Recently, a Bengaluru consumer court imposed a fine of Rs 1.94 lakh on Ola Electric Technologies Pvt Ltd. The fine resulted from Ola Electric delivering a defective electric scooter and failing to resolve the issue.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission instructed Ola Electric to reimburse Durgesh Nishad with Rs 1.62 lakh with 6 percent annual interest from the payment date until the entire amount is settled.
Furthermore, the court ordered Ola to pay Rs 20,000 for emotional distress and Rs 10,000 for legal expenses.
Consumer Complaint: Durgesh Nishad’s Experience
Durgesh Nishad, who lives in R T Nagar, Bengaluru, complained about receiving a faulty Ola S1 Pro scooter. He purchased the vehicle on December 12, 2023, for Rs 1.47 lakh after discounts with Rs 16,000 for registration and additional fees.
Upon receiving the e-scooter in January 2024, he noticed damage on the rear upper panel and informed Ola Electric. The company acknowledged the issue and confirmed that the panel would require replacement.
Nishad identified additional issues, such as a malfunctioning horn and a non-working panel board display. He notified the Ola showroom about these concerns on January 23rd.
However, despite repeated reminders and efforts to resolve the defects, Ola Electric failed to rectify the issues or deliver a functional vehicle. As a result, Nishad decided to take the matter to the consumer court.
Court’s Response to Ola Electric’s Negligence
The court highlighted Ola Electric’s negligence in addressing the consumer’s grievances. Since the company did not fix or exchange the faulty scooter, the court ordered compensation to cover Nishad’s financial loss and inconvenience.
M S Ramachandra, president of the 4th Additional District Forum in Bengaluru, said:
The very fact that Ola has remained silent to the legal notice of the complainant in itself indicates that the company is guilty of selling a defective vehicle and consequent deficiency in service by their negligent attitude in attending to the complaint on the vehicle, which is brought to its notice.
Apart from this in spite of due service of notice issued by this commission, the manufacturer has neither appeared before this commission nor filed a version in its defence on the allegation of the complainant.
This decision by the Bengaluru consumer court highlights the importance of quality control and customer support for companies.
