Hyderabad Consumer forum asks Sony India to pay Rs. 1,08,690 for service defect

HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Hyderabad ordered Sony India Pvt Ltd to refund Rs. 83,690, pay Rs. 15,000 in compensation, and pay Rs. 10,000 in litigation expenses for deficiency in service and causing mental anguish to a Hyderabad customer.

M. Ravi Kiran (41), a resident of Miyapur, purchased a 55-inch Sony LED television from a Sony India Pvt Ltd dealer on June 12, 2020 for a total transaction consideration of Rs. 83,690. On June 13, 2022, the TV was delivered and installed.

Ravi Kiran noticed a black area on the right side of the screen in January and reported it to the service department. The authorised representative from the service centre visited Ravi Kiran house and advised him that the product required servicing, which may take 4 to 8 weeks, and accepted the television by handing over a job card.

The TV was kept at the service centre for two months for repairs and was delivered back to Ravi Kiran in March 2023. Ravi Kiran was notified during the delivery of the television that some parts of the device had been replaced without his knowledge.

Ravi Kiran later claimed that the picture on the screen was not crystal clear after the repairs, and the problem/issue with the television continued. On May 22, 2023, Ravi Kiran once again reported the problem to the service department via their call centre. On May 29, 2023, the authorised representative of Sony India took possession of the television.

Sony India informed Ravi Kiran that the main fault could not be resolved due to a paucity of spare parts required for repairing the television. He later made many calls to the Sony authorised call centre. However, they failed to respond properly. According to Ravi Kiran, the television had been serviced twice within one year of purchase, and that the Sony India service centre had failed to resolve the main issue.

Ravi Kiran claimed that he bought the television but was unable to enjoy its fruits, which caused him considerable mental anguish. He reported the issue to Sony India's support centre via many e-mails, but received no response.

Hence, Ravi Kiran demanded that Sony India either refunded the money or replaced the product with a new television, but Sony India neither refunded the money nor replaced the product with a new TV.

Ravi Kiran was left with no choice but to file a consumer complaint against Sony India, alleging a lack of service and unfair trade practices.

The court remarked that after reviewing the documentary evidence, it was obvious that Ravi Kiran reported the issue of black patches appearing on the screen to the company and that the TV was taken to the service centre for repair within six months of purchase.

The document and e-mail dated May 22, 2023, substantiated the statement of the complainant that the issue persisted and could not be rectified. It was also evident that the TV was kept for almost two months at the service centre without repair.

The court noted that it was clearly established that Sony Indi. failed to rectify the issue of a black patch visible on the screen reported by Ravi Kiran, and it was also established that the issue was reported within the warranty period.

Ravi Kiran approached their

authorised service centre with the same issue, which clearly established that the issue persisted and could not be

rectified by the service centre.

Therefore, the court noted that Ravi Kiran is entitled to a refund of the cost of the TV along with reasonable compensation for the mental agony suffered by him.

The court ordered Sony India Pvt Ltd. to refund the amount of Rs. 83,690 and pay Rs. 15,000

towards compensation and to pay Rs. 10,000 within 45 days of receipt of the order.