Flipkart Customer Gets Beard Oil Instead of iPhone, Wins ₹1.11 Lakh

A consumer in Mumbai received beard growth oil instead of a purchased Apple iPhone 14 Pro, prompting a consumer court to order a refund of ₹1,11,793 plus interest. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission also mandated Flipkart and the seller, International Value Retail Pvt Ltd, to pay ₹50,000 for mental agony and ₹20,000 for litigation costs within 45 days.

The commission emphasized that an e-commerce platform cannot disavow responsibility after facilitating a sale, especially when a wrong product is delivered. The repeated closure of the customer's complaints without effective resolution was deemed an unfair trade practice and a clear deficiency in service by both the platform and the seller, making them jointly liable.

Apple India was dismissed from the case, as the commission found no evidence linking the manufacturer to the faulty delivery or packaging. The dispute solely concerned the incorrect product delivery by the seller and the platform's subsequent handling of the grievance.