CHENNAI: The district consumer forum here has directed a furniture shop to refund the amount and pay a penalty to a jewellery shop based in T Nagar, after the cots that the latter had bought for its staff was found to be of sub-standard quality.
Kerala-based Malabar Diamond Gallery had bought 63 cots for its staff when it opened its branch here in 2011. At the time of inviting quotations, the company had insisted that the cots should be made of 18-gauge steel.
Naveen Enterprises in Choolaimedu took the contract to supply the furniture in the specifications sought by the jewellery firm, at Rs 4,800 per cot. However, once the staff began using them, the cots were allegedly found to be weak and bent in the middle. When the supplier was contacted, they were told that the steel would get harder in due course of use. However, within four months of delivery, 31 of the total 63 cots developed cracks and broke. Following this, the firm approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum. In its reply, Naveen Enterprises denied charges of deficiency of service, claiming that huge and heavy parcels were placed on these cots, which was the reason they were damaged.