Refund of fees

District consumer forum Chandigarh has made it clear that if a student, who has deposited fee for admission in a particular school but later opts out or does not continue there, the said school is liable to refund the fee.

While passing these orders, forum has directed the principal of Sector-48 based Banyan Tree School to refund Rs 1,200 fee and Rs 7,500 as compensation and litigation cost to the complainant.

The orders were passed by district consumer forum-I headed by its president P D Goel, while allowing a complaint filed by 3-year-old minor Praneet Kaur of Mohali. Complaint was filed through her father Amarjit Singh against the school.

Complainant Amarjit Singh had approached the school for the admission of his daughter in nursery class and paid a sum of Rs 12,000 as part payment of fees and Rs 300 as registration fee on February 2, 2011. However, the complainant's daughter could not join the school as the family decided to settle in their native village. Following the decision, the complaint intimated the school on March 15, 2011 and requested for fee refund, but the school flatly refused the same despite repeated requests and visits. The complainant sent a legal notice dated April 28, 2011 to the school but school never responded. Finally complaint was filed before the consumer forum.

After examining the entire record of the complaint, forum held that non-refund of the part
payment of fees Rs 12,000 despite repeated requests amounts to deficiency in service.