indifference to customers' grievances

We purchased LG Smart TV 42LV3730 (for Rs 63,990/-) along with LG Home Theater HT924SF (for Rs 15,490/-) from Jumbo Electronics corporation Pvt.Ltd, Inorbit Mall, Pune for total Rs 79,480/- on 19 March 2012 vide receipt No.9782 dated 19.3.2012 (Copy enclosed). The TV suddenly stopped working from Sunday i.e.13 Sept 2015. I lodged a complaint with the customer service of LG Electronics India Private Limited (LG) on the next day i.e. Monday the 14 Sept 2015 (Complaint No. RNA150914004533). The technician checked the TV and informed me that the motherboard of the TV is to be replaced. He placed order for the same on LG online. When I contacted him on 19 September 2015, he informed me that the motherboard is not available in stock anywhere in India. I spoke to the customer service of LG and also sent an e-mail on the same day informing them about the non-availability of the spare and requested them to arrange the spare part. I also contacted the concerned supervisor of the LG service centre at Pune. He informed me that he can’t do anything in this regard as stock of the item is not available anywhere in India. The technician collected the photocopy of the invoice and the ID on 21 September 2015. After repeated contact with the customer service of LG the supervisor of the LG service centre at Pune informed me on phone on 28 September 2015 that they have now valued the TV at 35% of its purchase value ( which works out to Rs 22,396) and that I can purchase a new TV from LG by paying the difference between the price of the new TV and the assessed value of the old one to LG Electronics India Private Limited (i.e Rs 22,396). I ascertained from the LG showroom that even for the cheapest LED smart TV 42” of LG Electronics India Private Limited I have to pay to pay at least Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000/- more. Had the LG Electronics India Private Limited maintained stock of spares of the TV at least during the life of the TV, I would have to spend only Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 for its repair by LG Electronics India Private Limited (the approximate repair cost intimated by the technician when he visited my home on 15 September for repair).
In this connection, I submitted the following to LG:-
1. It is understood that the value of my TV was assessed by LG taking into account its life as five years. The life of LG LED TV is not mentioned as five years in the ‘owner’s manual’ or LG’s website www.lg.com . Had this been disclosed to me at the time of purchase, we would not have spent so much money on this TV which has such a short life of only five years. Selling the 42LV3730 TV without disclosing its life is a clear case of fraudulent trade practice being adopted by LG Electronics India Private Limited and denial of customer’s right to information.
2. Before we decided to purchase the said LG TV, I had examined the code of ethics of LG as published in their website www.lg.com which ensures validating the real needs of the customers at all times, creating value for customers through customer satisfaction and truthfulness to customers. So we were confident that LG Electronics India Private Limited would take care of the repair needs of the TV during its full life by charging the customer for the cost of repair. The failure of LG Electronics India Private Limited in ensuring availability of spares and rectifying the TV within its life is clear violation of LG’s own code of ethics on which I had relied upon.
3. The discontinuation of the production of spare parts of the TV within its life has rendered the TV purchased by me unusable within a short span of 3 years and six months. So there is clear deficiency in service to the customer by LG Electronics India Private Limited.
4. My confidence in LG TV is badly shaken by the failure of the LG TV within three and half years and the inability of LG in rectifying it. I can’t now think of purchasing another LG TV by paying such a huge amount of Rs 35,000/ to Rs 40,000/-
5. I can afford to pay only Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000/- required for repair of the TV. So I requested LG to kindly arranged to repair the TV without further delay, latest by 03 October 2015, failing which I will be constrained to approach the Consumer Forum for redressal of my grievance.
I have already conveyed the above facts to LG Electronics India Private Limited via e-mail on 28 September 2015 and also through speed post on 30 September with the request to redress my grievance latest by 03 Oct 2015 I got a telephone call from LG on Tuesday the 06 October I informed them that I can’t afford to spend more than Rs 9,000/- (Rs nine thousand only) for the TV and I again requested during the telephonic conversation to arrange repair of the old TV. The warranty of the TV expired on 18 March 2013.
I also registered a complaint with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs on 05 Oct 2015 to kindly take up the matter with the LG Electronics India Private Limited for repair of the TV at a cost of Rs 9,000/- I am a retired person, so I cannot afford to spend Rs 35,000/- to Rs 40,000/- for a new TV from LG in exchange of my old TV which we purchased three and half years in March 2012 for Rs 63,990/-
There is no further development and my grievances remain unresolved. more