Rs 15k fine levied on watch service centre for delay in repair
The complainant, identified as Swathy S, of Villivakkam, got a fossil watch worth Rs 50,000 as a gift from her family members. Besides the monetary value, the said watch is of high sentimental value for the complainant and was safely in possession for many years.
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CHENNAI: Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed a watch service centre that failed to service and return a customer’s premium watch to complete the service and pay a compensation of Rs 15,000.
The complainant, identified as Swathy S, of Villivakkam, got a fossil watch worth Rs 50,000 as a gift from her family members. Besides the monetary value, the said watch is of high sentimental value for the complainant and was safely in possession for many years.
In May 2024, Swathy had approached the opposite party, P Orr and Sons Pvt Ltd, to get her watch serviced. The service centre had promised that the watch would be serviced and delivered in June 2024, and she would be charged Rs 2,700 for the service. On the said date, when Swathy approached the service centre, she was informed that the service would be completed in two days. However, the centre continued giving the same reply every time she visited the place.
Three months after she gave the watch for service, the centre informed Swathy that they would provide a 20 per cent discount coupon on the purchase of a new wristwatch from their outlet, but remained silent about the fossil watch that needed to be serviced. Denying the offer, Swathy demanded her watch, which is a sign of remembrance.
However, the private centre failed to return the watch, and Swathy issued a legal notice in August 2024. As the service centre failed to reply to date, it was called absent and set aside ex parte.
Swathy filed a complaint with the Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and requested the watch be returned in its original condition along with a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for the mental agony and stress.
The commission, headed by the president D Gopinath, members V Ramamurthy and Kavitha Kannan, found service deficiency and directed the private entity to the service the fossil watch at free of cost and deliver the same within 30 days from the date of receipt of the order, failing which the opposite party is directed to pay the cost of subject wrist watch of Rs 50,000 immediately to the complainant.
In addition, it ordered the centre to pay a sum of Rs 10,000 towards compensation for deficiency in service, mental agony, pain and sufferings and a sum of Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs within two months from the date of receipt of this order.
