Snapdeal fined by State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission for not fulfilling iPhone deal of Rs 68!

Online shopping platform Snapdeal has been fined a sum of Rs 10,000 by the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission for refusing to deliver an Apple iPhone 5S (16 GB) in a gold variant for Rs 68 as it had appeared on the website. The company never delivered the device, believing the error to be a ’technical glitch’. The cost of the iPhone 5S on Snapdeal was Rs.28,999. Punjabi University B.Tech student Nikhil Bansal spotted a 99.7 percent discount on an iPhone and quickly ordered it. However, after sending many mails to Snapdeal which went unanswered, he approached State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in Sangrur, Punjab. A report pointed out that on March 26, 2015, the forum ordered Snapdeal to provide the complainant with the Apple iPhone at the rate at which it was ordered (Rs.68), calling it a “clear cut case of deficiency in service.” The court also ordered Snapdeal to pay Rs.2,000 for compensation and litigation expenses. The court ordered Snapdeal to sell the iPhone 5S for Rs.68 and in addition, also pay a Rs.2,000 penalty. The company appealed against the order before the state consumer forum but the complaint was dismissed and it was ordered to pay Rs.10,000 as a fine for failing to deliver the product to the consumer.