THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Thiruvananthapuram woman who sued an online seller for delivering her the wrong items was awarded Rs 5,000 compensation by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC). In her complaint, the woman said she made the purchase while on bed rest after a fall.
On September 2, 2024, she placed the order on the e-commerce platform Shopify for a pack of three 5XL front button buckle sleep bras. The payment, Rs 799, was made through cash-on-delivery mode. The delivered pack contained only two bras.
Also, they were front open bras, that too, of different sizes. She immediately tried to contact the seller through the website link for return and refund. However, she could not contact them.
The DCDRC bench comprising its president, P V Jayarajan, members Preetha G Nair and Viju V R, heard the case. The e-commerce platform did not appear before the commission, and the proceedings were ex-parte. The complainant was represented by advocates Sreevaraham N G Mahesh and Sheeba Sivadasan.
The commission found a deficiency in service on the part of the seller. “We find that the complainant has suffered mental agony and financial loss due to the deficiency in service on the part of the opposite party. The opposite party is liable to compensate for the loss sustained by the complainant,” it said.
The panel directed the seller to refund the purchase price of Rs 799, pay Rs 5,000 compensation for the mental agony and Rs 2,500 as costs. These payments should be made within one month, failing which the amount, except cost, shall carry 9% interest per annum, the order said.