Consumer panel denies aviation student full fee refund

The apex consumer commission has refused to grant relief to an aviation student, who sought a fee refund citing shortage of flying hours, saying that his approach towards his training was casual.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) allowed the appeal of Touchwood Aviation Academy in the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur and said it was clear that the student suffered the loss at his own peril.
In its order passed recently, the NCDRC refused the refund of the entire fee of Rs 4.6 lakh to the student after noting that he had voluntarily stopped the flying training.
It, however, granted him a refund of Rs 78,200, according to the terms and condition put up on the institute's website.

"The other students completed 50 hours of flying training within six months. Therefore, we cannot hold the institute responsible or deficiency in their services.
"In our view, the institute arrived correctly (at the amount of refund) as the complainant was eligible to get refund of Rs 78,200 only. We set aside the orders of both the fora below," the apex consumer bench headed by presiding member B C Gupta said.

The institute had approached the NCDRC against the state commission and district forum orders directing the academy to pay Rs 3,67,000 and Rs 2,40,000, respectively.
According to the complaint filed by Chhattisgarh resident Vishal Shadangi, he took admission in the Academy on August 29, 2007 and deposited a registration fee of Rs 35,000 and the course fee of Rs 4.6 lakh for a private pilot licence.

He alleged that the institute failed to provide him actual flying hours to complete the course. This was mandatory for him to get a licence.
The chief flight instructor also left the job, prompting him to leave the institute in December 2007, Shadangi said in his complaint.