By- Arshita Anand.
A consumer court in Bengaluru has recently held that online matrimonial portals only facilitate marriage but do not give the guarantee of the same.
The consumer bench presided by President H.R.Srinivas, and Member Sharavathi S.M dismissed the complaint filed by one G. Naveen remarking that “It do not guarantee a positive response at all times and do not guarantee a marriage within the service provided.”
The complaint was filed before the District Consumer Redressal Forum against a matrimonial portal called Elite Matrimony Services. The complainant claimed that he subscribed to the membership of the portal by paying a sum of Rs 59,180 on 17.06.2019.
He also claims that the Opposite Party(OP) did not provide any information about the prospective brides despite there claim that it had one lakh profiles to render matchmaking services. He further alleged that he has not only financially but also due to the actions of the OP. He therefore demanded for refund of the membership fee from the portal.
Adv. Sri.V.M. Sarangapani appearing for the portal refuted the complainant’s claim that he has not been provided the data to him. He informed the forum that the complainant had been provided data about 14 profiles out of which 2 profiles were accepted by the complainant.
He further added that the services provided to the complainant are in accordance with the package and the terms and conditions of the agreement and therefore the complainant’s petition for refund is not maintainable. He therefore prayed the forum to dismiss the complaint terming it as frivolous, vexatious and with ulterior motives.
The forum held “OP has contended in the version that it has shared 14 profiles of which two were accepted by the complainant. On perusing the affidavit evidence of the complainant, the said fact has not been denied by the complainant. Absolutely there is no evidence to show the deficiency in services’’
