In a recent ruling, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (Consumer Court) in Ernakulam, Kerala, directed Kerala Matrimony to pay ₹25,000 as compensation along with litigation costs to a complainant who alleged failure of services.
The consumer forum found that the matrimonial website had not fulfilled its promise to find a bride for the man, despite him paying ₹4,100 for a subscription.
The complainant, a resident of Cherthala, registered on Kerala Matrimony in 2018 and paid for a three-month subscription in January 2019. He alleged that after making the payment, the company did not provide the promised services and ignored his attempts to contact them.
The consumer forum, led by District Forum President DB Binu and members Ramachandran V and Sreevidhia TN, concluded that Kerala Matrimony had shown attractive advertisements but failed to deliver essential services to customers. The forum highlighted public opinions from social media submitted by the complainant, which suggested that he was not the only victim of the website’s deficient services.
Kerala Matrimony defended itself by stating that the complainant had access to multiple profiles and communication features as per their classic package. However, the forum ruled that the company did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that it had fulfilled its obligations.
In addition to the compensation and litigation costs, the consumer court ordered Kerala Matrimony to refund the subscription fee of ₹4,100 to the complainant with interest. The company’s contention that it merely acted as an intermediary providing access to profile information uploaded by users was not accepted by the court, which found the service deficiency to be established based on the evidence presented.
The ruling serves as a reminder of consumer rights in cases of service failure and highlights the responsibilities of service providers in delivering promised services.
Share your news, articles, deals, columns, or press releases with us! Click the link to submit and join our platform today.
