I have always been passionate about consumer rights and as a consumer have always fought for my rights. Lately, I won a couple of such fights and wanted to share my experiences with friends here:
Case 1 – Bitter Rakhi gifting experience
For this rakhi festival, I decided to purchase a rakhi onlinewhich my daughter wanted to send for her cousin in Mumbai (read my review https://mouthshut.com/review/Itasveer.com-197611-1.html)
The rakhi was never delivered and now there were two guilty parties involved – itasveerwho was responsible for the transaction and snapdeal.com who took my money. I decided to take them on and sent them a strong mail. Itasveer immediately apologized and the CEO credited Rs.150/- in my account – but that was something I was not interested to use, when they could not deliver one product, what was the guarantee that if I buy something, it will be delivered?
So my target was snapdealto whom I paid Rs.75/-. When I felt their response was lax, I threatened them with a consumer forum case and immediately got a response and today the Rs.75/- I paid online was credited back to my account – a small winfor a small amount, but a big example that a consumer can get justice if he fights back
Case 2 – Taking on Airtel
I was totally fed up with my Reliance connection and decided to go for GSM and selected Airtel, the dealer made a false commitment for GPRS tariff. Later I realized that the GPRS charges were too high and decided to disconnect and informed the customer service. Inspite of informing them, they did not cancel my connection and instead kept sending me bills month after month.
Finally, I put my foot down and sent a strong complaintand they cancelled my connection, but asked me to pay up even for the months when my account was inactive. I refused and started a email chain fight. Soon, Airtel started threatening me and their recovery team started sending threatening mails. That’s when I sent a complaint to their nodal officer. The idiot who occupied that position didn’t even bother to read the complaint, and just sent back a standard reply. I then sent a mail to their appellate authority, who seems to a bigger nincompoop!
Finally, I took the help of CREATand noted consumer activist Sri Muralidhar Y G. One mail to him and Airtel has backed off. So again, I was saved from paying amounts for services I never used,thanks to the help from consumer associations.
Case 3 – TITAN Eye's unprofessionalism
Some months back, my wife purchased a pair of glasses from Titan Eye+.But they didn’t deliver on time and made me run around.So I decided to respond with a consumer forum noticeto their Head Office. That shook them upand the staff came running to my house with the glasses, an apology and a flower bouquet :)
I am of course happy about the battlesI won. And there are some other cases also, where I used the threat of a consumer forum notice (with Onida, IFB, Tata Sky) to get the service I deserved.
But the bigger message I wanted to share was:
a) Companies try to fleece consumersintentionally or due to someone’s goof up
b) Unless we fight for our rights, we will continue to lose
c) If you stand up and fight and assert yourself by using the powers given to you under the consumer protection act – you can definitely take on any company and win against them.
So wake up, know your rights and fight for them,Jago Grahak Jago.
PS : Following post has details onhow to send a consumer forum notice https://mouthshut.com/diary/jhagotpmo/Notice-to-party-before-filing-a-consumer-forum-complaint
