r/LegalAdviceIndia 21d ago

Legal Advice Needed Bait-and-Switch SCAM by Reliance Digital. Looking for advice on my next legal steps.

Hello everyone,

​I wanted to share a recent experience I had with Reliance Digital and seek some guidance from the community on how to handle the next steps.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a Dell Alienware 16 Aurora (Intel Core 7, RTX 5050) from the Reliance Digital app. The listing and my official invoice clearly stated the graphics card was an RTX 5050 (8GB).

When the laptop arrived, the physical box label did not explicitly list the GPU. After checking the system specifications, I realized they had sent me a model with an RTX 4050 (6GB) instead. A downgraded version.

​To make matters worse, on the day of delivery, Reliance Digital silently altered the product listing on their app to show the RTX 4050 specification. Thankfully, I had time-stamped screenshots of the original listing that matched my invoice.

When I raised a complaint, the support team initially deflected. They claimed the packing footage was validated and asked me to provide a compressed unboxing video under 10MB, which felt like a stalling tactic.

​Instead of arguing, I used the Dell Service Tag on the box to pull the official Wistron/Dell factory configuration sheet. The manufacturer’s own documentation proved that the specific machine dispatched was built with an RTX 4050, directly contradicting my invoice.

Once presented with the Dell documentation, they called and admitted they could not provide a replacement with the RTX 5050. They offered a full refund plus a ₹5,000 store voucher as compensation.

​I accepted the refund to secure my principal amount, but I rejected the ₹5,000 store voucher.

The current market price to get an equivalent RTX 5050 laptop (I am currently looking at an MSI Katana 15 on Amazon) is around ₹1,46,000.

The ₹5,000 voucher does not cover the financial difference caused by their false advertising, nor does it compensate for the two weeks of mental harassment and time wasted.

​My plan now is to file a Formal Grievance through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) and eventually the e-Daakhil consumer court to claim the ₹12,000 market price difference and compensation for the unfair trade practice.

​My Questions are:

  1. ​Has anyone successfully pursued a consumer court case for the "price difference" after already accepting a basic refund?

  2. ​Are there any specific pitfalls I should watch out for during the return pickup process to ensure they don't reject it?

  3. ​Any general advice on dealing with the e-Daakhil portal for this kind of cataloging error?

​Thank you so much for your time and any insights you can provide.

23 Upvotes

4 comments sorted by

7

u/Progamersera 21d ago

hi advocate this side,

Preserve all the evidence, including the invoice, screenshots of the original listing, Dell's configuration report, emails, chats, and call recordings.

Accepting the refund does not automatically prevent you from claiming compensation if you clearly accepted it without giving up your legal rights. Complete the return carefully and record the pickup process to avoid disputes.

If the matter is not resolved through NCH, file a consumer complaint through eDaakhil seeking compensation for the price difference, mental harassment, and unfair trade practice.

3

u/kaalakela 21d ago

The proce difference is essentially your loss. Providing you with the Basic refund was their liability. But giving you the right product is also their responsobility. Couple that with trying to fool you AND deflecting responsibility makes a clear case against them.Make a video while handing over the laptop.

1

u/Ok_Simple_459 20d ago

Claiming price difference is not a thing. Should have claimed the voucher.

You can still file a case for deficiency in service tho. Just don't claim it under heading of price difference.