Consumer gets detergent soap instead of iPhone; Flipkart, retailer ordered to pay Rs 25,000 compensation

A Consumer Commission has ordered e-commerce major Flipkart and a retailer to pay Rs 25,000 for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and causing mental agony and physical harassment to a consumer who was delivered a bar of detergent soap and small keypad phone instead of the iPhone he had ordered.

This payment will be apart from the refund of Rs 48,999 that the consumer Harsha S, a student from the district headquarters town of Koppal in Karnataka, had paid for the iPhone. Harsha approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Koppal, against Flipkart Internet Private Limited and Sane Retails complaining that he was sent a small keypad phone and a ‘Nirma’ soap instead of an Apple iPhone he had ordered online. He alleged in his complaint, which dates back to 2021, that he had paid Rs 48,999 and demanded refund and also compensation for deficiency of service and mental agony he underwent.

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The complainant said he was shocked after opening the parcel that he received as it contained a small keypad phone and one detergent soap of 140 grams instead of the booked Apple iPhone 11 (Green 65GB). The Commission said in its order last week: “It is worthwhile to mention here that, now-a-days online shopping is spreading everywhere, because it is time and money saving, but the responsibilities of the companies cannot be over after selling of the product, as it is the bounden duty of the companies to satisfy their customers, because it does not give any liberty to usurp the money of the consumers either by sending wrong items/product to cheat the customers and to gulp the money of customers.”

It held Flipkart and its retailer responsible for deficiency of service, and said their act and conduct fall under unfair trade practice as they sold or sent the wrong item than the purchased item even after charging full amount of the product. The Commission, comprising the President A G Maldar, Woman Member G E Sowbhagyalakshmi and Member G S Patil, ordered that Flipkart and Sane Retails “are jointly and severally liable to pay compensation of Rs10,000 towards deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and Rs 15,000 for mental agony, physical harassment and cost of litigation.” They were also ordered to refund the cost of the phone, Rs 48,999, all within eight weeks.