Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Consumer Forum-3 has directed Amazon.in through its managing director to refund Rs 15,000, along with costs of Rs 5,000 to one B. Sushanth Boga.
Mr Boga had purchased an iPhone 5C from the website on December 20, 2014, when there was a cash back offer of Rs 6,500 if purchased with a Citibank credit card.
Mr Boga ordered the product after speaking to a customer care executive of Amazon.in to verify the offer. Mr Boga never got the promised cash back. Several complaints to customer care brought no response.
Mr Boga then served a notice to Amazon.in through the International Consumer Rights Protection Council on June 7, 2015, but still there was no response. He finally approached the forum.
In its reply, Amazon.in said it was not responsible for the refund as it was only a facilitator.
The job of the facilitator is to provide platform to third party sellers who delivers the product to the customer. It had no role in refunding the amount, Amazon.in said.
The company said the offer at the time was for a gift card of Rs 2,200 which it had delivered to the complainant but Mr Boga claimed this was not true.
The forum ruled in favour of Mr Boga stating that the website had failed to honour its offer. It ordered the company to pay Mr Boga Rs 6,500 as it was apparent that Amazon.in had used the offer as a “deceptive practice" to promote the sale of the product on their website. The offering of gift items or other items with an intention of not providing them amounted to unfair trade practice. So Amazon.in is liable to refund an amount of Rs 15,000 alo
