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HMT fails to keep time

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MARCH 13. Keeping time is not always easy even for watch companies, as this Delhiite learnt the hard way. And it took him a year to get his time right. Though it might have been a small amount to fight for, it was certainly a big win for consumer rights.

Playing it safe, Inder Singh took his HMT watch to the company's workshop for repairs. He paid Rs. 145 in advance but found that even after "repairs'' his watch did not function properly. Demanding a refund, he took the company to court.

A New Delhi consumer court held HMT liable for deficiency of service and directed the company to refund the amount charged from Mr. Singh along with the costs and damages of Rs. 500.

It took Mr. Singh an year to get his Rs. 145 refund. Curiously enough, though, the original makers of the watch could not fix it. It took a local shop to set the time right for less than half the price. To make matters worse, HMT did not even show up for the hearing of the case.

A bench presided by L.C. Jain of the New Delhi Consumer Court held that the allegations made by Mr. Singh have not been "rebutted'' by HMT. "The statements made by Mr. Singh are genuine as he has the receipt which shows that he paid for the repairs. So not repairing the watch properly and then demanding the charges, amounts to deficiency of service and HMT is liable.''

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