This page is open to everyone and the visitors  can share their complaints regarding deficient goods & services  In case you want to participate, please "Click"  below and mail your complaint/unsavoury experience.  After examining the suitability of the same and if required, after editing, the same will be put up in this page.  Please feel free to participate so as to inform and educate other consumers.          -Editor

1. Air Deccan's poor customer care
2. Unfair trade practices of ICICI
3. Irresponsible attitude of Universal Packers & Movers
4. Pond's product did not work and they do not care

     I traveled by Air Deccan on 24/03/2008 from Bangalore to Delhi by flight number DN-601.  On reaching Delhi airport when I received my baggage, one of my suitcases was found totally damaged and was not in a condition to carry it out of airport.  I had immediately reported this to their executive who was present over there.  She had looked over it and then asked me to fill up a form.  To fill up that form I had to wait almost one hour over there. After filling the form she started bargaining about compensation.  That was an imported one and could cost about Rs. 8,500.  She told that it would take some time and Air Deccan would contact me.   Even after one month I haven’t received any intimation or the compensation from Air Deccan.

Ravi Agarwal, A- 100, Sector 58, Noida-201301

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     In the year 2004, a (trusted) Officer in the ICICI Bank of the Cannaught Place Branch, where my Bank accounts are maintained suggested an investment of Rs. 1, 00, 000/- towards the one time premium for a Unit Linked Insurance policy in the name of my son with lock in period of three years. The Insurance Advisor, sent by him  took the signatures of my son (student at that time)  but fraudulently, filled up   the forms in his own handwriting making the policy plan as “Life time” needing recurring annual premium for life.(My signature was also obtained as Proposer) Since the Insurance advisor came on a reference,. the said amount of Rs. 1,00,000/-  also  paid with least doubt  about this mischief, which  ultimately  came to light when I wrote to  the company subsequently  in the year 2005 to release the funds for the higher education of my son. The company was also informed in writing about the fraud committed by the Insurance advisor since the intention was not to make recurring payments nor it was possible for me to make recurring payment of Rs. 1, 00,000/- annually for life.

     Since then the matter was in correspondence. The company, conveniently  avoiding the grave element of  fraud/manipulation by its officer  has been maintaining all along that unless and until three full years premium are paid nothing can be done in the matter and that the initial payment of Rs. 1,00,000/- would stand forfeited.(quoting an arbitrary clause in the policy—which is contrary to IRDA directions) Interestingly the company had invested a sum of Rs. 82,000/- from out of the above amount and earned huge profits, while it was claimed that the balance of Rs. 18,000/- would be accounted towards insurance premium and costs. The company has been periodically intimating me the fund value and even sending net statements through e- mail till date. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority on the other hand issued to important circular directions regulating the Unit Linked Insurance products (a) Circular dated 21-12-2005 prescribing the procedure in case discontinuance of due premiums within three years of the inception of the policy ensuring   payment of surrender value at the end of third policy anniversary and (b) Circular dated 11-5-2007 clarifying certain points mentioned in the earlier circular dated 21-12-2005. The substance of these directions of the Regulatory authority are that the even in a worst situation as in the instant case assuming the company is correct, the fund value accruing out of the unit portion is payable to the customers after three years, i.e. the customer is entitled to receive the fund value while the company is empowered to forfeit the insurance portion. While this situation envisaged in the instructions of the IRDA is for the protection of consumers and is clear, such an instruction from a statutory authority has no effect on the above company which is otherwise bent upon to cheat the customers somehow and to extort more money under that threat.

     When the company sent an evasive reply making counter threat   to the Legal notice served and rather repudiating the claim evading the main issue, a complaint was made to the IRDA. The companies, very mischievously mislead the IRDA as if the concern of the customer (undersigned) was taken care of while the above company did not clarify anything to me nor released the fund value due and payable after three years. The company also refused to accept the claim form when submitted maintaining their illegal demand of a further sum of Rs. 3, 00,000/- with the threat that unless the said sum is paid, nothing would be payable to me nor I have any claim from the company. The IRDA unfortunately closed the matter based on their misrepresentation without verifying the position from me which is also strange.

     In these circumstances, I have filed a detailed complaint before the District Consumer Redressal Forum, New Delhi against the said Company claiming the fund value, costs and other damages. The complaint was already admitted as Complaint No. 11 of 2008 but the company is making this a prestige issue and engaged an advocate to contest the same. I am also contemplating further actions like criminal complaint etc. against the company. I hope you will appreciate that being a Legal practitioner, there is no difficulty for me to file cases etc and fight the matter in the courts till end.  It would be difficult task for a layman on the other hand as he has to spend huge money for litigation and ultimately would become a victim in the hands of such unscrupulous companies. 

S.T. SRINIVASAN, Advocate, B-304, Unique Apartments,
Plot No. 38, Sector-6, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075.

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     I am an aggrieved customer who is looking upto you for guidance. We had hired Universal Packers & Movers in Hyderabad to transfer our household goods from Hyderabad to Bangalore on 8th of March.  They asked for total consignment whereby they will shift the goods within 24 hrs in a closed exclusive truck for us. We paid the amount for that & agreed to the same.
Our ordeal started from there. 

     The goods were delivered only on 12th March in another company’s open truck. The excuse given was that the truck had broken down midway so they shifted the items. 

     Most of our goods were either broken or severely damaged. Our bed was broken, dressing table was damaged, table lamp, picture frame , computer table & our main Centre table which was a costly imported one was totally irrecoverable. 

    You can understand our mental anguish & pain after seeing all our beloved items treated like this. We had contacted them immediately & after several calls they asked us to send them the pictures which we did on March 27th. 
Till now they are only saying that someone will come & inspect the goods & do the necessary repair. We had also insured the goods for Rs. 50000 
Till now they have shown scant regard for ethics & business standard & have failed utterly to rectify their grave mistakes.

     Please advise me how I should progress in this matter so that I can claim the insurance & get the items repaired.

Sougata Sen, Placement Coordinator, IBS - [ICFAI Business School]
Hyderabad.

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     I purchased two products of Pond's whitening in April first week.  The beauty expert said that if it did not work within a week, they would repay my amount.  I waited for two weeks, but nothing happenned. 

     I contacted the e-mail mentioned on the bottle. They called me from Delhi
saying someone would visit within 10 days to solve the issue.  No one came and I sent another e-mail.  No one replied back and so I sent another mail to their head office in the US.  They promised prompt action, but nothing has
happened.

     I have retained the receipt of purchase and the bottles.  Please suggest how to get refund from these guys.

Mrs. Debatri Ray, 303, Pentagon, Amrutha Valley Aptts.,
RD.no.12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad-54.