The North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum ordered HP to pay Rs 1.12 lakh to city resident Dev Raj Chaudhary as reimbursement of the laptop's cost and Rs 5,000 as compensation for all the troubles he was put to by the defective machine.
The HP laptop, bought by Chaudhary in September 2007 for his daughter, a teacher in the USA, had defective speakers and he took it for repairs to Hewlett-Packard India Sales Pvt Ltd in February 2008.
The forum observed that the laptop was not even once presented in working condition before it and held that not only was the machine defective but there was deficiency in service provided to the customer.
"On the face of evidence on record, it is clear that the laptop in question was defective and the same was not put in order by OP2 (HP India Sales Pvt Ltd). Therefore, first of all the goods sold to the complainant was defective and secondly OP2 did not render services which amounts to deficiency of service.
"In these circumstances, we direct OP1 (Millenium PC Solution) and OP2 to jointly and severally refund the amount of Rs 1,12,000 to the complainant and to pay a sum of Rs 5,000 towards cost," the bench presided by Babu Lal said.
The forum's order came on Chaudhary's plea, which alleged that the HP laptop he had purchased from Millenium PC Solution turned out to be defective and was not repaired.
HP India Sales in its defence had contended that the laptop was repaired in May 2008 and it had written to Chaudhary in February 2009 to collect it, but he had not done so.
The forum, however, rejected the HP India's contention, saying that the letter was sent by it "as a subterfuge".