Honda penalised Rs12,000 for faulty vehicle

The Additional Thane District Consumer Forum has directed Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India to pay Rs10,000 for providing a faulty vehicle to a Vashi customer for the mental agony caused, and a further Rs2,000 towards the cost of litigation.

The customer, Shambhu Rao, received an Activa scooter on March 3, 2012, and from the first day itself he found that the vehicle was pulling to one side. So he took the vehicle to the service centre where the staff greased the handle.

However, the problem continued and Rao had to take the scooter repeatedly to the centre. Also, new problems cropped up, but every time he was provided servicing free of cost.

On May 30, 2012, he received a letter from the dealer claiming that the vehicle had been repaired and that all problems had been resolved. Upset at this, Rao approached the forum, pleading that the company be made to repay him the cost of the vehicle.

In its reply to the forum, the company claimed that it had removed all the problems and that the vehicle was in good running condition.

After going through the evidence presented by the company and the dealer, the forum held that the customer was provided with free servicing and, therefore, the company could not be held guilty of poor service. However, it held them guilty of providing a faulty vehicle and directed them to pay compensation for causing mental agony.