The State Bureau in Patna received a complaint from Animesh Kumar, a resident of Patna, regarding an online purchase he made on Flipkart. Animesh had ordered a mobile phone worth Rs 67,900, but instead received a bar of soap in the box. Despite repeated complaints, Flipkart only provided assurances of a solution without taking any positive action. Animesh had already made the payment for the phone. Frustrated with the lack of response, Animesh decided to appeal to the District Consumer Commission.
During the hearing, Flipkart claimed that it merely provides a platform for buying and selling, and the actual seller is a different company. However, considering all the parties involved, the Commission ordered the selling company to refund Rs 68,000 with six percent interest. Additionally, Flipkart cannot distance itself from this matter as the customer only recognizes Flipkart and not the individual sellers on the platform. Therefore, Flipkart has been directed to pay a compensation of five thousand rupees.
What is the entire issue at hand?
The payment for Samsung company’s mobile (XF-240 52) was made on November 30, 2018. Animesh recorded a video while opening the package and based on that evidence, he reported the fraud to Flipkart online. Initially, Flipkart’s response gave the impression that they would handle the matter appropriately, but later it became clear that there was a delay.
Flipkart had a similar approach towards Consumer Commission Chairman Vidhu Bhushan Pathak and member Rajneesh Kumar. After evaluating the arguments and evidence, both judges concluded that there was dishonesty in the transaction. Not only did Flipkart provide its platform to the selling company (Sane Retails Pvt. Ltd.) free of charge, but it also received a commission. Therefore, Flipkart cannot avoid the responsibility of ensuring transparency in buying and selling.
The decision is that the selling company must refund the amount with interest within two months. Interest will be calculated from November 30, 2018, until the date of withdrawal. Additionally, Flipkart will provide Animesh with five thousand rupees as compensation for mental and physical distress.