Subject:- Deficient service after sale of product & consumer harassment
I purchased the “Fusion Maxigerator 6 sence” of your company from “Next “ retail shop ludhiana on 9th April,07 vide bill no BTC/07-08/74.
But the company did not bother to depute any person to my residence for installation and demonstration of the refrigerator.
On 21st September.07, the cooling in the refrigerator stopped all of a sudden & I lodged a complaint with Next retail shop which, in turn, forwarded the complaint to Whirlpool service center who charged Rs.2000 for replacing the freezer despite covered under warranty period & fridge was delivered to me on 30th September,07 i.e. after 9 days. The detail is as under-
• The representative of the service centre visited my residence on 24th September,07 & after inspection could not locate the fault & informed that the instrument has to be shifted to workshop for locating the fault.
• On 25th September,07 , he informed on phone that there is a cut mark by knife in the rear portion of the base of the freezer & the freezer has to be replaced. The service centre refused to replace the freezer & insisted me to pay Rs.2000 . As the refrigerator was in their possession. I had no other alternative but to pay the money.
• On 28th September,07, the service station owner informed me on phone that the refrigerator has been repaired.
• I went to service station at 7:00p.m. & requested the owner to send the refrigerator to my residence. The owner asked me to pay Rs.2000 to which I agreed with the request that the fridge should be sent immediately. But he informed me that it will be sent next day.
• I paid him Rs.1000 with the promise that the balance of Rs.1000 will be paid as soon as the refrigerator reaches my residence to which he agreed.
• But on 29th September,07 , he didn’t send it & when I phoned him in the evening, he insisted that the refrigerator will only be sent after I pay him the balance amount at his office. As I have no other alternative , I went to his office on 30th September,07 paid him the balance amount & then he sent the fridge to my residence.
In the above context, I may bring into notice the following points-
1. It was the duty of your company to depute some qualified person for installation of refrigerator at my residence.
2. We are 3 members in my house & all are literate & know how to use the electronic goods.
3. Further we don’t require any ice in the month of September when there is no much heat.
4. If, for a moment, it is supposed that it was a cut made by knife, how it can be made at the rear end of the base of freezer especially when it is covered with a utensil containing ice. As such the plea of service station that the cut been made by knife in freezer is not maintainable.
5. Moreover, the representative did not locate the fault at my residence & informed me about it only when the refrigerator reached their workshop.
As such, I had to pay Rs.2000 for no fault of mine though refrigerator was in warranty period & it was duty of service station to replace the defected part but he rather made me responsible for it. Further the service station didn’t send refrigerator to my place even after payment of Rs.1000 with the promise that the balance will be paid after refrigerator reaches my house.
In the light of above, the company has failed to meet its obligation towards consumers during warranty period & providing after sale services. As such I lodge my claim for refund of Rs.2000 , within one month after which I will be free to knock at the door of consumer forum & claim my refund with the claim of mentally harassing the customer.