A consumer forum in Himachal Pradesh has directed HP India Sales Private Limited to refund and compensate a customer nearly Rs 59,000 after the company failed to repair a defective laptop during its warranty period. The Kangra District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled on July 2 that selling a high-end electronic device that repeatedly malfunctions under normal use, and failing to restore it, constitutes both an unfair trade practice and a deficiency in service.
The commission, comprising President Hemanshu Mishra and members Arti Sood and Narayan Thakur, ordered the computer manufacturer to refund the laptop’s purchase price of Rs 49,000 along with 9 per cent annual interest from the date the complaint was filed. HP must also pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for consumer harassment and Rs 5,000 to cover litigation expenses.
The ruling stems from a complaint filed by Vivek Bhatt, a resident of Palampur, who purchased an HP laptop (Model No. 15S-EQ2084AU) for Rs 49,000 on September 8, 2024, from Jetage Computer Traders in Chandigarh. The product was covered by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. However, within five months of purchase, in February 2025, the device began experiencing rapid battery drainage and severe screen flickering. While HP replaced the battery under warranty, the screen flickering remained unresolved.
Unresolved Technical Issues
Bhatt subsequently filed multiple online complaints on May 16, May 26, May 28, June 4, and July 29, 2025, reporting additional defects including distorted audio, non-functional brightness controls, system freezing, automatic restarts, and bezel misalignment. During a final service visit on July 25, 2025, an HP technician informed the customer that the laptop had an inherent manufacturing defect that could not be resolved through standard repairs. Faced with a continuously malfunctioning device, Bhatt approached the district consumer forum.
Ex Parte Proceedings
The commission issued notices to the opposite parties. While HP initially appeared before the forum, it later stopped participating in the proceedings, prompting the commission to proceed ex parte. The retailer, Jetage Computer Traders, was removed from the case on April 17, 2026. Because HP chose not to contest the allegations, the commission accepted the complainant’s evidence as uncontested and credible.
Ruling On Manufacturing Defects
In its judgment, the commission noted that the burden shifted to the manufacturer after its own technician acknowledged the unresolvable manufacturing defect. The panel observed that consumers cannot be expected to repeatedly accept repairs for products suffering from inherent manufacturing defects. It concluded that the company’s failure to repair the laptop during its active warranty period constituted a clear deficiency in service.
