Wireless broadband fails, Varthur man wins Rs 11k

Vindhya.Pabolu@timesofindia.comBengaluru: Imagine paying over Rs 6,000 for a high-speed internet connection, only to be left with no internet and or refund. That's what happened to a Varthur Main Road resident who moved the 3rd Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission of Bangalore Urban, alleging deficiency in service. The commission ordered a full refund of the money with interest and a payment of Rs 5,000 in compensation.The saga began when Abhishek Kumar Singh purchased an internet subscription plan (1499-300 Mbps) on May 28, 2024. He paid Rs 6,306 in advance for a three-month plan, which included an installation charge of Rs 1,000.However, a technician assigned by the firm failed to properly set up the modem and antenna, Singh said. Despite the Jio Air Fibre setup being initiated, the promised internet service remained unavailable, causing him inconvenience. He reported the issue to the firm, but received no tangible response from it.Singh alleged that a lack of service and response from the service provider caused him mental distress and financial strain. He sent several emails requesting cancellation of the subscription and a refund of the amount paid. At one point, a technician visited his residence and acknowledged there was some issue with the router, assuring Singh that he would replace it — but no one returned to carry out the replacement.The company eventually informed Singh that a refund would be processed only if he returned all the materials, including the modem and other installation equipment. Despite his willingness to comply, the refund never came. Feeling aggrieved, Singh filed a consumer complaint on Dec 9, 2024.In its defence, the firm claimed that its engineer had visited Singh's location, which was found not feasible for an Air Fibre connection, and that this had been duly communicated to Singh. It argued that the online booking was subject to technical feasibility as per its terms and conditions.Jio also contended that a service request had been attended to by its technician, the related issue was resolved, and an OTP was provided by Singh himself after the resolution, indicating his satisfaction. The firm maintained that its terms and conditions did not provide for a refund, and that Singh had agreed to them.The commission observed that if Jio's own case was that the location was not feasible for an Air Fibre connection, then it should not have collected the fee in the first place. The commission rejected the company's no-refund clause outright, calling it a unilateral condition and noting the absence of Singh's signature on those terms and conditions.The commission, comprising its president Shivarama K and members Chandrashekar S Noola and Rekha Sayannavar, on April 22, ordered Jio to refund Rs 6,306 with interest at 9% from May 28, 2024, till realisation. It further directed it to pay Rs 5,000 for mental agony and litigation costs.