The Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-IV in Bengaluru, Karnataka, has come to a decision against Redbus, an online bus ticket booking platform. The judgment was delivered by the bench consisting of President Ramachandra M.S. and Member Nandini H Kumbhar. They found Redbus to be responsible for not providing adequate service by failing to inform a customer when their bus left earlier than the scheduled departure time.
The situation unfolded when a customer booked a bus ticket from Udupi to Bengaluru via Redbus.in. He arrived early at the designated pickup point, only to find out through the Redbus live tracking app that the bus had already passed the pickup point 15 minutes ahead of schedule. The bus operator, upon being contacted, confirmed that the bus was already 10-15 kilometers away. Despite efforts to get Redbus to address the issue, the complaint was closed without any resolution.
The customer, as a result, missed the chance to secure hostel accommodation. Despite numerous attempts to get a refund from Redbus, the company remained unresponsive. This led the customer to file a complaint against Redbus at the IV Addl District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Bengaluru.
Redbus did not appear for the proceedings in front of the Commission. The Commission, citing the precedent set in the case of Kotak Mahendra Old Mutual vs Dr. Nishi Gupta, ruled that not responding to a complaint equates to the admission of the allegations.
The Commission highlighted that the bus departed from Katapadi station at 9:54 PM, five minutes ahead of schedule. The customer was on time, but the bus left early without any communication from Redbus about the change in schedule.
In light of these findings, the Commission concluded that Redbus was liable for the deficiency in services. Redbus was directed to refund the booking amount of Rs. 1,023.5/- plus interest at 6% per annum from the date of booking until the full payment is made. The company was also ordered to pay Rs. 5,000/- in compensation for the inadequate service and an additional Rs. 5,000/- for the customer’s legal expenses.
In essence, this judgment underscores the responsibility of service providers to ensure clear and timely communication with their customers, especially regarding changes to scheduled services. Failure to do so can not only lead to inconvenience for customers but also result in legal consequences for the providers.
