Stone instead of laptop! Odisha consumer court holds Amazon guilty, directs to pay compensation

In a significant ruling favouring consumer rights, the Sambalpur consumer court has held e-commerce major Amazon guilty in a case involving the delivery of a marble tile instead of a laptop. The court directed the company to refund the laptop cost and pay compensation and litigation expenses, terming it a case of deficiency in service.

The order comes as a setback for Amazon and highlights concerns over customer grievance redressal in online shopping. The case was filed by a Sambalpur-based doctor after repeated attempts to resolve the issue failed.

Laptop Order Turns Into Marble Tile

According to the case details, Dr Choubarg Nayak had ordered a laptop from Amazon on February 4 last year and the product was delivered to him after 12 days. Even though it was an open-box delivery, the parcel was not opened in our presence and we decided to record the unboxing due to the high value of the product.

Following the incident, Dr Nayak immediately raised a complaint with Amazon. He also approached the police, but no action was taken on his complaint. After receiving no relief from either the company or the authorities, he moved the consumer court seeking justice.

Court Orders Refund, Compensation

Amazon appeared before the Sambalpur consumer court and contested the case. However, after hearing both sides, the court ruled in favour of the complainant.

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As per the order, Amazon has been directed to pay Rs 60,799 towards the cost of the laptop, Rs 25,000 as compensation for deficiency in customer service, and Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses. The court further stated that if the amount is not paid within one month, it will attract an annual interest of 9 per cent.

The verdict is being seen as a strong reminder to e-commerce platforms to ensure accountability and timely resolution of customer grievances.