In a recent consumer court ruling, Mahesh K, a resident of Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar, emerged victorious in his legal battle against online furniture store Pepperfry.
The court directed the furniture company to refund ₹18,000 to Mahesh and pay an additional ₹10,000 as compensation for the trouble caused to him and his wife.
The dispute began when Mahesh purchased furniture from Pepperfry in June of the previous year, which included a wooden wardrobe costing ₹18,000. To his dismay, he discovered that the wardrobe was infested with fungus, causing damage to his wife's cherished silk sarees. Dissatisfied with the response received from Pepperfry's customer care, Mahesh decided to take legal action against the company.
Representing himself in the Bangalore Urban 2nd additional district consumer disputes redressal commission, Mahesh presented photographs of the fungus-infested wardrobe as evidence. However, the furniture company's attorney argued that the allegation of selling damaged furniture was false, attributing the fungal infestation to bad weather conditions. The case continued for a year, and on June 6, 2023, the court rendered its decision.
While noting that Mahesh had not produced photographic evidence of the damaged sarees, the court reprimanded Pepperfry for attempting to shift blame to Bengaluru's weather after selling a defective product. Ultimately, the court ruled in favour of the complainant, ordering Pepperfry to refund ₹18,000 for the damaged wardrobe. Additionally, the company was instructed to pay ₹10,000 as compensation for the inconvenience caused to the couple and ₹2,000 towards the litigation expenses incurred by Mahesh.
This ruling serves as a reminder to online furniture retailers to ensure the quality and condition of their products before selling them to customers. Consumers can now seek legal recourse and compensation for defective and unsatisfactory products, safeguarding their rights and interests in the e-commerce marketplace.
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