Mohali: Old model passed off as new, vehicle dealer to pay Rs 4 lakh

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 24

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has imposed a fine of Rs4 lakh on a vehicle dealer for selling an old model of a transport vehicle terming it be a new model.

In the order, commission president Sanjeev Dutt Sharma stated, “We feel that no purpose would be served to direct Bhambra Motors to replace the vehicle with a new one. As such, we order it to pay a compensation to the tune of Rs4 lakh to the complainant. The heavy compensation is imposed to restrain nefarious dealers from indulging in such a malpractice.”

Alka Sharma, counsel for the complainant, averred that her client, Gurdeep Singh of Dhakoli village near Zirakpur had purchased a transport vehicle (light motor vehicle) of Force Motors Limited for Rs12.96 lakh in 2016. He said he was shocked to know on receiving the registration certificate of the vehicle as well as contract carriage permit issued by the State Transport Authority showing the model of the vehicle as that of 2015 and not 2016 as claimed by the dealer at the time of sale.

It was alleged that the opposite party indulged in malpractice and was highly deficient in rendering services. The documents were tempered with and an old vehicle was sold to the complainant.

The counsel for the opposite party stated that the vehicle was purchased by the complainant for commercial purpose and the present complaint was not maintainable. Claiming no deficiency in service or malafide intention and denying the contents of the complaint, the opposite party prayed for dismissal of the complaint, though admitted that an old model was sold.

The manufacturer of the vehicle too denied the allegations and averred that the vehicle had run 31,304 km on February 22, 2017. Its counsel too prayed for dismissal of the complaint. The commission dismissed the complaint against the manufacturer.

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