Electronics store asked to pay Rs 20,000 to customer for poor service

Rourkela: The district consumer disputes redressal commission, Sundargarh-1, has directed an electronics store in Sundargarh to repair a defective refrigerator sold to a local resident and pay Rs 20,000 in compensation for deficiency in service and litigation expenses.Saraswati Khuntia (44), a resident of Niranjan Nagar in Rangadhipa, had bought the double-door refrigerator (of 308lt capacity with automatic defrost) for Rs 36,511.90 on April 7, 2024, from the store. Following excessive ice formation in the ice chamber, she lodged a complaint on Aug 20, 2024. Despite nine visits by service technicians, the issue remained unresolved, prompting her to file a formal complaint on March 8 this year.The commission noted that the store failed to submit service records and did not rectify the defect, despite repeated attempts and this constituted a clear deficiency in service.In its judgment dated Sept 10, the commission ordered the store to repair the refrigerator within one month and granted the complainant liberty to file a fresh complaint against the manufacturer or service provider if the issue persists. Additionally, the commission directed the retailer to pay Rs 10,000 for deficiency in service and Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs.