Reliance Retail held liable for poor extended warranty service, Sony India cleared by Medak consumer panel

SANGAREDDY: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Medak at Sangareddy, has partly allowed a complaint filed by Hanumakonda Srikanth Sharma against Sony India Pvt Ltd and Reliance Retail Ltd, holding the latter responsible for deficiency of service over an extended warranty dispute concerning a Sony Bravia LED TV.

Sharma had purchased the 43-inch television on January 8, 2023, for ₹49,949, including an additional one-year extended warranty. The TV malfunctioned on July 15, 2024, within the warranty period. Despite lodging a repair request, neither company resolved the issue promptly, prompting the complainant to approach the consumer commission under Section 35(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Sony absolved, Reliance faulted for miscommunication

While Sony India argued that its standard one-year warranty had expired in January 2024 and that the extended warranty was sold independently by Reliance Retail, the commission observed that Reliance refunded ₹35,080 after depreciation on September 5, 2024, instead of approving a ₹11,192 repair estimate from Sony’s authorised centre.

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The commission termed this response “high-handed” and criticised Reliance for not informing the commission about the refund during proceedings. It noted that had the company approved the repair cost, the dispute would have been avoided.

₹10,000 relief and refund ordered

Dismissing the complaint against Sony India, the bench comprising  Suvarna Jayasri (President),  Gajjala Venkateswarlu, and  Makyam Vijay Kumar (Members) directed Reliance Retail to:

1. Refund the extended warranty amount of ₹4,599 to the complainant;

2. Pay ₹5,000 as compensation for mental agony; and

3. Pay ₹5,000 towards litigation costs.

Reliance has been given 45 days to comply, failing which the refund amount will attract 9% annual interest from the date of complaint until realisation.

Case timeline