Companies providing service expected to be understanding, rather than engage in legal battles: NCDRC

Service providing companies are expected to be "sympathetic and understanding" and to make an honest effort to recompense consumers, rather than engaging in legal battles with them, the apex consumer court has observed.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) made the observations while dismissing a revision petition filed by Hyundai Motor India Ltd against the order of a consumer fora directing it to replace a defective car supplied to a consumer or to return the entire amount paid.

The Commission said that when a company moves against the order of the district forum, subsequently filing an appeal against it with a delay of more than a month, it reeks of "deficiency", "arrogance" and "callousness" all along.

The tribunal said that it can only expect that the company would do better to spend "all this energy" in improving its services to the consumer.

The complainant -- Raipur resident Suresh Kumar Sharma, had bought a Elantra car for Rs 15,84,104 from Hyundai Motors India Ltd, which according to him displayed defects in the steering wheel.

According to the complaint, Sharma had to send the car for repair on 17 instances. However, the problem still remained unresolved. The company contended that many of these visits were routine in nature.

The tribunal in its order said that the defect in the steering wheel of the car was "annoying" and "dangerous" and it cannot be called routine.

"When a person spends over Rs 15 lakh to purchase a car, and that too from a company of repute such as Hyundai Motor India Ltd., he expects defect free service for many years. He certainly does not expect to visit the garage the number of times that he had to in the instant case," the presiding member Anup K Thakur said.

"I can only further add that the petitioner company would do better to spend all this energy in improving its services to the consumer.

"Everyone wants a hassle-free car. When it is not so, it is expected that the service providing companies are sympathetic and understanding and make an honest effort to understand and recompense the consumer complainant, rather than engage in legal battles," the tribunal said.