Work permit rejected, visa consultant told to refund Rs 2 lakh

Ahmedabad: A consumer court in Ahmedabad has ordered a visa consultancy firm to refund nearly Rs 2 lakh to a client after it failed to honour the promise of refund made in its agreement. The Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) had filed the case on behalf of their complainant, Deepak Mangtani.

Mangtani had approached the firm, Achivia International, in 2020 to help secure a Norway work permit for his son, and paid Rs 2.64 lakh for the process.

According to the agreement signed between both parties, the consultancy had promised that if the visa was rejected due to reasons linked to immigration authorities, and not because of any mistake by the applicant, most of the money would be refunded after deducting Rs 20,000 processing fee.

However, even after the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration rejected the application, the consultancy allegedly refunded only Rs 45,000 and withheld the remaining Rs 1.99 lakh.

The Consumer Dispute Redressal District Commission, Ahmedabad (Rural), in its recent order, held the consultancy liable for deficiency in service and negligence. The commission directed the firm and its partners to jointly refund Rs 1.99 lakh with 9% annual interest from March 2020 till payment. It also ordered them to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 3,000 towards litigation costs.

Consumer lawyer Mandeep Singh Saluja said, “Such disputes are more common than they appear, but many consumers avoid legal action because agreements signed with consultants often contain restrictive clauses.”

He added, “Most disputes in this sector revolve around the terms mentioned in agreements. In many cases, consumers are discouraged from pursuing legal proceedings after signing contracts. People should carefully read all clauses before making payments, check the credibility of the consultant, and ensure refund and liability terms are clearly mentioned in writing.”