HP ordered to refund Rs 52,990 to consumer after faulty laptop costs woman UK job, late mother’s photos

“Anyone who is paying a sum of Rs.52,990 expects a product to be of a particular quality which would not force the purchaser to visit the service centre twice within the warranty period itself. Since the complainant is using the said laptop, ends of justice would be met by directing the OP (HP India) to pay a refund of Rs.52,990 with a direction to the complainant to return the laptop to the OP at the time of taking the said amount from the OP,” the June 1 order read. 

‘A lost job interview, mother’s photo and distress’

Pragya stated that she purchased the laptop for professional use, relying on HP’s reputation and assurances regarding the quality of its products.

According to her, within days of purchase, the laptop began exhibiting performance issues, including severe lagging that substantially impaired its usability and interfered with her professional work.

She further claimed that approximately two months later, a persistent vertical line appeared on the left side of the display screen.

Pragya alleged that she reported these issues to the company’s authorised service centre and was repeatedly assured that the defects had been rectified and the laptop had been thoroughly checked.

She also claimed that she lost a significant employment opportunity in the United Kingdom after the laptop screen suddenly went black during a virtual job interview, even though the device remained powered on.

Aggrieved by the recurring problems, she again approached the authorised service centre, which allegedly informed her that a complete system format was the only viable solution.

She stated that, under protest and due to the lack of alternatives, she consented to the formatting process, resulting in the loss of valuable data, including photographs of her mother, who had passed away in 2020 due to Covid-19.

According to Pragya, the loss of these photographs caused severe emotional distress in addition to professional setbacks.

She further alleged that the service centre informed her that it could not guarantee that further issues would not arise and that the same problems resurfaced within 20 days of the second repair attempt.

Appearing for the complainant, advocate Rishabh Sharma advanced arguments before the commission.

Appearing for the woman, advocate Rishabh Sharma argued before the commission. 

‘Refund the amount’ 

• The consumer body observed that the laptop appeared to suffer from inherent technical issues, as there was no allegation of wear and tear, mishandling or physical damage.
• It noted that the complainant purchased the laptop on October 3, 2023, and had to visit an authorised HP service centre within just two months of the purchase.
• The commission further observed that solid-state drives (SSDs) make noticeably different in day to day use, be it a professional, gamer or anyone who needs a more responsive computing experience.
• It was noted that while HP India filed a reply disputing the allegations, it did not contest the proceedings before the commission. 
• The consumer body noted that no one appeared on behalf of the company despite due service, following which the matter proceeded ex parte.

• The consumer body directed HP India to refund the amount of Rs 52,990 with interest of per cent per annum from the date of the second complaint, which is  August 2, 2024, till realisation.
• It was further added that the directions should be complied with within three months, failing which the interest payable should be 7 per cent per annum till realisation.