Summary:
The complainant had bought the mobile phone for Rs10,000 in June 2016 and had insured the same by paying a premium of Rs600. On March 20, 2017, Dalvi lost his mobile that he had kept in his car.Since the mobile was insured for a year, Dalvi registered the claim and provided all the information about the purchase of the mobile and premium receipt along with the police complaint.The insurance company, however, rejected the claim stating: “The insurance is only valid if anything happened to the mobile when it was in the custody of the owner. Nashik: The District Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum (Nashik), stating that insurance companies should not draw inferences of terms and conditions that suit them, has ordered New India Assurance Company Limited to settle the claim for lost mobile raised by a consumer.“When two meanings are likely from the terms and conditions of insurance policy the insurance companies tend to take the one that suits them and turn down the claim. This is why we call it as deficiency in services,” the three-member forum headed by president Milind Sonawane said in its judgment delivered on December 4.Shashikant Dalvi (45), a resident of Tidke Colony, had registered complaint against the insurance company with the forum on May 24, 2017 seeking justice after the company rejecting his claim for his lost mobile that was insured. If it is not in his custody then the company is not responsible for it.”During the hearing the company again rejected the claim putting forth the same reason.To this the forum said, “There are two meanings for the lost mobile from the car – one that company claims that the person had gone away without caring for it and the other that person had kept it in the car along with his other belongings.”The forum ordered the company to settle the claim of Rs10,000 and also pay Rs3,000 as charges for mental harassment and Rs2,000 for cost incurred..