HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Medak, has directed Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd to pay Rs 1.48 lakh for delivering a defective motorcycle to a person. The amount includes a refund of Rs 1.38 lakh along with 9% per annum interest from the date of complaint (March 14) till the date of realisation and Rs 10,000 compensation.
In his complaint, Katroth Vasanth Ravu, a resident of Chitkul mandal, claimed that he had paid Rs 1.38 lakh in three instalments towards the purchase of a two-wheeler from the local Honda service dealer, Venkata Saai Honda, located in Jogipet mandal. During the transaction, the dealer informed Ravu that the delivery of the vehicle would take approximately a month. Surprisingly, a few days later, the same dealer notified Ravu that he had arranged for a two-wheeler from a different dealer.
From the very beginning, Ravu encountered issues with the motorcycle’s functionality. Despite numerous visits to the Opposite party No.2 for servicing, the vehicle’s condition remained unchanged. Consequently, the complainant took the vehicle for repair several times at the seller’s main branch service centre but found no relief.
The two opposite parties later proposed installing spare parts from a new vehicle into the complainant’s motorcycle, but the complainant, suspicious of their intentions, declined the offer.
In their defence, the two opposite parties denied the existence of any manufacturing defects, claiming that the complainant was avoiding taking delivery of his vehicle. They further argued that if any specific parts were defective, only those parts should be replaced rather than the entire vehicle.
However, acknowledging the deficiency in service and unfair trade practices, the court ordered Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd to comply with the order within 30 days from September 11.
Threatened after replacement request
The complainant, Ravu, repeatedly requested the two opposite parties to replace the defective vehicle with a new one, but they not only refused his request but also threatened him with severe repercussions if he continued to approach them. According to Ravu, he had purchased the motorcycle by pledging his wife’s jewellery and borrowing money from friends