Consumer Receives 1.5GB Instead Of Promised 2GB Daily Data On Rs. 479 Recharge: Ernakulum District Commission Directs Vodafone To Pay Rs. 10,000 Compensation

The Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, presided by Mrs. Ravi Susha with Mrs. Moly Kutty Mathew and Mr. Sajeesh K.P as members, has allowed a consumer complaint against Vodafone Idea Ltd. The dispute was regarding a prepaid recharge made by a consumer. The consumer had purchased a recharge plan for Rs. 479/-, with the expectation of receiving 2GB of data daily for 56 days, based on a promotional offer. However, the actual data provided was only 1.5GB per day, falling short of the promised amount. Despite the consumer's efforts to resolve the issue, Vodafone did not take any action.

Consequently, the commission found that the SMS offer and the consumer's payment clearly indicated his acceptance of the offer. Vodafone's failure to deliver the promised service was deemed a "deficiency in service." As a result, the commission directed Vodafone to compensate the consumer with Rs. 10,000 to address this deficiency.

Brief Facts

Shajin (Complainant), a regular prepaid customer of Vodafone Idea Ltd. (Opposite Party) usually recharged his phone by contacting customer care. However, on 8^th March 2023, he decided to recharge his phone with a “Rs. 479/- plan”, which he believed was the best offer available. This plan was supposed to provide him with 2GB of data every day for 56 days, as per the promotional offer.

However, upon recharging, Shajin received an audio message from Vodafone indicating that he had not been given the promised 2GB data. When he reached out to the Vodafone customer care, he was informed that no such offer existed, and that the offer in question only provided 1.5GB of data per day. In order to address the issue, Shajin emailed the Vodafone Company and attached a screenshot of the original offer he had received. But, his attempts to resolve the matter went unanswered, causing him to suffer a loss of opportunities for his research and entertainment activities that he had planned to undertake with the 2GB of data per day.

Due to Vodafone's failure to address his grievance, the complainant alleged that he experienced mental distress and harassment, which led him to file a consumer complaint. Even though a notice was served, the Opposite Party failed to appear before the commission and did not provide any response. Given Vodafone's absence, the commission proceeded with the case ex-parte.

Observations of the Commission

The Commission considered the complaint based on the evidence submitted, since Vodafone (opposite party) did not respond. They examined the evidence, including exhibits that clearly showed that Rs. 479/- recharge should have given the complainant 2GB of data per day, along with other benefits. Additional evidence highlighted the complainant's attempts to access the service he had already paid for.

Ultimately, the commission concluded that Vodafone failed to provide the promised service. As for the complainant's claims that he couldn't engage in research and entertainment activities due to the offer not being honored, the Commission noted that he couldn't provide specific evidence to substantiate his losses. Consequently, the commission found Vodafone Idea Ltd. responsible for the deficiency in service. They directed Vodafone to compensate the complainant with Rs. 10,000/- as redress for the service deficiency. Further, it was provided that if Vodafone failed to comply with this order, the complainant was given the right to execute the order as per the provisions of Consumer Protection Act 2019.

Case Title: Shajin P.V. vs Vodafone Idea Ltd.

Complaint Case No. CC/193/2023

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