Chandigarh District Commission Holds Byju's Responsible For Failing To Provide Refund Despite Acknowledgment

Chandigarh District Commission Holds Byju's Responsible For Failing To Provide Refund Despite Acknowledgment

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, U.T. Chandigarh bench, comprising Shri Pawanjit Singh as President, Mrs. Surjeet Kaur as Member, and Shri Suresh Kumar Sardana as Member, found Byju's responsible for not providing the promised amenities in a course and subsequently failing to reimburse the amount, despite acknowledging it.

The complainant, who had two sons enrolled in an ICSE-affiliated school, was convinced by BYJU's Tuition Centre (Byju's) on November 12, 2022, to acquire their online learning course. Opting for the program, the complainant took a loan of Rs. 1,00,000/-. However, both the complainant and his sons discovered the online learning program to be ineffective, lacking direct interaction between teacher and student.

Following this, an authorized representative of Byju's contacted the complainant, presenting a premium add-on course under a scholarship program. This course was advertised as physical and in line with the ICSE curriculum, unlike the previous online course. The representative reassured the complainant and collected Rs. 42,000 for enrollment. Despite receiving a welcome message, the complainant discovered that the course did not adhere to the ICSE curriculum as promised. Instead, it followed the CBSE curriculum, making it unsuitable for his children's ICSE education. Furthermore, contrary to assurances, the course remained online rather than physical.

Feeling deceived, the complainant requested a refund via email, followed by direct communication with Byju's. Byju's acknowledged its mistake and approved the refund, requesting the complainant's account details. The complainant promptly provided the details, but subsequently, Byju's ceased communication and failed to refund the approved amount. Feeling aggrieved, the complainant lodged a consumer complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, U.T. Chandigarh (District Commission).

Byju's failed to appear before the District Commission, leading to the proceedings being conducted ex parte against them.

The District Commission observed that the complainant's sons were enrolled in BTC add-on premium courses by Byju's, for which the complainant paid Rs. 42,000/-. However, upon discovering that the course did not adhere to the promised ICSE curriculum, the complainant requested a refund. Despite Byju's approval of the refund and request for the complainant's bank details, the amount had not been refunded as of the hearing date.

According to the District Commission, Byju's failure to process the refund, despite acknowledging it, amounted to a deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. Furthermore, since Byju's did not appear before the District Commission for the proceedings, the allegations remained uncontested.

In light of these findings, the District Commission partially granted the consumer complaint. It instructed Byju's to refund Rs. 42,000/- along with 9% interest, Rs. 10,000/- for mental anguish and harassment, and Rs. 10,000/- as litigation costs.