3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 17, 2026 04:54 PM IST
A Kerala consumer forum has held a seller liable for unfair trade practice after a man paid Rs 240 for two Vietnam jackfruit plants but never received them despite repeated assurances of delivery. The commission directed the seller to refund Rs 240 and pay Rs 3,000 as compensation.
President Sholy P R and member C K Lekhamma of the Alappuzha District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission noted that the seller failed to respond to the buyer’s calls after repeatedly assuring him that the plants would be delivered.
“The undisputed complaint, undisputed affidavit coupled with Exbt A1 series and A2 would prove the allegation levelled against the opposite party, which is clearly an unfair trade practice…for which the opposite party is held liable to compensate the complainant,” the July 18 order read.
‘Paid via GPay’
The complainant claimed that he had booked two Vietnam jackfruit plants from the seller and paid Rs 240 through GPay on December 30, 2025. The payment was made through the QR code of one Abhijith M V, who had allegedly advertised the plants on Facebook.
Despite repeatedly demanding delivery, the complainant said the seller stopped responding to his calls from January 23, 2026. He then approached the consumer commission.
‘No plant, no response’
The commission examined the evidence produced by the complainant, including screenshots of their chat and the GPay payment. The chat showed that the complainant had sought two jackfruit plants and had provided his address. The seller subsequently sent a QR code and asked him to pay Rs 240, comprising Rs 180 towards the plants and Rs 60 as courier charges.
The commission found that the complainant paid the amount to Abhijith on December 30, 2025. A message sent on January 2, 2026, subsequently informed customers about delivery dates, with Alappuzha listed for delivery on January 6. However, the plants were not delivered. The seller then assured him that the plants would arrive on January 23, but he received neither the plants nor any further response. The complaint was filed on February 24, 2026.
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The commission noted that the seller did not appear before it and the notice issued to him was returned as “unclaimed”. The matter proceeded without hearing the other side. Accordingly, the panel directed the seller to refund Rs 240 obtained from the complainant as the courier charge for delivering the Vietnam jackfruit plants, besides paying Rs 2,000 as compensation and Rs 1,000 in costs within 30 days of receiving the order.
Takeaway
This ruling highlights that a seller cannot evade responsibility after accepting payment for a product and failing to deliver it. Such conduct can amount to unfair trade practice and attract compensation from consumer courts.
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.
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