Ordered Rs 22,000 fridge online, got ‘no product or refund’, man wins Rs 32,000

In view of its findings, the commission held the company guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and said the complainant was entitled to recover the said amount from the firm, along with interest.

The complainant purchased an LG 255-litre, three-star frost-free fridge from the e-commerce platform on June 13, 2017, for Rs 22,090, after making the payment online through his IDBI Bank account. Shortly after, the e-commerce company informed him that the payment for the fridge was not received, cancelled the order, and assured him that the amount, if deducted, would be refunded within two to three days.

However, according to the complainant, when he contacted IDBI Bank, he was informed that the payment had been successfully transferred to the e-commerce platform. Yet the e-commerce platform neither delivered the fridge nor refunded the amount despite repeated requests.

The man stated that despite repeated emails and representations, he neither received the fridge nor a refund. Alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, he approached the district consumer commission seeking a refund, compensation, and litigation costs.

Amazon did not file any written statement, affidavit, or documentary evidence before the commission to contest the complaint or substantiate its claim that it had not received the payment.

Bank denies service deficiency

The bank admitted that Rs 22,090 was debited from the complainant’s account for the fridge on June 13, 2017, and said the amount had been successfully transferred online to the e-tailer. It relied on the complainant’s bank statement and transaction records to contend that the payment had been successfully processed.

The bank argued that it had only acted as the payment intermediary and had rendered proper services. “If the amount of Rs 22,090 transferred by the complainant…was not received by the e-commerce platform, the amount would be immediately re-credited to the complainant’s bank account,” the bank said, and stated that it had not committed any deficiency in service of any kind.

‘Amazon fails to prove non-receipt’

The commission noted that the e-tailer had failed to file any written statement, affidavit or evidence to prove its assertion that it had not received the complainant’s payment for the fridge, adding that the burden of proving non-receipt of the payment lay on the company.

It observed that the complainant produced his bank statement showing that Rs 22,090 had been debited from his account, while IDBI Bank produced records confirming that the payment had been successfully settled with the company.

The commission accepted IDBI Bank’s evidence that the payment for the fridge had been successfully transferred to the company and held that the bank had merely facilitated the transaction. Since there was no evidence of any deficiency in the bank’s services, it could not be held liable.

The commission directed the e-commerce platform to refund Rs 22,090 with 6 per cent annual interest from the complaint’s filing until payment, besides paying Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental agony and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs within 45 days.

Takeaway

This ruling underscores that e-commerce platforms cannot evade liability by merely claiming non-receipt of payment without supporting evidence. It also clarifies that banks acting as payment intermediaries will not be held liable where transaction records establish successful fund transfer, reinforcing accountability for online sellers in digital payment disputes.

Consumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Chhattisgarh: 1800-233-3663) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

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