TV insurance hassle: Bengaluru man wins refund after year-long legal battle | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The I additional district consumer disputes redressalcommission has ruled in favour of a Bengalurean who faced months of frustration after purchasing an extended warranty plan for his new smart TV, only to receive neither a valid policy nor assistance.Basavaraj KM, a 34-year-old resident of Palace Guttahalli, filed a complaint against Jeeves Consumer Services Pvt Ltd, a Flipkart service partner, for failing to issue the insurance policy despite receiving payment.Basavaraj bought a Thomson 43-inch Ultra HD 4K Smart TV via Flipkart on Feb 11, 2023.Two days later, he noticed a display defect — a single black dot on the screen. When he reported it, a technician visited but declined to provide service, citing a policy that repairs or replacements are initiated only if there are three or more such defects.The technician advised him to purchase a three-year complete protection plan worth Rs 2,686, which Basavaraj did on Feb 25, 2023. However, despite repeated follow-ups, Jeeves never issued an invoice or shared the policy details. Basavaraj’s attempts included emails, phone calls — including a conversation with a representative named Kamesh on Aug 26, 2023 — and even a legal notice sent on Oct 31, 2023, which went unanswered.Eventually, he filed a consumer complaint on April 12, 2024, alleging deficiency in service.Jeeves, in its response, denied the claims, accusing Basavaraj of fabricating the complaint and asserting he never contacted them for service. It further alleged he was attempting to benefit financially through false claims.However, the commission, presided over by Syed Anser Kaleem and Sharavathi SM, found Jeeves at fault for failing to provide the policy after receiving payment, a clear deficiency in service. It directed Jeeves to refund the Rs 2,686 paid for the protection plan and awarded Rs 500 as litigation costs. If the payment is not made within 30 days, Jeeves must also pay interest at 6.5% per annum from the date of complaint until the full amount is settled.