The customer had purchased internet and landline services from Airtel. In March 2013, the customer handed over a cheque to pay the amount of ₹4,995 due for these services.
However, Airtel claimed that this cheque was dishonoured for lack of sufficient funds and began to constantly call the customer over this issue.
The client asked Airtel’s representatives to recheck the status with the bank, and later also confirmed through bank statements that the amount had been credited to Airtel’s account.
However, Airtel failed to acknowledge the receipt of payment from the client and also discontinued his internet services in May 2013 before sending him a legal notice demanding a payment of ₹7,549.
Aggrieved by Airtel’s attitude, the customer filed a consumer complaint before the district consumer disputes redressal forum.
The customer told the district forum that despite informing Airtel that the payment had been duly credited, this information fell on deaf ears and he continued to face indiscriminate phone calls and emails from Airtel’s representatives.
In September 2014, the district forum concluded that Airtel’s conduct was crass, bizarre and amounted to motivated misconduct. It, therefore, ordered Airtel to pay the customer ₹5 lakhs as punitive compensation. Of this amount, ₹3 lakhs was to be paid to the customer, while the remaining ₹2 lakhs was to be paid to the State Consumer Welfare Fund.
Airtel challenged this order before the State Commission, which dismissed the appeal on July 1.
The State Commission found that Airtel had neither provided any evidence showing that they made any inquiry into the customer’s complaints and replies nor had they registered any complaint regarding the same. Additionally, Airtel failed to take any concrete step to stop calling the customer, even after receiving complaints about it from him, the Commission noted.
Therefore, it dismissed Airtel’s appeal.
Source: Barandbench
