Court directs washing machine installation without attendance fee, denies refund

A court directed Willowdial Appliances to arrange the standard installation included with Revathi Pillai's washing machine without charging an attendance fee. It denied her request for a refund because she said she had not paid the fee.

The order reflects an offer Willowdial made during the hearing and Pillai accepted on condition that she would owe no attendance charge. She need not accept or pay for extra work to receive the included installation; any non-standard plumbing or materials must be identified and agreed to before the work is done or charged.

The shared invoice was strong evidence that delivery and standard installation were included in the purchase price, while additional plumbing and materials could be charged. But it did not define standard installation or expressly say whether technician attendance was included or excluded.

The court said the invoice's silence supported Pillai's position that its written terms did not disclose an attendance fee. It could not, however, establish what was said before purchase. Pillai had not proved non-disclosure, the court found, while stressing that this did not mean disclosure had occurred.

Nor did the record identify work performed for the disputed fee or establish that extra plumbing or materials were needed. The court declined to assume either that extra work occurred or that an attendance fee was justified.

The refund failed separately: the invoice recorded payment for the machine, not an attendance fee, and no other record established such a payment or its amount. The court made no compensation award for the reported inconvenience, saying there was no amount or other basis to calculate it.

Pillai said installation had been promised as free and that the attendance fee was not explained before purchase. She said she refused to pay it and had been washing clothes by hand while the machine remained unused.

Willowdial said the invoice allowed charges for additional plumbing and materials but did not expressly address attendance. It acknowledged having no separate written record of what was explained before purchase or what work required the fee.

At the hearing, Willowdial offered to arrange standard installation without an attendance fee and to seek Pillai's agreement before charging for identified non-standard work. Pillai accepted on the condition that she would not have to pay the attendance fee.

Pillai bought the washing machine on 8 June 2026 and paid the invoiced price in full. It was delivered on 10 June, but installation remained pending after the shop requested an attendance charge before booking a technician.

Willowdial could not confirm an appointment date at the hearing, and the court did not set one. The record also leaves the compatibility and safety of the existing connections unassessed; the order does not determine whether any non-standard work will be needed.