A mere mention that ‘fee is non-refundable’ on the fee receipt cannot be a base for not refunding fee amount, if a student leaves a course midway with a justifiable reason.
With this observation, the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad (Rural) has ordered city-based coaching class — Bhanwar Rathore Design Studio — to refund the fee amount of Rs 38,000 with 8% interest to a student and pay Rs 5,000 extra towards compensation for mental harassment and legal expenditure.
In this case, Navrangpura’s Kinnar Choksi sought refund of fee from the coaching class after his son left a training course for the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) after attending it for 3-4 days in 2017. He did not find the course satisfactory and sought return of fees. It was alleged that the studio lured the student by placing photographs of successful students and through its advertisements.
Upon the notice issued by the consumer forum, the coaching class said that the fee was non-refundable, and it was mentioned on the fee receipt also. The coaching class said that the claims made by Choksi were not true.
It argued that students’ photographs are placed in the studio to inspire other students and not to attract them to pursue the course. Moreover, the student quit the course midway without valid reason.
After hearing the case, the forum said that fee cannot be refunded without valid reason after joining the course. But the complainant’s son clearly stated that the course was not being run properly and he did not find it satisfactory. Hence, his demand for refund of fee is reasonable.
On contention of the studio that the fee receipt mentioned that fee was non-refundable, the forum said, “Mere mention of non-refundable on receipt cannot be a base for not returning the fee. Keeping such unreasonable and one-sided condition on fee receipt itself is part of unfair trade practice.”
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