The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Mohali has imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the social media platform Facebook and kitchen rack manufacturer FIU Pumpy for not delivering an online order. The fine follows a complaint from Kulwinder Singh, a Mohali resident who ordered a kitchen rack via an ad on Facebook but never received the product.
Singh paid Rs 2,535 on July 11, 2021, with the expectation of delivery within two weeks. When the item failed to arrive, Singh contacted both FIU Pumpy and Facebook for updates. He was told the order was shipped, but further communications yielded no results as emails to both parties bounced back, indicating the addresses were deactivated.
Unable to resolve the issue, Singh took his complaint to the consumer commission. Facebook and FIU Pumpy did not respond to the summons and were judged in their absence. The commission ruled that Facebook, by facilitating the sale of products on its platform, is responsible for ensuring that orders are fulfilled.
The commission ordered Facebook and FIU Pumpy to refund Singh’s Rs 2,535, along with an additional Rs 30,000 for mental distress, harassment, and legal expenses. Furthermore, they were directed to pay Rs 20,000 to the Tricity Consumer Courts’ Bar Association as part of the penalty.
This decision underscores the accountability of online platforms in ensuring fair trading practices and protecting consumers from fraudulent activities.
