A Visakhapatnam woman has successfully secured a favourable ruling from the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which ordered a store, dealer, and manufacturer to compensate her for a faulty pressure cooker. The commission's decision, issued on November 13, 2026, mandates a total payment of Rs 16,755 to the complainant, in addition to a separate penalty for the store and dealer.
The ruling stipulates that the woman receive Rs 1,755 as a refund for the four-litre deep-pan pressure cooker, which she purchased via UPI. An additional Rs 12,000 was awarded as compensation for service deficiency, along with Rs 3,000 to cover litigation expenses. Furthermore, the Visakhapatnam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission imposed a Rs 21,000 penalty on the store and dealer, payable to the Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority in Amaravati, for making unsubstantiated claims about the commission's operations.
The dispute originated when the woman reported that rice remained partially uncooked even after three to four whistles on the day of purchase. A similar issue occurred with dal the following day. Upon contacting the store, she encountered unhelpful staff who directed her to the company's service centre, a visit she found difficult due to her age and physical limitations. Although the store accepted the cooker for repair, she sought a replacement.
The manufacturer later stated it had instructed the dealer to replace the unit, an instruction that went unheeded. Both the store and dealer contended that their service staff had inspected the cooker and found it fully functional, claiming a video supported this. The manufacturer, meanwhile, asserted its warranty covered only repairs or replacements for inherent manufacturing defects.
The commission, however, found no party submitted the warranty terms for review. It also questioned the offer of a replacement as a 'goodwill gesture,' which it viewed as casting doubt on their assertion that the cooker had no problems. The bench also dismissed allegations that the woman had leveraged external connections within the commission.
Image: siasat.com
đź“° Source: Siasat Gulf