Shoe Troubles! Bata To Pay Compensation For A Torn Pair Of Shoes!

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against Bata Shoes, to pay compensation for torn shoes

Could you claim compensation for a pair of torn shoes?

Incredibly, the answer is yes! And that too, here in our country itself and not some over litigated haven like United States.

This is a piece of news that shall come as joy for shoe-lovers in the country!

When a Bangalore based consumer H. S Madhumati’s brand new pair of Bata shoes purchased from its retail outlet were torn within 3 months against the 6 month warranty for the product, she could have grumbled, cursed and moved on like most of us in her place would have done. She, instead, decided to do something about it and filed a complaint in the consumer forum.

Madhumathi tried to get the shoes replaced from the outlet as per the warranty as the shoes were irreparable. But, was refused by the manager. She then filed a complaint with the consumer court. Notices were sent out but neither company nor the outlet responded.

The forum held the company liable towards the consumer and directed the company and the manager of the outlet to replace the shoes of the same model, which is free from any defect, to the complainant. In the event, that particular model of shoes are not available, the store/company have been directed by the Forum to refund the amount of Rs 999 with interest at 12% p.a. from November 16, 2011(when a legal notice was sent to the company) until actual payment. The Forum has also directed the company and the store manager to pay a compensation of Rs 2,000 to Madhumathi Bai by December 15.

Bata asked to compensate customer for torn shoes (Times of India)

(Picture Credit: topnews.in)

Wormy Troubles! Max Hypermarket Pays Fine For Selling Worm Infested Buns.

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint Against Max Hyper Market, To Pay 5K As Fine For Selling Wormy Buns

While the love Walmart, hate Walmart debate continues in the country, the other retail chains are quietly doing what they do best–being a good trouble for the consumers.

Food adulteration is a serious issue. It is not just a matter of in convenience or mental harassment, it actually has a direct bearing and impact on the health and well being of the consumers.

And yet, these issues continue unbated, in most instances brushed aside casually by the Brands in question…unless of course some consumer loses and raises a storm.

This is precisely what happened with Max Hyper Market outlet in Bangalore. One consumer’s 12 year old fell seriously ill after consuming ‘worm’ infested buns sold by the retailer. When the consumer demanded explanation, the retailer agreed with the fact that the buns had worms but was most unapologetic and refused to take them back .

A very miffed consumer dragged them to a consumer forum which held the retailer guilty of stalking stale and dangerous food item, unfit for human consumption despite retailer’s plea that consumer should have checked the item before buying. The retailer was ordered to pay a fine of Rs. 5000 to the consumer for the mental and physical agony he had to undergo.

Shop Fined For ‘Wormy’ Buns. (DNA)

Picture Credit: Foodpeoplewant.com

Beware-There Might Be A Lizard In Your Soft-Drink! Pepsico Pays Hefty Compensation For Dead Lizard In Mountain Dew.

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against pepsico, pays hefty compensation for dead lizard in soft drink

Do the Dew…err…lizard!?

We knew soft-drinks were pesticides, toilet cleaners and a lot of other inedible stuff (not that it did anything to mitigate the masses’ love for soft-drinks) but soft drinks as lizard-killer!?…Now this would be a first!

Lizard in food items is the stuff urban legends thrive on!

Nobody really believes them. Yet every college mess would have at least one professedly true story about finding a lizard, dead or alive, in a curry which was definitely meant for human consumption as per the mess owners (in most instances, the human consumption part is highly disputed with most of the patrons of the mess insisting otherwise most days…but that is a story for another day).

But imagine if the legend comes alive in your very cola bottle!

It is almost like staring into Bloody Mary’s eyes in your bathroom mirror. But the good thing is, you can’t really claim compensation from..err..Mary but you can definitely do so from the soft drink manufacturers.

An unsuspecting consumer from Kanpur found a dead lizard in his bottle of Mountain Dew right when he was about to break open the seal. Despite the horror, the consumer sensibly sought to return the bottle to the retailer who refused saying it was Pepsico’s mistake as manufacturer.

The matter landed in a consumer forum and mirroring every soft drink lover’s indignation, the forum ordered Pepsico India Holding Private Ltd, Jainpur, Kanpur Dehat to pay Rs 25,000 as damages to complainant Syed Sikandar Alam within 30 days, holding them guilty of supplying adulterated soft drink.

Pepsico Ordered To Pay Damages (Times of India)

Picture Credit: Wikipedia

Shocking! Mango Bite ‘Unsafe’ Says FDA, Asks Parle To Recall Stocks From Market.

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Posted on October 17, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint Against Parle Mango Bite, FDA Considers It 'Unsafe', Asks For A Recall Of STock From Market

What if someone told a 4 year old that Santa was a lie? Or worst, that Santa was a cheat?

What if someone told you that all your fairy tale childhood memories were a sham, an ugly game of deceit?

