Complaint Details

Status	:	Closed
Complaint No	:	0127537/2020
Category	:	Consumer Goods
Date	:	19-12-2020
Subject Line	:	Bajaj Geyser Caused a Fire and Almost Burned Me
Complainant	:	Akansha Singh
Address	:	401, Bldg. No. 5, Highland Residency, Dhokali, Near Majiwada
Complainee	:	Bajaj Electricals Ltd.
Address	:

Complaint Details
My Bajaj Geyser CAUGHT FIRE on 10.12.2020 (pictures attached of the damage) in less than 2 years of purchaser. THE ENTIRE THING CAUGHT FIRE, BURNT MY BATHROOM CEILING AND ALMOST BURNT ME WHILE I WAS IN THE WASHROOM. It was a big fire with the flames as long as the length of one’s arm. Since the geyser is right next to the washroom door and the fire was covering the door area, I was trapped in my washroom and couldn’t run out. The smoke was so much that I started choking in the closed space. Thankfully, I had a heavy towel with me and I covered myself with it and ran outside. We had to then extinguish the fire because it was out of control. I almost died that day because of Bajaj's product was not made well enough to handle the electricity and fire.

Soon after that we had the Bajaj technical team visit us to inspect the geyser, and as expected of large unethical companies, they quoted some usage 'recommendation' in their manual as the reason for the fire and blamed us for it. I pointed out to them that their manual states that it is “recommended” to use a 32 Amps switch fuse unit, and does not state anywhere that the geyser should never be used without a 32 Amps switch (something that the team of experts told me today). It is established principle that a “recommendation” is NOT the same as a “requirement”, and if the consequences of not following this 'recommendation' was a large fire that almost burned down my house, then it SHOULD have been written as a 'requirement' and not a 'recommendation'.

Further, the outer covering of the geyser is of extremely poor quality (very clearly a way for Bajaj to reduce cost of production and maximize its profits on the geyser), since the entire plastic top of the geyser caught fire – which the Bajaj Team that inspected the burnt geyser are refusing to admit to, since it is quite clear that the instructions given to them is to write a report in favour of Bajaj. The main reason that I almost burnt due to the geyser is its cheap plastic outer covering, which caused a fire so large that it almost burnt me and could have choked me to death with the smoke in my small locked bathroom.

The Bajaj team has stopped responding to my emails since their visit, because they obviously don't care anymore now that they have found some reason on which they believe they can escape liability.

After such a horrifying experience and the lack of support from Bajaj, I am obviously not at all interested in a replacement of the geyser. Hence, I have requested the following from Bajaj: (a) refund of the entire purchase amount for both geysers, (b) adequate compensation for the damage it has caused to my washroom, i.e., the repainting of the entire bathroom ceiling and tile work in the corner, and (c) an apology for selling defective products that are a danger to the safety of consumers.

I have not heard from the company on it and am getting very concerned that they have just left me to deal with the aftermath of the fire - i.e., the cost of replacing the geyser and fixing my entire bathroom.

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