u/Debasis_121

Original Post Summary: My friend built a ₹2.72L PC from EliteHubs (Bangalore branch) earlier this year. We later checked the component boxes against the invoice and found massive overcharging above the printed MRP:

2x RAM Sticks: Invoiced: ₹46,470 | Printed MRP: ₹19,998 | Overcharged: ₹26,472

1x 1TB SSD: Invoiced: ₹17,999 | Printed MRP: ₹11,200 | Overcharged: ₹6,799

Total Illegal Markup: ₹33,271 (financed via EMI, so he's paying extra bank interest too).

We sent them an email demanding a refund of the ₹33,271 overcharged amount with the emi interest.

The Retailer’s Reply (Just Received): EliteHubs replied a few hours ago offering an "amicable commercial settlement without admission of liability," subject to the following conditions:

Component Return Mandatory: They will process a refund ONLY if my friend physically returns the RAM sticks and SSD.

Deductions Applied: They plan to reverse the original ₹5.6k PC build discount, offering a net refund of ₹51,867 instead of the full component invoice value. No mention of refund of emi interest.

Revoking 3-Year On-Site Service: They claim that returning the components modifies the original build, so they will cancel the complimentary 3-year on-site support for the entire PC.

Deadline: They gave us a deadline of Monday, 17 August to accept this offer.

Our Plan to Reject Their Proposal: We are preparing our reply and plan to reject their return condition for the following reasons:

Surging Component Prices: Returning used RAM and SSD modules leaves the PC non-functional. Buying replacement parts in today’s market will cost significantly more due to recent price increases, resulting in a net financial loss for my friend.

Statutory Offense at Point of Sale: Under Section 36(1) of the Legal Metrology Act, selling above the printed MRP is an offense committed at the time of sale. Correcting an illegal price markup requires refunding the overcharged price difference—it does not give the seller the right to demand used goods back months later.

Unfair Trade Practice: Threatening to strip the 3-year service package for the rest of the build (CPU, GPU, Motherboard, PSU) just because an MRP violation was flagged feels like coercion.

We intend to send a counter-reply demanding a direct cash refund of ₹33,271 with emi interest while retaining the parts and warranty.

1. Has anyone filed a complaint with the Legal Metrology Inspector in Bangalore for overcharging above MRP? How fast do they inspect/action such cases?

2. If we escalate via NCH (National Consumer Helpline) and e-Daakhil, can we also claim compensation for the bank EMI interest incurred on the ₹33k overcharge?

Posting on behalf of my friend who built a PC from EliteHubs (Bangalore branch) earlier this year for around ₹2.8 Lakhs.

After seeing posts about retailers selling stock at inflated prices above the printed MRP, I asked my friend to cross-check his component boxes against his official tax invoice.

Upon checking, he discovered a massive difference:

2x RAM Sticks: Invoiced Price: ₹46,470 | Box MRP: ₹19,998 (for both) | Overcharged: ₹26,472

1x 1TB SSD: Invoiced Price: ₹17,999 | Box MRP: ₹11,200 | Overcharged: ₹6,799

Total Overcharged Amount: ₹33,271

To make matters worse, he financed this build via EMI, meaning he is actively paying monthly interest on this ₹33,271 overcharged amount.

Action taken so far:

We have sent a formal email to EliteHubs citing violations under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 and Consumer Protection Act, 2019, attaching photos of the box MRP stickers alongside the invoice, demanding a full refund of ₹33,271 within 7 working days.

1. Besides waiting for their response or filing in Consumer Court (e-Daakhil), what are the fastest administrative or legal channels to recover this money?

2. Can we legally claim the additional bank EMI interest and financial damages in Consumer Court for this unfair trade practice?

3.Has anyone dealt with similar overcharging issues with PC hardware retailers and what worked best for you?

Used gemini for editing text