Woman Orders ₹10,000 Phone; Finds Soap in Box Instead—Company Fined

A case has emerged from Delhi where a woman ordered a mobile phone online, only to find a bar of soap inside the box upon delivery instead of the phone. Here are the details of the incident.

While online shopping is popular these days, you have likely heard complaints associated with it. There have been numerous instances where customers ordered one item but discovered something entirely different upon delivery.

One such incident occurred in Delhi, where a woman ordered a mobile phone costing approximately ₹10,000 online. However, when she opened the package after delivery, she found a bar of soap instead of the phone. She subsequently filed a complaint with the Consumer Commission, which, following an investigation, directed the online platform to compensate her.

How much compensation will the woman receive?

When the matter reached the Consumer Commission, it ordered the online platform to pay the woman ₹10,574, along with 7% annual interest. Additionally, the platform was ordered to pay ₹10,000 to cover mental agony and legal expenses.

Phone ordered online

The woman had ordered the phone from an online platform. A few days later, when the package was delivered and she opened it, she was shocked to find a bar of soap inside the box where the mobile phone should have been.

What did the online platform say?

Regarding this matter, the online platform stated that its role is merely to connect buyers and sellers. They argued that since the phone was sold by a third-party seller, the responsibility for the refund should lie with that seller. Meanwhile, the delivery company maintained that they had simply delivered the sealed package to the customer.

What happened next? The woman subsequently contacted the online platform to lodge a complaint. When she received no resolution, she took a different approach and filed a formal complaint directly with the Consumer Commission.

What did the Commission say?

The woman presented a video to the Commission showing her unboxing the package, which clearly revealed a bar of soap inside instead of the intended product. The Commission stated unequivocally that the platform could not evade its responsibility simply by claiming to be a marketplace.

When a customer purchases an item, they do so based on their trust in the online platform; therefore, the platform bears the responsibility of resolving the customer's grievance. The Commission found a deficiency in the online platform's service and ordered it to pay compensation to the woman.

A note for online shoppers

If you shop online and purchase items such as mobile phones, laptops, or other expensive goods, keep the following points in mind at the time of delivery:

Open the parcel in the presence of the delivery person when it arrives at your address.
Record a video while unboxing the parcel so that you have evidence to file a complaint if the package contains something other than the ordered item.
If the package contains an incorrect item, lodge a complaint with the online platform.
If the issue is not resolved, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Commission.
Remember to keep the bill, photos, and videos safe for future reference.