Hyderabad school asked to refund Rs 58,000 as student opts out

The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission also ordered the school to pay  9 per cent annual interest and Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses.

Hyderabad: A consumer court in Hyderabad has asked Vikas the Concept School to refund Rs 58,000 after a US-returned student opted out four days after joining the institution in 2018.

The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission also ordered the school to pay 9 per cent annual interest and Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses.

The commission observed that the school’s refusal to return the amount after the student discontinued her studies amounted to an unfair trade practice. The case was filed by Puppala V.S. Ratnakar, a resident of KPHB, after he admitted his daughter, Harika, to the BiPC stream at Vikas The Concept School in Miyapur-Bachupally in August 2018.

The case

Ratnakar paid Rs 58,000 towards fees and deposit at the time of admission.

However, Harika, who had studied up to Class 10 in the United States, found it difficult to adjust to the teaching methods and discontinued at the school days after joining it.

When Ratnakar approached the school seeking cancellation of the admission and a refund of the fee, the school refused to refund the amount.

As the matter remained unresolved, Ratnakar approached the Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II. After hearing the case, the commission observed that the school was at fault for not refunding the fee.

The school has been asked to refund the fee in 45 days, failing which it would attract an additional payment of Rs 25,000.