A private insurance firm has been directed by a consumer forum in Hyderabad to pay Rs 50,000 fine as compensation to a man for forcing him to pay premium for an insurance policy he didn't even want in the first place.
The Times of India reports that Ch Rambabu had bought a refrigerator worth Rs. 14,900 from Bajaj Electronics in Jubilee Hills.
Rambabu made a down payment of Rs. 5,000 and opted to pay the rest in EMIs, even providing post-dated cheques towards the first two installments.
After the second EMI was paid, Rambabu says, the Mumbai branch of Bajaj Finserv Personal Loans called him and offered him an insurance policy.
According to TOI, he told the consumer forum, "I was explained the policy in Hindi and although I was not proficient in the language, I clearly informed them that I was not interested. However, I received an SMS from the firm asking me to maintain a balance of Rs 2,985 in my bank account for payment towards the premium of the insurance policy."
Meanwhile, he was harassed by the insurance firm and threatened with criminal action if he failed to pay the policy premium.
It is after he didn't get any help from the local branch of the firm, that he decided to file a complaint with the consumer court.
While the firm in its defence said that the policy was booked due to a technical glitch and the amount charged to Rambabu was refunded, the consumer court observed that "the firm issued a 'no due' certificate and reversed the illegal entry only after the customer filed the present complaint", the TOI report states.
Of late, Hyderabad is fast emerging as a hub for the "awake" consumer as several cases have been taken to court in the past month and have been won by petitioners fighting for their rights.
Read our earlier story: From Flipkart to Shah Ghouse: Five cases won by Hyderabadis that prove customer is king