Porsche Gurugram told to compensate customer with Rs 18 lakh for fabricating manufacture date
Sumedha Sharma
Gurugram, April 25
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) ordered a Porsche outlet in Gurugram to pay Rs 18 lakh as compensation to a customer for misrepresenting the year of manufacture of a car sold to him.
A quorum of JusticeRam Surat Ram Mauryaand member DrInder Jit Singhobserved held the outlet guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice as it sold a car manufactured in 2013 as one manufactured in 2014, making them liable to compensate the buyer.
The orders were passed on a plea against Porsche India and Porsche Center, Gurugram filed by one Praveen Kumar Mittal alleging that he was sold a Cayenne for Rs 80 lakh while lying about the year of manufacture.
It was when he went ahead to sell it in 2016 that a prospective buyer informed him that while he claimed the car was manufactured in 2014 it was actually a year older. It was then that Mittal moved to court accused auto major of illegally and with an intent to cheat him, fabricated documents.
He demanded a new car of similar make or refund of the full price of the car along with other expenses incurred by him. He also sought damages of Rs 1 crore for acute mental and psychological suffering, unfair trade practices and deficiency in service. The Porsche had refuted allegations accusing complainant of malafide intentions and claimed he was well aware of the year of Manufacture and even got a discount for same. Both parties submitted their documents in court. The court upheld the authenticity of Mittal’s submissions as they were procuredthrough apublic authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
It finally ordered Porsche to pay him Rs 10 lakh as compensation, along with interest, which amounts to over Rs 18 lakh. It also ordered them to pay Rs 25,000 as litigation costs to the complainant.
The Commission has also ordered that the matter of fabricated documents be investigated by the police having jurisdictionof the area to take appropriate action if required.
