[Resolved]  Hitachi Refrigerator — Refrigerator out of order for last 15 days

Reliance — Problem with Refrigerator

I have purchased a Hitachi refrigerator from Reliance on 06/08/09. This stopped working and on 13/12/09, I logged the complaint with Reliance Service Centre at Noida (Call no. [protected]). I was assured that the issue will be resolved within 24 hrs. However, the fridge is still not working. In last 3-4 weeks I have made a number of calls to them. Every time they give a new date for the resolution of the problem and never turn up.
The service is extremely poor. I am not able to get any information how to escalate the matter and claim compensation.

From:
PRAMOD B KEDIA
7, Vishrut Bunglows,
Opp Maruti Complex,
Subhash Chowk, Memnagar,
Ahmedabad – 380052

To,
Hitachi Home & Life Solutions (India) Ltd,
10th floor, Abhijeet,
Mithakhali Six Road,
Ahmedabad 380 006

Dear Sir,

Sub: Service Complaint in respect of Refrigerator 530 Ltrs, 2 Door
I have purchased 530 Ltrs, 2 Door Refrigerator – Model No R-Z530AND7KX-1 (Item Code[protected] SR No [protected]) vide Invoice dated[protected] which is covered by standard warranty / guarantee without any exclusion whatsoever. I call upon you to replace the product sold to me which contains technical failure and manufacturing defects. The technical failures / manufacturing defects are evident from the fact I was informed that the refrigerator will be required to be (once again) taken to the work shop for ‘modification’.

The entire sequence of events (spanning from 18/04/2011 till date) is noted below to demonstrate that it was a traumatic experience for me seeking much publicized enjoyable experience of a HITACHI product. I was required to chase the customer help line / service centre on a daily basis praying for the redressal of my grievances.

(1) It may please be noted that Installation demo was not given to me as per your standard policy. This was initial deficiency on the part of the company, however, later on (as described here-in-after) I learnt the harder way that there is absolutely no regards for customer satisfaction in your company and all the bombastic claims of the company were totally hollow.

(2) Perhaps, the machine was not working properly right from the day one (first week of November 2010), however in view of the winter season I could not realize that. But it became extremely evident immediately when the summer set on. It was noticed that the cooling in the refrigerator compartment was dismally low.

(3) The first complaint was registered on[protected] vide Service Registration No [protected]. The company engineer came to my home 3-4 times but no solution to the complaint was given. Even when the temperature measuring unit was installed in the machine to monitor the performance, the complaint was closed without the solution and without my knowledge.

(4) I took exception to the complaint being closed without solution and hence again the complaint was logged in on 2-5-2011 vide Service Registration No [protected]. Again 3-4 times the company engineer visited my home and went on saying to me that the machine is working properly. It was shocking for me. The engineers went on citing absurd reasons and went on maintaining that there is no problem in the machine just only to later on admit that the machine required ‘repairing’ and finally ‘modification’.

(5) Since, the machine was not working properly, almost on regular / daily basis I repeated the complaint vide emails. You can verify this from your records. My persistent complaint forced the involvement of higher authorities. They personally found, having spent about 60 Minutes on the site, that there is in fact defect in the machine. For the first time, the company official admitted of the problems with the machine (some where in the first week of May). [I was shocked to learn as to how a company of the stature of HITACHI can afford to give base less responses that machine was working perfectly – Refer to the matters noted in Para 3 & 4 above.]

(6) The faulty machine was taken away for repair to the company workshop during the 2nd Week of May. After a week or so, the machine was returned to my location intimating me that the machine is put in order. There was defect with the ducting and the same has been fixed. Assurance was given that the defect is fixed, that the cooling is restored to company specification and now there would not be the complaint of cooling in the Refrigerator compartment.

(7) However, within 24 Hours, I noticed that in the repaired machine there was absolutely no improvement in the cooling. Still, Cooling was dismally low in the refrigerator compartment. I waited for 3-4 days in the hope that assurance given by company engineers would come true. The defect persisted and I realized that false assurances were given.

