Coaching institute told to refund student’s fee

CHANDIGARH: A UT consumer disputes redressal forum has directed a city-based coaching institute FIITJEE to

refund

Rs 70,000 to a student. As per the complainant, he was not satisfied with the coaching’s teaching methodology and had left going there in eight days.


The court observed that

fee

, including advance, paid by any student cannot be held by any institute if the

services

were not availed.

In his complaint, the student, Vikram Seth, alleging that he took admission in a two-year classroom programme and paid Rs 51,037 for the same. He said, he only attended eight days and learned that the manner and methodology of teaching was completely different from the what executives and staff members of the institution had claimed before his admission.

He, therefore, requested for a fund. When nothing positive came out, he sent a legal notice on June 28, 2017. In his plaint, he stated that the institute was indulged into unfair trade practices.

In their reply, the institute authorities said that as per terms and conditions of the enrolment form, the fees once paid was not be refunded under any circumstances.

“The complainant and his parents, after going through all the terms and conditions as mentioned in the enrolment form had given their consent and signed the declarations/undertaking appended therein,” they said. Pleading that there was no deficiency in their services, they asked for the dismissal of the complaint.

After hearing both the sides, the forum held that the institute should not have charged full advance fees for two years. “It could have charged prescribed fee only that that too for only one year. The complainant is entitled to a refund of the advance fee after deducting the fee for the period he attended the classes,” the court directed.

Addressing the harassment suffered by the complainant, the forum ordered FIITJEE to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation and litigation expenses and a refund of the fees amounting to Rs 49, 918.