Two-wheeler Co asked to pay Rs 50,000 for deficient service

A consumer forum has ordered a motorcycle manufacturing company to pay Rs 50,000 compensation to a customer for deficient services.
Monesh Mishra, a resident of Vasai town in Thane district, had complained to District Consumer Redressal Forum that on May 5, 2011, his two-wheeler met with an accident as a result of which it needed repairs. The next day, he gave it for repairs to the service centre of the company.
However, the service centre did not carry out the repairs for about three months, saying the spare parts were not available.
Hence, the complainant said he had incurred business losses as there was deliberate delay on the part of the company to repair the vehicle.

The complainant claimed an amount of Rs 1.80 lakhs towards business losses, Rs 1,000 as compensation per day from May 6, 2011, towards mental and physical suffering, and Rs one lakh towards legal expenses.
Forum president Umesh Jhavalikar and member N D Kadam, in their order last week, observed that the company was expected to repair the two-wheeler, which was given to it for repairs on May 6, 2011, within a reasonable period of time.

However, the period of four months taken by the company for repairing the vehicle was not only indicating indifference but also inefficiency.
The bills for repairs produced by the complainant showed that the repair charges were just Rs 5,000, hence the repair to the vehicle was minor and simple and expected to be done within one month and the vehicle should have been handed over to the complainant.

However, the respondent company took four months for the repairs and caused discomfort to the complainant and hence there are lapses in the providing services to the customer, the forum held.
The forum ordered the respondents Honda Motor Cycles and Scooter India Private Limited, at Alwar in Rajasthan, its unit at Pune and the service centre, Aditya Honda Motors at Vasai, to jointly and severally pay Rs 50,000 compensation to the complainant within 60 days of the order.