Byju’s Told To Return Rs 1.12L Course Fee As User’s Laptop Didn’t Function In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Education-tech platform, Byju’s has been asked to refund Rs 1.12 lakh to a complainant in Odisha’s Sundargarh district by a district consumer disputes redressal commission within a month’s time for its ‘deficiency in service.’

The complainant, one Biswajit Dash of Maheshdi area, had invested the amount in the platform for his cousin’s online education after being convinced of quality service by counsellors, Subhasis Swain and Sumit Sinha, during a video-conferencing meeting. He had made online payment. But, he alleged that the laptop provided by the platform for online study in May didn’t function properly, according to a TOI report.

Dash claimed that despite repeated assurances from the company to resolve the issues in 2-3 days, no necessary step was taken by it. He was also not refunded the money back even after raising such request. Thus, he moved to the redressal commission in April.

Byju’s had admitted in its response that it had received Rs 1.04 lakh for the course, which was valued at Rs 1.12 lakh and had provided a discount. The firm, however, argued that education was not a service and thus they were not deficient. They also claimed that the commission didn’t have the jurisdiction and the complainant lacked locus standi. The firm claimed that the legal notice to them was sent by an unidentified person and not the complainant.

But, the commission observed that the payment was made by Dash, who had sent a pleader notice on November 23 on behalf of his cousin, Biswa Prakash Satapathy. Thus the commission passed the order on August 22, the report added.