Malfunctioning In Newly Bought Refrigerator, Hyderabad-III District Commission Orders LG Electronics To Refund Amount, Pay Compensation

Brief Facts:

Yeshwant Phatak (“Complainant”) purchased an LG refrigerator from a Reliance store on September 14, 2022, for Rs. 39,329/-. However, shortly after the delivery of the refrigerator, it malfunctioned. The complainant contacted LG Electronics India Private Limited (“LG Electronics”) multiple times to address the issue. LG Electronics technicians were sent on three separate occasions (September 25, October 5, and October 20, 2022) to service the refrigerator, but the problem persisted. This led to mental and financial distress for the complainant. Despite the complainant’s efforts to resolve the issue, LG Electronics provided no satisfactory support, and the complainant felt defrauded, cheated, and humiliated. As a result, the Complainant filed a consumer complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III Hyderabad.

LG Electronics did not appear or provide any written response to the complaint. As a result of their non-appearance and non-filing of a written version within the stipulated period, their right to present a defence was forfeited.

Observations by the Commission:

The complainant presented evidence, including the invoice and various service request documents, to support this claim. The District Commission noted that it was evident that shortly after the delivery, the refrigerator malfunctioned, leading to suffering and inconvenience for the complainant.

Consequently, the District Commission held that the actions of LG Electronics, specifically its technicians and LG Care staff, were deemed as a deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. The technicians were sent to address the issue multiple times but failed to resolve it. Moreover, the District Commission noted that the complaint was closed without rectifying the issue or providing an alternate solution, which further aggravated the complainant’s situation.

In light of these findings, the District Commission concluded that the complainant was entitled to compensation for the mental agony and financial suffering caused by the malfunctioning refrigerator and LG Electronics’ inadequate response. The District Commission directed it to refund the product amount of Rs 32,431/- to the complainant. The company was also directed to pay a reasonable compensation of Rs 5,000/- to the complainant for mental agony and financial suffering. Further, the complainant was instructed to return the product immediately after receiving the above-mentioned amount.

Case: Yeshwant Phatak vs LG Electronics Ltd.

Case No.: CC/59/2023

Advocate for the Complainant: Party in Person

Advocate for the Respondent: None

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