In a significant ruling strengthening consumer protection, the Sambalpur consumer court has held e-commerce giant Amazon guilty in a case involving the delivery of a marble tile instead of a laptop to a customer in Odisha.
The case was filed by Sambalpur-based doctor Dr Choubarg Nayak, who had ordered a laptop from Amazon on February 4 last year. The product was delivered after 12 days. Despite it being an open-box delivery, the package was not opened in the presence of delivery personnel. Considering the high value of the item, Dr Nayak recorded the unboxing process, only to discover a marble tile inside the package instead of the laptop.
Dr Nayak immediately lodged a complaint with Amazon and also approached the police. However, he did not receive any resolution from either the company or law enforcement authorities. Left with no alternative, he approached the Sambalpur consumer court seeking justice.
Amazon contested the allegations during the proceedings. After hearing both parties, the consumer court ruled in favour of the complainant, terming it a clear case of deficiency in service and failure of customer grievance redressal.
As per the court’s order, Amazon has been directed to refund Rs 60,799, the cost of the laptop, pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for mental harassment, and Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses. The court further stated that failure to pay the amount within one month would attract an annual interest of 9 per cent.
The verdict is being seen as a strong message to e-commerce platforms to ensure accountability, transparent delivery practices, and timely resolution of customer complaints.
