The commission, led by president Eshappa Bhute and member Vishalakshi A Bolashetti, conducted a thorough investigation, and found that the complainants had purchased the scooters for daily use. District Consumer Grievances Redressal Commission rapped a private electric vehicle firm for selling defective scooters to customers, and directed the firm to repay the price of the scooters besides imposing a penalty. Three individuals - Srikanth Ratan, ASHA worker Savita Jadhav, and Pramila Nayak from Hubballi had purchased electric scooters at a sum of Rs one lakh each.
Shortly after the purchase, the scooters experienced battery issues and would stop in the middle of the road abruptly. Despite informing the company's service station and customer helpline, no action was taken. Eventually, when the scooters stalled on the road, the service station took them, but did not return them after repair. The three customers filed separate complaints with Dharwad District Consumer Grievances Redressal Commission, citing service deficiency under consumer protection laws.
The commission, led by president Eshappa Bhute and member Vishalakshi A Bolashetti, conducted a thorough investigation, and found that the complainants had purchased the scooters for daily use.
The vehicles malfunctioned within days, which was deemed unacceptable for new vehicles. No repairs were made despite complaints to the firm and its service station. The commission ruled that such conduct constituted service deficiency and unfair trade practice.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority and the High Court had previously directed EV firms to ensure product quality due to similar complaints. Based on these factors, the commission ordered the firm to refund the vehicle costs with 10% interest to each complainant. Additionally, the company was ordered to pay INR 50,000 each for mental distress, and INR 10,000 each for case expenses.
