TIRUCHI: The Tiruchi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered a car dealer in the city to replace an older model car with a new one or refund Rs.3.58 lakhs paid by a customer. It has also ordered the dealer to pay the customer Rs.30,000 as compensation.According to the complainants, the Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, and A. Rajasekar, a deputy general manager of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Tiruchi, the latter had booked a Maruti Zen LX car with PLA Motors Limited by paying an advance of Rs.10,000 on April 25, 2006. He had subsequently paid the full amount and the car was delivered on April 30.However, Mr. Rajasekar had subsequently found from the pre-delivery inspection manual that the car was a July 2005 model vehicle and it had already been serviced. The Registration Certificate also clearly mentioned that the year of manufacture was 2005. Hence he preferred a complaint with the Forum.The dealer argued that the car was chosen by the customer himself and he had not specifically asked for a 2006 model car.
The Forum, comprising N. Nagarajan, Presiding Officer, and members Vannai Aranganathan and D. Kavitha, which heard the petition, held that the dealer had committed deficiency in service and ordered it to replace the car with new one or refund the full amount paid by the customer. Besides, it also directed the dealer to pay a compensation of Rs.20,000 for indulging in unfair trade practice and Rs.10,000 for the mental agony suffered by the customer.
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