Insurer Troubles! LIC To Pay 3.17 Lakhs For Delaying A Widow’s Claims.

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint-against-LIC-to-pay-3-17-lakhs-for-delaying-a-claim

All of us are told that we should sympathize with those dealing with a loved one’s loss. That is basic humanity.

Seems nobody taught this to the insurers in the country. Or may be, insurers cease to be human beings.

In the latest from the stables of inhumanity nurtured by the insurers in the country, LIC has been ticked off by District Forum in New Delhi for delaying the payment of a widow’s claim on flimsy and pointless grounds.

LIC had denied a Delhi consumer’s claim on the ground that the policy had lapsed due to non-payment of the quarterly payment due in February 2010. However, the district forum promptly noted that the woman had filed for her claim after her husband’s death sometimes after November 2009 by when all the payments had been duly paid and the policy had definitely not lapsed.

The forum held LIC guilty of rendering “deficient service” for not making the payment promptly on the alleged ground. The forum ordered LIC to pay her Rs 3 lakh as insurance policy claim and has also asked them to pay the woman a compensation of Rs 15,000, besides a litigation cost of Rs 2,000.

Consumer forum asks LIC to pay Rs 3.17 lakh insurance claim to widow (Financial Express)

Lost! IDBI To Pay 3.5 Lakhs For Losing Borrower’s Title Deeds.

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against IDBI, to pay 3.5L for losing documents

How many times have you misplaced your keys, wallet or as is pretty common in my case, your mobile phone?

Losing or misplacing stuff is fairly common with equally common consequences.

But what happens when a Bank misplaces something?

Bank–yes that very organization which is synonymous to safe-keeping. What happens when this ‘safe’ organization starts losing stuff.

Why, it has to pay heavy compensation, what else!

No misplaces things without getting punishment. But we guess, mummy never told this to IDBI!

A consumer from Delhi had alleged that IDBI Bank had lost the title deeds of his from its custody. IDBI Bank while admitting that the documents were lost, had contended that documents were lost by the courier company.

The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, held IDBI completely and solely responsible for the loss of documents and also held the Bank “negligent” in handling the the borrower’s documents.

The forum ordered the Bank to pay Rs 3.5 lakh as compensation to a home loan borrower for losing the title deeds of his flat. The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum also ordered IDBI to issue a certificate stating that it had received various documents pertaining to the borrower’s flat at Pitampura in north Delhi but had lost the same later.

IDBI Bank to pay Rs 3.5L for losing flat’s title deeds (Deccan Herald)

Beware-Your Credit Card Statement May Be Leaked! Citibank To Pay 15L For Releasing Statement To A Third Party.

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against Citibank, manager to pay 15L for releasing credit card statement to third party

Financial documents are serious business, an area where secrecy and privacy are of utmost importance.

But what do you do when your Bank itself, the institution you almost blindingly rely on for your finances, goes ahead and releases your sensitive information to a third party?

Why! You drag them to consumer court of course!

This is precisely what happened to a consumer in Delhi whose Citibank Gold Card account statement was released by the bank to a third party, which in turn presented it to a civil court. This was not only a violation of Reserve Bank guidelines but also a very serious breach of faith on part of the Bank.

The Delhi Consumer Forum held that this act was a flagrant violation of confidential relationship between a bank and a customer, and is a betrayal of trust, which not only calls for an alarm and dismay, but also for adequate financial compensation, and also held the bank officers responsible for the negligence in releasing the information.

The forum ordered the Bank manager to pay a whopping compensation of Rs. 15 lakhs to the aggrieved consumer as it was an unlawful activity, beyond the scope of normal functioning of the bank. The all India head of the Bank was absolved of all liability because the incident was to remote to invite liability.

Bank hands credit card statement to third party, to pay Rs 15L (Express India)

Washing Troubles! Whirpool To Pay 37K For Not Repairing A Defective Washing Machine.

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against Whirlpool, to pay 37K for not repairing a washing machine

And we always thought Whirlpool was an expert at homemaking.

Apparently, it specializes in cheating too!

Mummy didn’t tell Whirlpool, warranty period means a period of free repairs…not free troubles.

