North Delhi District Commission Holds Lenovo India Liable For Failure To Provide Laptop Service At Buyer's Location During Pandemic

Brief Facts:

Mr Himanshu (“Complainant”) purchased a laptop from Lenovo for Rs.35,990/-. However, within eight months of the purchase the laptop started facing problems with its functioning. The Complainant reported the issue to Lenovo via email, but it remained unresolved. Subsequently, a notice was sent to Lenovo by the Complainant, which went unanswered. The Complainant was further unable to locate the Lenovo service centre in his locality. Feeling aggrieved, the Complainant filed a consumer complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, North Delhi, Delhi (“District Commission”).

In response, Lenovo denied all allegations, contending that the complaint was false and baseless. It claimed that there was no deficiency in service, asserting that the authorized service centre had addressed the Complainant's grievances. It further explained that the Complainant had complained to the Technical Support Team on September 7th, 2020, regarding speaker issues. Via remote access, the service personnel examined the laptop, updated the drivers, and, due to no response from the Complainant, issued a disclaimer and disconnected the chat. On the same day, the Complainant approached the Technical Support Team again, and after a second examination, was advised to back up data and reinstall the operating system. The Complainant failed to approach the authorized service centre despite being directed to do so for issues related to speakers. Additionally, the Complainant did not contact the Technical Support Team for further assistance after sending an email.

Observations by the Commission:

Referring to the arguments made by Lenovo, the District Commission noted that it seemed to have overlooked the prevailing circumstances at that time, particularly the COVID-19 epidemic. It was emphasized that by the provisions of clause 2 (on-site Service) of Part-3-Warranty service information under Dispute Resolution of Lenovo Limited Warranty, the service provider was obligated to either repair or exchange the product at the buyer's location. If repairs necessitate completion at the service centre, the service provider was required to bear the expenses associated with transporting the product to the service centre. The District Commission, therefore, held that Lenovo's failure to adhere to these conditions amounted to a deficiency in service. It was implied that the prevailing circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, should have been considered by the company when addressing the Complainant's concerns.

Consequently, the District Commission directed Lenovo to pay Rs. 35,990/- to the Complainant within thirty days from the date of receiving the order. The company was further instructed to pay compensation to the Complainant amounting to Rs. 50,000/- for the mental pain, agony, and harassment. Further, the District Commission directed the Complainant to return the laptop to Lenovo upon receipt of the amount and compensation from the company.

Case Title: Himanshu vs Lenovo India Pvt. Ltd.

Case No.: Consumer Complaint No. 3/2021

Click Here To Read/Download The Order