Consumer commission orders payout for defective pressure cooker

A woman in Visakhapatnam, India, won a consumer payout after purchasing a pressure cooker that failed to cook rice and dal properly.

She bought a 4 litre deep pan pressure cooker for Rs 1,755 via UPI. The woman claimed that even after the cooker produced the standard 3 to 4 whistles, the food remained only partially cooked. The woman contacted the store for help, but she alleged the staff acted in an arrogant and insensitive manner.

Because of her age and physical limitations, she could not visit a service centre. The store took the item and issued a repair bill, but the woman refused the repair and requested a replacement instead. During the legal proceedings, the company informed the commission that it had instructed the dealer to replace the item, but the dealer failed to do so.

The Visakhapatnam District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission ruled that the store, the dealer, and the kitchen appliances company were liable for deficient service. The commission noted that the woman suffered pain and inconvenience because a basic daily product did not function as required. The commission also found the store and dealer's claims that the woman threatened them with ties to commission personnel to be defamatory.

The commission ordered the parties to refund the original Rs 1,755 and pay the woman Rs 12,000 in compensation plus Rs 3,000 in litigation costs. Additionally, the commission ordered the store and dealer to pay a Rs 21,000 penalty to the Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority for making allegations against the commission.