A consumer in Delhi bought a Whirlpool fully automatic washing machine in August 2009 with a warranty of 2 years. In January 2011, the machine stopped working and he was told that the warranty had expired. Despite payment and repairs, the timer of the machine was still defective and no replacement was available with the company.

The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum relied on service bills issued by the multinational company, which manufactures and markets home appliances, to hold that the washing machine had a defective timer and Whirlpool had not repaired it. The forum has directed the company and its dealer to pay Rs 37,500 as compensation to the aggrieved consumer.

The company had also argued that the model in question had been discontinued in 2005. However, the forum rejected the argument stating that even if the model was discontinued, it was still available in the market and the stocks were not withdrawn and hence, the company is liable for complaint arising with respect to them.

Whirlpool to pay Rs 37K over washing machine non-repair. (Indian Express)

High Hopes! Finally Consumer Forum Orders IRCTC To Pay Compensation For Relegation Of Reservation

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against IRCTC, consumer forums awards a compensation of 5K for waitlist relegation

If there is one entity that we had presumed to be above consumer forums, it was definitely IRCTC!

And we can’t put our joy in words as we report one of the rare consumer forum verdicts against IRCTC.

A lot many weird things happen in the world of IRCTC. That is one portal that has actually made “Service Unavailable” one of the most relatable phrases in the recent Indian history. After all, nothing summarizes the cocktail of hair-pulling frustration, self pity and intense helplessness that one feels when these words so blandly stare at our face from our screens!

But of course, we digress.

This story is about IRCTC but not of its perpetually unavailable services. This story is one of those strange occurences that have been made possible only with the advent of railways in this country. We usually expect our waitlist numbers to either remain static or decrease. In no part of any sane World, is it possible to increase the waitlist number of any tickets.

IRCTC of course disagrees. In the part of the World where it originates, truth is stranger than fiction is a phrase taken a bit too seriously.

So, a consumer in Delhi discovered that IRCTC has a sense of humor, albeit a perverse one–much to his horror.

This consumer in Delhi had booked two tickets, originally waitlisted at numbers 117 and 118. The waitlist advanced to 34 and 35 and eventually 1 and 2. But miraculously, at the time of final confirmation and chart preparation, the tickets sprang back to W/L 46 and 47, obviously without any explanation.

A complaint was filed in the consumer forum. The New Delhi District Consumer Forum ordered IRCTC to pay them Rs 5,000 and said it was “obvious” that someone else was accommodated ahead of them. According to the forum this was a clear case of relegation of consumer’s reservation status due to which they could not travel as planned.

Though as meager as 5K, at least IRCTC had to pay up. This gives us hope. At least a glimmer that even complaints against IRCTC do see the light of the day.

IRCTC to pay Rs 5,000 for relegation of reservation status (Moneycontrol)

The (Un)Health Club! Health Club In Delhi Illegally Terminates Membership, To Pay 2L As Fine.

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint Against Health Club In Delhi Illegally Terminates Membership, To Pay 2L As Fine.

And we always thought health clubs were meant for promoting physical and mental health!

Apparently, A UK based health club’s Indian branch thinks otherwise!

Consumer issues are spread far and wide, popping their ugly heads out of corners we had mistaken to be sacrosanct. This time, the ugly, severed issue head has tumbled out of a health club which apparently has pretty ‘unhealthy’ outlook.

This particular health club, in a complete disregard of the any kind of health of the consumer, terminated his membership “illegally” and in violation of the contract.

This consumers had to suffer this ire after they had raised issues regarding changes in the facilities offered to them, from what was promised at the time of signing the membership agreement.

However, the New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum took a serious note of the situation and prevailing irregularity and slapped the club with a fine of Rs 2 lakh by a consumer forum here for “illegally” terminating the membership of two persons for raising issues of deficiency in facilities offered by it.

The forum also directed Delhi Police and the civic agencies to review the no-objection certificate granted to the health club to run its business here.

Health Club Fined Rs. 2L For Illegally Terminating Membership (Business Standard)

Picture Credit: livingstingy.blogspot.com