Man Orders iPhone 14 Pro on Flipkart, Gets Beard Growth Oil Instead; Court Orders ₹1.11 Lakh Refund
Man Orders iPhone 14 Pro on Flipkart, Gets Beard Growth Oil Instead; Court Orders ₹1.11 Lakh Refund ( AI Image )
An online purchase of an iPhone 14 Pro turned into a consumer dispute after a Mumbai resident allegedly opened his delivery package to find beard growth oil instead of the smartphone he had ordered. A consumer commission has now directed Flipkart and the seller to refund the customer ₹1,11,793 and pay additional compensation and legal expenses.
The case was heard by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Additional Mumbai Suburban, which found deficiencies in the handling of the customer’s complaint. The commission also observed that repeatedly closing a consumer grievance without providing effective relief could amount to an unfair trade practice.
The complainant, who lives in Mumbai’s Powai area, had ordered an Apple iPhone 14 Pro with 128 GB storage through Flipkart on April 22, 2023. He paid ₹1,11,793 for the device through a no-cost EMI scheme.
Along with the smartphone, the customer had separately ordered a charger and a phone cover. While those accessories reportedly arrived without any problem, the main package delivered the next day contained beard growth oil and packing material instead of the expensive smartphone.
After discovering the alleged mix-up, the customer approached Flipkart’s customer support and raised complaints multiple times between April and May 2023. He also submitted the documents requested during the grievance process. However, according to the complaint, neither a replacement nor a refund was provided, while his complaints were repeatedly marked as resolved.
The consumer commission held that an e-commerce platform has a responsibility towards customers when it facilitates an online transaction and cannot simply distance itself from a dispute involving the delivery of a completely different product.
The commission also found fault with the seller, International Value Retail Pvt Ltd, for failing to deliver the product that had been purchased and for not adequately addressing the customer’s grievance despite repeated requests.
Following its findings, the commission held Flipkart and the seller jointly and severally liable. They were ordered to refund ₹1,11,793 along with 9% annual interest calculated from April 22, 2023, until the amount is realised.
In addition to the refund, the commission directed them to pay ₹50,000 to the customer as compensation for mental agony and harassment and another ₹20,000 towards litigation expenses. The payments are to be made within 45 days.
Apple India was also made a party to the proceedings. However, the complaint against the company was dismissed after the commission found no evidence connecting the manufacturer with the packaging, dispatch or delivery-related deficiency involved in the dispute.
The ruling underlines the responsibility of online marketplaces and sellers to provide an effective grievance-redressal mechanism when customers report receiving incorrect products.
