Man wins Rs 14,000 after internet provider denies full refund under ‘30-day trial’ offer

“But the opposite parties 1 and 2 (Reliance Retail Ltd) have not produced any evidence to prove that the complainant has discontinued the connection after the completion of the 30-day period, and also, as per Exts A1 (leaflet), the complainant is eligible for a full refund of Rs 1,500,” the July 10 order read.

Free trial, years of legal battle

Pillai claimed that he booked a JioFiber Internet connection after coming across their advertisement for a “free 30-day trial”, which also said: “If you do not like it, we take back, no questions asked”, offering a full refund of the deposit offer.

The complainant cancelled his existing internet connection and enrolled in the JioFiber trial offer after paying a refundable deposit of Rs 1,500 on November 2, 2020. The connection was installed on November 11, 2020. However, the service allegedly broke down on November 26, 2020, prompting him to register a complaint the same day. After several calls and emails to customer care, the issue was allegedly resolved in December 2020.

Claiming dissatisfaction with the modem’s performance, Pillai requested disconnection of the service and a refund of the deposit on December 3, 2020. Subsequently, a JioFiber technician collected all the equipment and allegedly assured him that the refund would be processed within 14 working days.

However, only Rs 500 was refunded on December 29, 2020, instead of the full deposit amount of Rs 1,500. Pillai later issued a legal notice, following which the company informed him that it was unable to retrieve his details because his JioFiber ID was allegedly incorrect. Advocate T Harikumar represented the complainant.

Not eligible for refund: JioFiber

JioFiber’s counsel, R Suja Madhav, submitted that the district commission was not the correct forum to decide cases against JioFiber, as it can only be filed before courts in Mumbai.

The counsel, however, admitted that the complainant had a JioFiber service for which Rs 1,500 was received from him. As per the terms and conditions, the complainant was eligible only for a refund of Rs 500, it was argued, adding that since the complainant had discontinued the connection after the 30-day period, he was not eligible for a full refund.

JioFiber further claimed that it had sent a reply on April 15, 2021, requesting the complainant to furnish the correct JioFiber ID number, but allegedly received no response. It denied any deficiency in service and sought dismissal of the complaint.

‘Leaflet promised refund’

The commission examined the leaflet and noted the free 30-day trial offer and refund option on dissatisfaction. It observed that the company’s promotional material indicated that there would be no security deposit or installation charges for the internet and set-top box.

Holding that the company failed to prove its claim that the consumer had discontinued the service after the expiry of the trial period, the commission directed Reliance Retail to refund the remaining Rs 1,000 with 6 per cent interest from February 25, 2022, pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for mental agony, and Rs 3,000 towards litigation costs.

Significance of ruling

The ruling underscores that companies may be held liable for unfair trade practices if they fail to honour promises made in advertisements and promotional offers, particularly where consumers act upon such representations.

For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and Union territories (Kerala: 1800-425-1550) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.