Laptop manufacturer, its Coimbatore dealer directed to pay refund and compensation to customer

COIMBATORE: The district consumer disputes redressal commission has directed a personal computer manufacturer and its dealer in Coimbatore to refund Rs 1.15 lakh to a customer who bought a laptop from them which started malfunctioning within a month of purchase.

The commission, comprising its president R Thangavel and members P Marimuthu and G Suguna, has also directed them to pay the customer Rs 10,000 as compensation for the mental agony caused to him due to deficiency in service and Rs 5,000 towards the cost of the proceedings.

According to official sources, K P Jayaraman from the Nilgiris purchased a laptop on May 18, 2023, at a cost of Rs 1.15 lakh. However, the laptop started showing some issues soon.

On June 13, Jayaraman approached the authorised service centre on the 100 Feet Road in Coimbatore due to a malfunctioning mouse pad. After diagnosis and repair, the laptop was returned to him on June 22. However, he again faced operational issues and took the device back to the service centre on Feb 3, 2024. After servicing, the laptop was returned, but the problems persisted.

Again, the laptop developed issues. This time it was speaker malfunction and touchpad lag. He sent emails to the company requesting a replacement as there was no permanent solution to the issues. But there was action on the part of the company and the dealer to replace it.

Jayaraman issued a legal notice to the manufacturer and dealer, demanding a replacement of the defective laptop. When they failed to respond, he filed a petition with the Coimbatore district consumer disputes redressal commission, which now ruled in his favour.