(8) On or around 23/05/2011, the higher up at the service centre was informed about the matter. You would be shocked to learn that the service engineer visited the location only on 03/06/2011 and that too not before my persisting telephonic calls. His visit again revealed that it was a fact there was absolutely dismal cooling as I had been complaining. – I was shocked to learn that the company like HITACHI acted so lethargically, took the machine to work shop, kept it for one week and returned it without fixing the problem and still conveyed that the problem was fixed as per company specification.

(9) The story does not end here. Once again there was lethargy. Instead of escalating the redressal of customer satisfaction by acting quickly and swiftly, there were no words heard from the company as to how the matter will be sorted out. Once again, after persistent enquiry, I was informed today on 07/06/2011 at around 4.00 p.m. that the machine would be required to be taken to the workshop for ‘modifications’ to fix the defect.

(10) It is amazing to note that modification in the machine would be carried out. I fail to understand – have I purchased an assembled local machine? The chronological events narrated above proves it beyond doubt that there is a MANUFACTURING DEFECT in the machine.

(11) It is our honest and bonafide belief that in a newly purchased machine modification can never be done so much so that even repairs can be done only if there is some minor problem. In this case, there is some fundamental technical failure / manufacturing defect and it can not be handled in the manner suggested to me.



(12) It may be noted that, during the period from[protected] till today[protected] –

(a) More than 10 times the service engineer of the company (may be 3 to 4 different engineer) has visited my home.

(b) We have talked to various personnel / executive / customer care operator of the company for more than 25 times. Some of the person to whom we came in to contact during these are:
a. Mr Mohan
b. Mr Jagat Gajjar
c. Mr Navin
d. Mr Raksesh
e. Mr Rutvij
f. Customer care operators

(13) The code of conduct of HITACHI (down loaded from Hitachi web site) is reproduced below:

“1.1 Provision of Safe High-Quality Products and Services
1. We will satisfy customer needs and specifications. We will not only obey quality, safety and environmental laws and standards, but also set our own voluntary standards when necessary to ensure the quality of our products and services. We will strive to guarantee safety and realize the goal of zero product defects so that customers can use our products and services with a sense of security.
2. We will respond quickly and sincerely to defects and customer complaints, and strive to determine the causes and implement thorough measures to prevent recurrence.
3. We will construct and administer appropriate quality management systems.”

(14) Following issues needs to be answered by the company –
(a) Does it take 50 days (almost 2 months) to attend to the technical failure / manufacturing defects in the machine (and still not solving the issue) so as to secure customer satisfaction? As per the company’s own code of conduct, response should have been quick and sincere, however, taking 50 days is neither quick nor sincere and that too when the result is still not achieved.

(b) In India, Refrigerator is indispensable in a hot summer. Specifically keeping that in mind, I purchased the refrigerator, however, two out of three months of the summer has passed and I am denied the worth of the money spent on your product Is there any accountability?

(c) The Refrigerator was taken away for more than a week for repair to the work shop. Why was it returned with no improvements at all?

(d) Company is found not adhering to its own code of conduct. Isn’t it a glaring breach of trust and faith against the customer and cheating with the customer who puts confidence in the Brand?

(e) Instead of grace fully accepting that the Refrigerator given to me contains technical failure / manufacturing defect beyond a normal repair, the company wants to modify the same. Isn’t it a breach of product warrantee / guarantee? Should it not be replaced immediately? [It needs to be appreciated that the product sold to me is covered under company warrantee / guarantee without any exclusion what so ever.)

(15) In view of the above, in my bonafide and considered belief, following is required the company –

(i) That the Refrigerator should be replaced immediately;

(ii) That it was a traumatic experience wherein the company has inflicted mental harassment on me, which needs to be compensated at once; and

(iii) That for both the above remedial action, company needs to act quickly and sincerely.

I trust you would be responsive. However, if still the company is not acting quickly, I shall be forced to take action in terms of consumer rights and consumer law for which the company shall be responsible.

Thanks & warm regards,


(Pramod Kedia)