Consumer Voice Hyderabad

Hyderabad consumer forum asks Ola Cabs to compensate Rs. 1 Lakh for untidy cab, overcharging

Ola Cabs

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Ola Cabs to pay Rs. 1 lakh as compensation to a customer in Hyderabad for untidy cab, driver misbehavior, and overcharging.

The complainant, Jabez Samuel, a regular customer of Ola Cabs for many years, had been using their services and promptly paying bills. He was granted a credit limit to use Ola Money Cash Credit. Jabez Samuel booked an Ola cab for four hours to visit multiple places on October 19, 2021. He boarded the cab around 10 a.m along with his wife.

The couple noticed that the interior was unclean, untidy, and had an unpleasant odor. He requested the driver to switch on the AC, but the driver refused and behaved rudely. After traveling for 4 to 5 kilometers, the driver abruptly asked them to disembark, which shocked Samuel due to the driver’s misbehavior. To avoid further confrontation, Samuel, along with his wife and helper, reluctantly exited the cab and made alternate arrangements, causing them to miss some scheduled activities, as time was crucial.

A bill of Rs. 861 was generated for the trip. Samuel lodged a complaint via email to support@olacabs.com with complaint No. 281417946. Despite receiving a call from an executive of Ola Cabs on October 21, 2021, who acknowledged the incident, Samuel’s request to escalate the matter to higher authorities was not fulfilled. Ola Cabs’ customer care executives from various locations in India repeatedly called to demand payment of the bill.

Samuel alleged that Ola Cabs harassed him to pay the bill of Rs. 861, insisting that the actual fare should have been only Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 for a journey of 4 to 5 kilometers, not Rs. 861. Frustrated with Ola Cabs’ attitude, Samuel paid the amount on January 5, 2022, to avoid further hassle.

He argued that the terms and conditions favored Ola Cabs and were unjustifiable under the law. The mental anguish, inconvenience, and loss of time suffered by Samuel, especially while accompanied by his spouse, constituted a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of Ola Cabs. Therefore, he sought redressal from the commission.

The manager of Ola Cabs in Hyderabad refuted the allegations and claimed that Ola acts only as an online intermediary between the complainant and independent drivers registered on the platform. He also argued that numerous independent cab drivers are registered with them and it’s impractical to monitor each one closely.

The Ola Cabs Manager argued that by choosing the Ola Rentals category, the complainant willingly accepted the terms and conditions associated with pre-fixed hour and distance packages.

The consumer forum noted that Ola Cabs had provided deficient service and had threatened the complainant and his wife during the journey amounting to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice under Section 2(42) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Hence, Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission III ruled in favor of the complainant. They ordered Ola to refund Rs. 861 along with 12 percent interest. Additionally, Ola was directed to pay Rs. 1 lakh as compensation for the mental anguish suffered by the complainant, along with Rs. 5,000 towards towards the litigation costs.