Automobile firms fined, told to cough up Rs 50,000

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Mumbai, and Harbir Automobile Private Limited, Chandigarh, to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the complainant for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, which caused mental agony and harassment to the complainant.

The forum also ordered the firms to jointly pay Rs 10,000 to the complainant as cost of litigation.

In his compliant, Gurmail Singh Sekhon, a resident of Faridkot, Punjab, submitted that he purchased a Mahindra Scorpio SUV from Harbir Automobile Private Limited, Industrial Area, Phase I, Chandigarh, authorised dealer of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Mumbai, on September 10, 2017, and paid a sum of Rs 13,77,776.

After a few days, the complainant went to the service station for washing of the SUV and one of the workers found a dent and rust on its roof. The vehicle was checked and workers at the service station advised that the dent needs to be fixed and the SUV is required to be repainted after fixing the dent. As such, the complainant felt defrauded and an e-complaint was sent on September 29, 2017, but no relief was given.

Perusal of the record showed roughness in the paint and dent-type appearance on the roof of the SUV. This roughness in the paint on the small portion of the roof cannot be taken that these were done or say self-inflicted by the complainant to make out the case.

During the course of arguments, the opposite parties were ready to get the roof repainted and remove the roughness, but it was not acceptable to the complainant who insisted for its replacement.

The forum observed that no visible defect was noticed in the vehicle, except for roughness or say rust in the roof. For this deficiency, the complainant could be compensated by way of compensation.