Of course, I am being melodramatic! But then, when a part of your childhood is snatched, torn and stamped upon, some drama is warranted…and justified.

Remember Mango Bite?

Of course you do. That sweet, sour comfort toffee. The gentle taste of childhood-for kids and adults alike.

Over the years,that orange-yellow aam ki rasili goli morphed into the sour, green bite of kachcha aam, never for once losing its charm or appeal!

Each and everyone of us, whether born in 90′s or trendy 2000′s would inevitably have fond memories of Mango Bite.

But no more!

That very Mango Bite that resonated the security and safety only childhood can allow has branded ‘unsafe’ by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Parle has been instructed to recall from the market, the entire stock of this popular candy.

Finished goods and ingredients worth over 2 crores have been seized from two Parle units in Raigadh and Bhiwandi by FDA officials, Konkan division. According to FDA, the manufacturer Parle Biscuits Pvt Ltd at Kirkhinde in Khopoli (Raigadh) used buffered lactic acid (adulterant) in the confectionery which is not permitted and is banned by Food Authority of India and Food Safety and Standard Act.

The samples have been sent for lab testing and a final decision will be taken only after the reports are received.

Meanwhile Parle has decided to take up this matter in Bombay High Court as it maintains that lactic acid is not unfit for human consumption.

Seems its going to be a long wait before, if at all, the next kachche aam ka xerox hits the market and our palate!

Parle Mango Bite Sweet Unsafe (DNA)

Picture Credit: veganbengaluru.wordpress.com

Laptop Woes! Consumer Forum Awards Refund For A Faulty Laptop And Invalid Warranty.

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against lapotop showroom, to pay full refund for faulty laptop

Technical issues are heartwrenching. Especially for those who are technical know not hows!

Imagine buying a laptop and it starts malfunctioning immediately after.

And thats not all. what if it turns out that the laptop does not even have a proper warranty.

This nightmare is what precisely came to past with a Mumai based consumer after she bought a laptop from Lamington road, the gadget Mecca of Mumbai.

Hardly had this poor woman thought that a laptop brought from a showroom located next to a police station would ultimately culminate into a court battle.

After the company advised her to approach an authorised Dell India service centre, she took the laptop to one. However, Jana, the consumer learnt to her dismay that the laptop was purchased in the USA, and its warranty was invalid in India. Whem the showroom continued to not cooperate with this harried consumer, she approached the consumer court.

The Mumbai consumer forum served a notice. However, the company never appeared and the court ultimately ruled in Jana’s favour ex parte. The court noted, that the company sold the laptop as new to the complainant and when it became defective immediately after purchase the service centre refused to repair and it even refused to attend to the defect. The invalid guarantee also amounted to adopting unfair trade practice. The complainant was therefore entitled to the compensation for mental agony and the cost of this complaint along with a full refund.

Consumer Forum Awards Refund For Faulty Laptop (Mid-Day)

Squeezing Troubles! Nivea Pays Dearly For A Defective Shaving Cream Tube.

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint against Nivea, pays over 20K for a defective shaving cream tube

What do you do if despite repeated attempts, the cream( moisturizing or shaving, depending on your gender and…umm..preference) does not come out of that stubborn tube?

I for one, whip out that handy pair of scissors and cut the tube into half!

Its messy but it does the trick.

Now only if I had approached the consumer forum each of those single time, I would have been a millionaire!

Don’t get it? Read on.

Now, who thought that benign, lonely shaving cream tube could land a multi-national brand into trouble!

But it did and how!

This case came to light in August where a Mumbai based consumer had dragged Nivea to consumer forum when the cream refused to come out of his newly purchased shaving cream tube and the chemist refused to return it as it was sold well before the expiry date.

The Mumbai consumer forum referred the tube to the Drug Control Laboratory, Maharashtra. The test report said the tube had 1.52g of hard thick mass. After squeezing this out, near white-coloured soft cream of pleasant odour was found. The report clearly mentioned the cream could not be squeezed out of the tube with normal application of force.

A compensation of Rs. 10,000 for mental harassment (!?) and another Rs. 5000 as costs were awarded by the forum to the aggrieved consumer. Nivea appealed in Maharashtra State Commission stating that the consumer approached the forum directly without approaching their consumer helpline, none of the other tubes in the batch had trouble and the issue in the tube was pretty minor and did not warrant this hefty compensation.

The State Commission, however, upheld the award stating that manufacturers owe a duty to consumers at large to supply goods of high quality, free from defects and failure to maintain the standard amounts to unfair trade practice and awarded further costs of Rs. 25000 to the consumer.

A rare verdict, but with a resounding message–Consumer is indeed the King!

Indifferent Attitude Can Spell Trouble For Companies (Business Standard)

(Picture Credit:Freesamplesindia.in)