CHENNAI: At a time when electric vehicles are becoming the order of the day, a district consumer forum here has directed an electrical vehicle supplier and a service dealer to jointly pay a sum of Rs 25,000 as compensation to a customer after the batteries failed within one year of purchase of the vehicle.
In a two-year-old case, the dealer Romai Electrical Vehicles and JHL Trading, were directed to jointly pay the sum Rs 25,000 as compensation for causing hardship and mental agony, and also to replace the battery of the vehicle of the complainant, free of cost within a period of 6 weeks.
The petitioner John Singh submitted that he had purchased an electric scooter in July 2016 by paying the initial amount of Rs 15,000 and the remaining Rs 28,000 in the form of EMIs, with an assurance of 14 months warranty that was entered orally. However, in June 2017 the scooter became dysfunctional and he was charged Rs 9,000 by the service representative of the dealer, for replacing the battery within the warranty period. Calling the entire process as unfair, the petitioner John moved the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai North.
Both the dealer and the vehicle supplier never responded to the petitioner and also to the complaint notices from the forum. However, based on the documents submitted by John at the forum, presided by K Lakshmikantham and D Babu Varadharajan, it concluded that it was proved that the vehicle supplier and service centre were deficient in the services. They both were together directed to pay Rs 25,000 and also replace the battery, free of charge.