Urban Company — Refrigerator repair

Aug 20, 2020

Updated by MHSuryanarayana Thank you Urban Company. Let me complete the description of my complaint with additional information (which I have repeated several times to your staff):

1. The technician visited our flat in the morning on 11th August 2020. He diagnosed the problem with the refrigerator as malfunctioning compressor which needs replacement. He said he would go to Powai (in Mumbai) and get a new compressor. He got a compressor in the afternoon. He repaired the refrigerator whereupon I received a message from Urban Company to collect the bill for the new component he bought. The technician refused to show us any bill. He said the Urban Company would issue us the bill. The Urban Company charged us Rs 8129/- for a list of components (while the technican has got only a compressor (recycled?) without bill).

2. Once we made the payment and got the OTP, the technician decided to leave with the replaced compressor. We objected. The technician told us that it is the policy of the Urban Company to take the replaced components back and he has to deposit it with the Urban Company. (The Urban Company staff deny this).

3. Everything looked suspicious. Local vendors in Mumbai recycle old parts. Hence, they never give bills. Without a bill for the new compressor, we thought Urban Company too has recycled some old compressor at our place. Hence, I lodged a complaint with the Urban Company. I got a call from one lady staff; I explained everything to her. I pursued the issue for the next two days. Finally one Mr Rishabh from Urban Company called me up on 13 August afternoon. I repeated my explanation. On his insistence, the technician whatsapped a photo of the bill for the compressor for an amount of Rs 2616/- only in the night on 13 August 2020. It is not a bill from the dealer in Powai but a warranty paper from a dealer in Malad West.

In sum, both the Urban Company and its technician are playing Covid Holi on their clients. Urban Company may be shining but not India.

Aug 26, 2020

Updated by MHSuryanarayana The Urban Company has not addressed my complaint completely till now (even after 14 days). Without going into details, I submit my summary complaints as follows:

1. The service is highly unsatisfactory. For a15-year old refrigerator, the technician gets (only) a compressor for which the Urban Company bills for Rs 8129/- (after adding a list of spare parts which were never used in the repair).

2. The technician got the compressor without even discussing the options with us. We did not have any idea that it would be a costly affair. One is not sure if it is worthwhile buying a compressor at such a cost for a 15-year old refrigerator. Very poor decision.

3. As per the Company policy, the technician should submit the bill for spare parts immediately after repair and before payment for the service. The technician refused to submit the bill on the spot. It took him two days to submit a fake warranty card only for the compressor from a shop located in Malad west (Mumba). It took him 14 days (after daily persuasion) to submit a fake bill-cum- warranty-card for Rs 6000 for the compressor from another shop located in Malad East (Mumbai).

4. The bill and the warranty cards are from two different shops. I tried to verify their existence. I got the response that the telephone number of the first shop does not exist. As regards the second shop, I got a response which informed me that the shop is not open at all but specialises in electronic spare parts.

5. Urban Company too is at fault. It has extracted a price from me without any evidence for the expenses. It has billed us for items not used in the repair work. Its technician has repaired the refrigerator in our presence only. He has replaced only the compressor and repaired some wire connections. He has not got any other spare part. Accordingly he has submitted his fake bill and warranty card only for the compressor. The Urban Company has gone a step further and billed us for several other components which have not been used in the repair. In sum, Urban Company and its technician try to excel in taking the clients for a ride.