Decathlon told to refund cycle cost, pay Rs 10K relief
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has directed the Decathlon Sports India Private Ltd, Zirakpur, to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 to a city resident for selling a cycle with substandard reflectors. It has also directed the company to refund the entire invoice price of the cycle totalling Rs 13,395 along with interest at 9% per annum from the date of its purchase to the complainant.
Ravi Inder Singh, a resident of Sector 27-B, Chandigarh, in the complaint filed before the commission said that he had purchased the cycle on August 22, 2019. He said that within a few weeks, he had two accidents with motorists during the evening hours and both times the motorists mentioned that they could not see him in spite of the lights of their vehicles being on.
He did not suffer any major injury and escaped with minor cuts. He decided to get the reflectors on the cycle checked by a relevant authority. Accordingly, he sent the reflectors for testing to the ‘International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT)’. Upon testing, ICAT issued a report dated January 21, 2020, wherein it was clear that the requirements under the said ISO standards had not been met.
Alleging the act of the company as deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, he prayed for refund of the total cost of the cycle along with interest, damages for inconvenience, compensation for mental agony and harassment and litigation expenses.
On the other hand the company in the reply claimed that the complainant had failed to produce any medical record, medico-legal report or other related documents to substantiate the occurrence of the two accidents allegedly suffered by him while using the cycle.
After hearing the arguments the commission said that the company had sold a cycle with substandard reflectors to the complainant. Hence, it was directed to refund the entire invoice price of the cycle, along with interest, and also pay lump sum compensation of Rs 10,000 to the complainant.
