Did Ola resolve 10,500 customer complaints? Consumer watchdog seeks more details
- In October, Ola Electric claimed it had resolved 99 per cent of the customer complaints within a 15-day deadline set by CCPA in its show-cause notice.
Ola Electric is not yet off the hook as the consumer watchdog Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is not entirely satisfied with India's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer's claim that it has resolved 99 per cent of the 10,644 customer complaints raised through a show-cause notice in October. The CCPA show-cause notice to Ola Electric on October 7 was issued over alleged violation of consumer rights, misleading advertisement and unfair trade practices with a 15-day deadline for the EV maker to resolve the issues. Ola had replied within the deadline claiming more than nearly 10,500 complaints were resolved within the timeframe.
In the latest development, the CCPA has sought additional documents and information from Ola Electric to confirm the EV maker's claim that it has resolved most of the customer complaints. It has sent an email to Ola Electric on December 4 to verify what Ola Electric claimed in its regulatory filing on October 22 as a reply to its show-cause notice.
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CCPA show-cause notice: Ola Electric's reply
Ola Electric had issued a statement on October 22 replying to the show-cause notice issued by the CCPA. The statement read, "We wish to emphasise that out of 10,644 complaints that we received from the CCPA, 99.1 per cent of the complaints were resolved to the complete satisfaction of the customer as per Ola Electric’s robust redressal mechanism." The EV maker said that about one third of the complaints were regarding Ola's slow service and repairs. Delayed deliveries, misleading marketing strategies, unavailability of spare parts and unfulfilled service promises were some of the other key complaints against Ola Electric.
Also Read : Bhavish Aggarwal test rides the newly launched Ola S1 Z e-scooter
CCPA orders probe against Ola Electric
The CCPA's move comes after the consumer watchdog ordered a detailed investigation into the complaints against Ola Electric. It has asked the Bureau of India Standards (BIS) to investigate the matter and file a report.
Ola Electric has been in the eye of storm triggered by its unsatisfied customers on social media platforms over past several months. The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) had flagged complaints raised by customers against Ola Electric for the last one year which did not yield any satisfactory response from the company. It led the Centre to order CCPA to conduct an audit.
How Ola Electric plans to counter allegations
Ola Electric is planning to expand its network in India to 4,000 showrooms by December 20. It currently has around 800 touchpoints in the country. Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO at Ola Electric, has also assured that the new 3,200 showrooms will also come with service centres to address customer complaints. The EV maker also plans to to train over one lakh third-party mechanics to increase number of service personnel to address customer complaints.
Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India, Upcoming EV Bikes in India.
