A customer recently filed and won a case against Aditya Birla Fashion after a pair of jeans he had bought began losing colour after a few washes.

What Happened: The dissatisfied customer, Hariharan Babu AK, who hails from Bengaluru, purchased a pair of blue Van Heusen jeans worth ₹4,499 from a showroom of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) in Basaveshwaranagar on April 16, 2023, according to multiple media reports.

However, within three months of purchase, he noticed significant fading of the jeans after just five washes.

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Expressing his disappointment, Babu contacted the showroom via phone and email, attaching photographs of the faded jeans, hoping for a resolution. As advised by the company’s customer service officer, he also handed over the material to the Basaveshwaranagar showroom.

Where It All Went Wrong: However, ABFRL closed Babu’s complaint on July 31, 2023, stating that the indigo dye used in the jeans naturally tends to lose colour gradually upon washing, leading to fading.

This response left Babu dissatisfied, prompting him to file a complaint of unfair trade practices against ABFRL with the Bengaluru Urban second additional district consumer disputes redressal commission in Shantinagar.

During the litigation, which began last October, Babu presented his case along with evidence, including photos of the faded garment. Despite being served a notice, ABFRL representatives failed to appear in court.

In the verdict pronounced on February 5, the judges noted ABFRL’s absence in court and its failure to provide proper washing instructions or warranty details to the customer. Consequently, the court ruled in favour of Babu, ordering ABFRL to refund him ₹4,016 for the jeans and pay a compensation of ₹1,000 within 60 days.

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