aforesaid acts amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of the opposite party, the complainant filed a complaint.

The forum stated that the complainant had not been able to place on record any reliable documentary evidence regarding the purchase/payment of the second Step-up Height Increaser worth Rs 6,000 and thus he could not be held entitled to refund of these amounts. However, he was held entitled to a sum of Rs 4,800 being the price of the Step-up Height Increaser only.