Hewlett Packard fined for warranty goof-up

The District Consumer Forum (DCF) has directed Hewlett Packard (HP) to compensate a Vile Parle resident Rs10,000 for charging him for repairs of his laptop under warranty period.

A division bench of DCF president JL Deshpande and member Deepa Bidnuskar directed the company to pay the amount within four weeks even as the complainant’s plea seeking a replacement of the machine.

As per complaint Kirit Dalal, ever since he brought the laptop in the US in 2007, he has given it for repairs to the service centre several times. In November 2008, Dalal had the warranty extended for a year after paying Rs5,500. In June 26, 2009, when he sent the laptop for repairs once more, the service centre after a preliminary probe told him that he would have to spend Rs3,781 more towards repairs and change of some spares, to which Dalal objected. As the product was legally still under warranty period, he moved the consumer court challenging the demand.

While the company said the laptop no longer came under the warranty period, the bench after going through the arguments and evidence ruled otherwise and directed HP to repair the laptop for free.