Mumbai, March 29 (IANS). Thane’s Consumer Commission has ordered two-wheeler EV company Ola Electric to replace the defective electric scooter or give a refund to the customer.
The Commission has given this order due to serious irregularities and unfair trade practices in the service.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, in its order, said that the scooter had several defects from the beginning and the company failed to properly resolve these problems.
The Commission termed this conduct of the company as gross negligence in customer service.
The case was filed by a lawyer from Navi Mumbai, who had purchased the scooter in July 2024 for Rs 96,997.
According to the complaint, problems with the vehicle started just two days after its delivery.
During its first long journey, the scooter had acceleration problems and broke down several times in traffic.
The complainant also spoke about a serious battery problem and claimed that during a trip in August 2024, the charge level suddenly dropped from 21 percent to 3 percent within just 500 metres, causing the vehicle to stop suddenly. He said that this incident could have resulted in a major accident.
The customer alleged that despite sending repeated emails and messages, he did not receive any response from the company until he raised the issue publicly on social media.
Even after taking the scooter for servicing there was a delay and no update. The Commission found that initially the information about the vehicle was not even given to the designated garage.
The order said that when the scooter was returned months later, it was in poor condition, with scratches and cleanliness issues.
The Commission found that the sequence of problems right from the first ride indicated that the two-wheeler was defective.
The commission said the company failed to provide timely updates and held the vehicle for a long time, which amounted to both poor service and unfair trade practices.
In its decision, the commission directed the company to replace the scooter with a new scooter with similar features.
If replacement is not possible, it will have to refund the entire amount paid by the customer along with 6 percent annual interest.
Additionally, the company has been ordered to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation for mental agony and Rs 15,000 towards legal expenses.
However, the company did not appear before the Commission nor did it file any reply, so the case was decided ex-parte.
–IANS
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