Corruption In Refrigerator Sale

Corruption In Refrigerator Sale Business

Here is one of my own recent experience of a major corruption. I purchased a Kelvinator 180 Ltr. Refrigerator on June 3, 2008 form a shop in Mangalore (India). Most importantly for me it had 5 years of Kelvinator Refrigerator Company warranty and other documents. (I have the sales receipts and the Kelvinator company warranty and its other related documents in hand.)

The refrigerator problems started of “improper cooling” and continued compressor running with “no cut-offs”. I lodged its complaint and the shop service crew came to check. There I noticed for the first time that the compressor inside the refrigerator NOT of the Kelvinator Company but of the VIDEOCON, name brand seal label printed on it. I was in real shock. If I had known it had a Videocon compressor I never would have purchased it. I felt totally deceived or tricked or cheated by this shop.

Now let me keep the matter short and to its main point. I sent a complaint letter (date 14-04-2009) to the shop explaining this matter and asking them immediately to correct the wrong with due compensation. One of my suggestions is, take back the refrigerator and reimburse its money back along with its proper compensation dues.

To which I received a response letter dated 18.04.2009 from a fridge service shop in Mangalore who claim to undertake the service of Videocon refrigerators. In it they justify selling the Kelvinator brand name refrigerator fitted with Videocon compressor saying; “Now Kelvinator brand is taken over by Videocon Industries Ltd. that is why they are using Videocon Compressor and it is common in all the companies. No company will manufacture all parts in one product. For e.g. if you purchase one computer its all parts or units are not manufactured by only one company. Its monitor is different company, its Keyboard is different, CPU is Different.” I find this reply very much fraudulent and deceptive if not outright naive for the following main points.

1). Of course it is a universal knowledge that a given product manufacturing company not able to produce every thing that needed to manufacture their product. Especially its basic materials, metal sheets, roads pipes, rubber, plastic parts tubes, paints also the electric wires, nuts-bolts screws etc. However it is totally WRONG for a company manufacturing and selling a given product, to sell it under the disguised body cover brand name and the warranty documents of another company known to manufacture the SAME product. For example; a car producing company selling its manufactured labeled or sealed car engines and other main parts inside the body of another car manufacturing company, complete with warranty documents of that other companies brand name.- In my case Videocon company selling its refrigerator products under the brand name of the Kelvinator refrigerator product. So the unsuspecting people who believe they are buying the product or the latter company (by seeing its outside body cover), in fact tricked or deceived into buying the former companies product disguised in the latter companies brand name. I believe it is basically a case of corruption, cheating or abusing the consumers trust. By the way, Videocon separately sells its own manufactured branded refrigerators.

2). When I purchased the Kelvinator Refrigerator having the company 5 years of warranty with all its document form the shop, I obviously believed that it is a Kelvinator company produced refrigerator that had the same company manufactured compressor in it. The shop did not tell me the fact that this Kelvinator company branded refrigerator having a Videocon compressor inside. If I had been told the fact I would have definitely rejected it and purchased some other refrigerator having its own company manufactured compressor with the warranty. So in fact they deceived or tricked me into buying a refrigerator having Videocon compressor (perhaps other main components as well) presenting me it as a Kelvinator company manufactured refrigerator as shown from its outside body. By not revealing the actual fact I believe the shop breached or abused my consumer trust by a malpractice.

3). The fridge service shops reply letter (date 18-4-09) that compares a branded refrigerator to a computer is quite ridiculous. Even an assembled PC vender clearly notifies the brand name of the monitor, processor, motherboard, hard-disk, RAM, keyboard etc. in their sales and the separate warranty documents.

4). Despite knowing that the closure of Kelvinator refrigerator company long ago, the sales shop issued me the Kelvinator refrigerator company named printed warranty card with the shops stamp seal and signature in it. This could amount to forgery. Quite apart, my consumer complaint of the sales shops breach of consumer trust sent to them replied by this fridge serviece (date 18-4-09) which I find some how inappropriate.

I have decided to take this case to the consumer dispute court in my district in the coming days. If any of the readers interested in knowing more details of this case, please write to my following address:

Valerian Texeira

St Joseph Nagar, Jeppu

Mangalore – 575002. INDIA