A Delhi man purchased a 3-ton split air conditioner expecting relief from the summer heat. Instead, when temperatures finally rose enough to test the unit, he found that the AC was not cooling properly.
More than a year later, the dispute has ended with a consumer court directing Fujitsu General India to refund the entire purchase price of Rs 1.14 lakh, along with compensation and litigation costs.
The order was passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (East), Delhi, which held the company liable for deficiency in service after the customer's complaints remained unresolved.
Why did the customer approach the consumer court?
According to the case record, Vaibhav Singh Bhadana purchased the AC on February 17, 2025, from an authorised dealer for Rs 1.14 lakh.
During installation, he was informed that the unit could not be mounted on a conventional wall. To proceed with the installation, he spent an additional Rs 15,329 on a separately manufactured stand.
Since the purchase was made before peak summer, the AC's cooling performance could not be tested immediately.
The unit was first used on May 11, 2025, when temperatures increased. That is when the customer discovered that it was not providing adequate cooling.
Repeated complaints were made about the AC
The customer repeatedly contacted the company after noticing the problem.
Court records show that between May 18 and May 21, he raised numerous service requests, including five calls on May 18 and eleven calls on May 19 alone.
A technician was eventually assigned to inspect the AC.
However, according to the complaint, the visit did not solve the issue. The technician allegedly informed the customer that the gas level was low and that the problem could not be resolved. The complaint also stated that the indoor unit was left with scratches and grease marks after the inspection.
When the customer later tried to contact the technician, he reportedly received no response and was eventually informed that another visit would not be feasible, reports LiveLaw, quoted by TOI.
What did the consumer court say about the cooling issue?
The commission observed that the volume of complaints itself supported the customer's claim that the AC was not functioning properly.
"The number of calls made by the complainant from 11.05.2025 to 21.05.2025 exhaustively prove that the AC of the Complainant was not working and it was a product having certain inherent defect which could not be resolved by the technician of OP when he visited the Complainant," the order noted.
The commission further said that the complainant had successfully demonstrated a deficiency in service.
"The complainant has been able to prove that there was deficiency in service on the part of OP by selling a defective product which was not initially installed on the conventional wall and when it was installed on a separately manufactured stand, the AC was not giving proper cooling," it added.
Why did the court rule against the company?
The commission also noted that Fujitsu General India neither appeared before the forum nor filed a written response to contest the allegations.
As a result, the customer's claims remained unrebutted.
The order stated that the "opposite party has not filed their reply and therefore the case of the complainant goes un-rebutted."
Based on the material available before it, the commission held the company liable for deficiency in service.
What compensation did the customer receive?
Allowing the complaint, the commission directed the company to refund the full purchase price of Rs 1.14 lakh, subject to the return of the AC.
The refund will carry interest at 7 per cent per annum from the date the complaint was filed.
The court also awarded:
- Rs 25,000 as compensation
- Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs
The commission directed the company to comply within 30 days of receiving the order. If it fails to do so, the amounts will carry interest at 9 per cent per annum until payment is made.
(With TOI inputs)
