NEW DELHI: A district consumer commission in Kerala has held a bike mechanic liable for poor repair work after a daily wage labourer’s motorcycle broke down just months after repair. The commission ordered the mechanic to pay above Rs 66,000 to the complainant.How did the bike repair dispute begin?Renjith R, a daily wage labourer from Thiruvananthapuram, filed the complaint. He had given his Hero Glamour motorcycle to mechanic Anilkumar B’s workshop in July 2025 after the engine developed a problem. The mechanic first quoted Rs 10,000 for the repair but later took Rs 12,000 in advance, according to the court order.Even after getting the full payment, the mechanic kept delaying the repair. Renjith visited the workshop several times, but the bike was still lying dismantled each time. This cost him eight days’ wages, so he finally filed a police complaint. Only after the police stepped in did the mechanic return the bike — without any bill — and he assured Renjith that the engine would now run smoothly for one lakh kilometres.But within three months, before the bike had even covered 6,000 km, the engine broke down again. Another mechanic found that the crankshaft had failed. When Renjith asked for a refund or for his repair costs to be covered, the mechanic refused to promise anything and told him to get it fixed elsewhere. Renjith then spent Rs 17,610 getting it repaired at a different garage, where he learnt that a piston had been fitted the wrong way round — this had caused the engine to burn excess oil, build up carbon deposits, and eventually damage the crankshaft bearing.Aggrieved by this, he approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Kollam.Why did the consumer commission hold the mechanic liable?The bench comprising President S.K. Sreela and Member Stanly Harold noted that the mechanic neither filed a written response nor challenged any of the complainant’s evidence, despite entering appearance. As a result, the commission said the labourer’s version of events and the documentary evidence remained unrebutted.“These facts unmistakably establish that the repair work carried out by the opposite party was negligent, deficient and below the standard expected of a reasonably competent mechanic,” the commission said.The commission also noted that the mechanic had collected the repair charges in advance, repeatedly delayed handing over the motorcycle, failed to issue any invoice and returned a vehicle that developed another major engine fault within three months, despite assuring the customer it would run smoothly for one lakh kilometres. It held that this was not an isolated lapse but a clear failure in providing the promised service.“Such conduct clearly amounts to deficiency in service and also constitutes an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,” it further added.The bench also took note of the complainant’s financial and personal hardship. It observed that being a daily wage labourer, he not only had to spend money on getting the motorcycle repaired again but also lost wages, made repeated visits to the workshop and even approached the police before finally getting his bike back.“The mental agony, inconvenience and hardship suffered by the complainant are genuine and deserve to be compensated,” the bench observed.Allowing the complaint, the commission directed the mechanic to pay Rs 36,752 towards the complainant’s financial losses, including the cost of fresh repairs, lost wages and travel expenses. It also awarded Rs 20,000 as compensation for mental agony and Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total relief to Rs 66,752. The amount has to be paid within 45 days, failing which the compensation and financial loss components will carry 9% annual interest until realisation.
